Introduction (for those new to this website):
Tamara Rubin is a federal-award-winning independent advocate for consumer goods safety and a documentary filmmaker. She is also a mother of Lead-poisoned children, her sons were acutely Lead-poisoned in 2005. Since 2009 Tamara has been using XRF testing (a scientific method used by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission) to test consumer goods for toxicants (specifically heavy metals), including Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, Antimony, and Arsenic. All test results reported on this website are science-based, accurate, and replicable. Items are tested multiple times, to confirm the test results for each component tested. Tamara’s work was featured in Consumer Reports Magazine in February of 2023.
Standard sized coffee cup included in photo to show size.
Full XRF Readings for “The Step” (pictured here)
plastic exercise equipment
Made in USA
Metals noted in gray were not found.
Metals noted in blue were found at the levels noted but are not normally considered toxic in consumer goods
Metals noted in red are considered toxic (but are not considered unsafe in this application.) Black softer plastics / synthetic rubbers often have very low (trace) contamination levels of some heavy metals.
Reading #1) Hard Black Plastic of Stand part of device
60-second reading
- Lead (Pb): non-detect
- Cadmium (Cd): non-detect
- Tin (Sn): non-detect
- Mercury (Hg): non-detect
- Selenium (Se): non-detect
- Barium (Ba): 258 +/- 109 ppm
- Arsenic (As): non-detect
- Chromium (Cr): non-detect
- Antimony (Sb): non-detect
- Zinc (Zn): 9 +/- 5 ppm
- No other metals detected in consumer goods mode.
Reading #2) Rubbery Textured Surface / Black Plastic on top of device
60-second reading
- Lead (Pb): non-detect
- Cadmium (Cd): non-detect
- Tin (Sn): non-detect
- Mercury (Hg): non-detect
- Selenium (Se): non-detect
- Barium (Ba): 234 +/- 51 ppm
- Arsenic (As): non-detect
- Chromium (Cr): non-detect
- Antimony (Sb): non-detect
- Zinc (Zn): 55 +/- 16 ppm
- Iron (Fe): 444 +/- 72 ppm
- Chlorine (Cl): 360,000 ppm
- No other metals detected in consumer goods mode.
Continue reading below the image.
Reading #3) Green Plastic Body of Device
60-second reading
- Lead (Pb): non-detect
- Cadmium (Cd): non-detect
- Tin (Sn): non-detect
- Mercury (Hg): non-detect
- Selenium (Se): non-detect
- Barium (Ba): 207 +/- 93 ppm
- Arsenic (As): non-detect
- Chromium (Cr): non-detect
- Antimony (Sb): non-detect
- Copper (Cu): 38 +/- 10 ppm
- Zinc (Zn): 19 +/- 5 ppm
- Titanium (Ti): 4,290 +/- 272 ppm
- Bromine (Br): 6 +/- 2 ppm
- Iron (Fe): non-detect
- Chlorine (Cl): non-detect
- No other metals detected in consumer goods mode.
Reading #4) Black (Round) Rubbery Feet (on bottom of stand of device)
60-second reading
- Lead (Pb): non-detect
- Cadmium (Cd): non-detect
- Tin (Sn): 989 +/- 22 ppm
- Mercury (Hg): non-detect
- Selenium (Se): non-detect
- Barium (Ba): non-detect
- Arsenic (As): 4 +/- 2 ppm (safe by all standards)
- Chromium (Cr): non-detect
- Antimony (Sb): non-detect
- Copper (Cu): non-detect
- Zinc (Zn): 3,907 +/- 46 ppm
- Titanium (Ti): non-detect
- Bromine (Br): 14 +/- 2 ppm
- Iron (Fe): 483 +/- 27 ppm
- Chlorine (Cl): non-detect
- No other metals detected in consumer goods mode.
For those new to this website
Tamara Rubin is a Federal-award-winning independent advocate for consumer goods safety and a documentary filmmaker. She is also a mother of Lead-poisoned children. Tamara’s sons were acutely Lead-poisoned in August of 2005. She began testing consumer goods for toxicants in 2009 and was the parent-advocate responsible for finding Lead in the popular fidget spinner toys in 2017. Her work was also responsible for two CPSC product recalls in the summer of 2022, the Jumping Jumperoo recall (June 2022) and the Lead painted NUK baby bottle recall (July 2022) and was featured in an NPR story about Lead in consumer goods in August of 2022. Tamara uses XRF testing (a scientific method used by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission) to test consumer goods for toxicants (specifically heavy metals), including Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, Antimony, and Arsenic. All test results reported on this website are science-based, accurate, and replicable. Items are tested multiple times, to confirm the test results for each component tested and reported on. Please click through to this link to learn more about the testing methodology used for the test results discussed and reported on this website.
Thank you Tamara for testing this. Step is my go-to aerobics workout and it’s such a relief to know that this item is safe!