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For those new to the Lead Safe Mama website:

Tamara Rubin is a multiple-federal-award-winning independent advocate for childhood Lead poisoning prevention and consumer goods safety, and a documentary filmmaker. She is also a mother of Lead-poisoned children (two of her sons were acutely Lead-poisoned in 2005).

• Tamara owns and runs Lead Safe Mama, LLC — a community collaborative woman-owned small business for childhood Lead poisoning prevention and consumer goods safety.
• Since 2009, Tamara has been using XRF technology (a scientific testing method) using the exact instrumentation employed by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to test consumer goods for toxicants (specifically heavy metals — including Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, Antimony, and Arsenic).
• Since July of 2022, the work of Lead Safe Mama, LLC has been responsible for 5 product recalls (FDA and CPSC).
• All test results reported on this website are science-based, accurate, and replicable.
• Items that Lead Safe Mama, LLC reports on are tested multiple times to confirm the results published (for each component tested).
• Tamara’s work was featured in Consumer Reports Magazine in February 2023 (March 2023 print edition) and The Guardian in November 2023.

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Continue reading below the images of additional cups/mugs/glassware we have tested. Each image below is a direct link to a separate article about that item — with the XRF test results for that item. 

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Published: April 30, 2022
Updated: December 3, 2023

Full XRF test results for the McDonald’s Mickey Mouse Y2K Filmmaker glass pictured are below.

To summarize the test results below, this glass tested positive for three heavy metals (metals that are poisonous to humans): Lead, Cadmium and Antimony. Lead is a neurotoxin. Cadmium and Antimony are known carcinogens. The most concerning metal found was Cadmium because the level was as high as 1,261 ppm. Cadmium is considered dangerous in items intended for use by children at levels in the range of 40 to 75 ppm (depending on which regulatory standard you take into consideration). You can learn more about the different regulatory standards for Cadmium at this link.

• In 2017, a researcher in Plymouth, England did a study reviewing the potential health impacts of glassware (like the one pictured here) with decorative exterior painted markings that test positive for high levels of Lead, Cadmium, and other heavy metals. You can find a link to that study here.
• In April of 2022, Cracked.com wrote a very well-researched and informative piece about toxicants (specifically Lead and Cadmium) frequently found on promotional collectible glassware pieces made for (and distributed by) McDonald’s. Here’s the link to that article.
• In September of 2023, the European YouTube channel “Fern” published a 16-minute video piece on the issue of toxic painted collectible glassware manufactured (and sold) by McDonald’s. They interviewed me for this piece (and I showed them how I use XRF technology to test consumer goods for toxicants). Follow the link here to watch that video.
• In November of 2023, the Guardian also wrote a piece about the concern for painted vintage glassware (although this is not just an issue with vintage glassware, newer glassware can be also be painted with toxicant-containing paint). You can find the article from the Guardian by clicking this link.
• Here’s a link with some guidelines for choosing toxicant-free glassware for your home.

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For additional information, please check out the following articles:

• More Disney items with test results 
• More Mickey Mouse items with test results 
• More McDonald’s items with test results 
• More cartoon character glasses with test results 
• An article discussing the concern for Cadmium in consumer goods
• An article about the symptoms of Lead exposure in adults
• A link to our documentary feature film on Childhood Lead Poisoning
• An article discussing the testing methodology (and instrumentation) we use for the test results we report on this website

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Reading #1) Test on the red of Mickey’s outfit
30-second test

• Lead (Pb): non-detect
• Cadmium (Cd): 1,261 +/- 54 ppm
• Mercury (Hg): non-detect
• Bromine (Br): non-detect
• Arsenic (As): non-detect
• Chromium (Cr): 10,800 +/- 800 ppm
• Iron (Fe): 279 +/- 149 ppm
• Copper (Cu): 3,087 +/- 166 ppm
• Zinc (Zn): 848 +/- 67 ppm
• Selenium (Se): 1,173 +/- 54 ppm
• Titanium (Ti): 19,400 +/- 1,900 ppm
• Zirconium (Zr): 7,586 +/- 235 ppm
• Platinum (Pt): 136 +/- 54 ppm
• No other metals were detected in consumer goods mode.

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Reading #2) Test on an unpainted glass area of the glass
30-second test

• Lead (Pb): 69 +/- 14 ppm
• Cadmium (Cd): non-detect
• Mercury (Hg): non-detect
• Bromine (Br): non-detect
• Arsenic (As): non-detect
• Chromium (Cr): non-detect
• Zirconium (Zr): 351 +/- 16 ppm
• Antimony (Sb): 28 +/- 14 ppm
• No metals were detected in consumer goods mode.

Thanks for reading and for sharing articles from LeadSafeMama.com/ TamaraRubin.com. Please let me know if you have any questions and I will do my best to answer them as soon as I have a moment.

Tamara Elise Rubin
Owner — Lead Safe Mama, LLC
Mother of Lead-poisoned children

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A few more photos of the Mickey Mouse glass featured in this article can be seen if you scroll down.

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