March 18, 2023 – Saturday
XRF Test Results For the Dish Pictured
Sent in by a Lead Safe Mama Reader (from Minnesota) for Testing
Lenox seems to be making up for its toxic legacy products! Newer Lenox products I have tested (like this one) are consistently testing negative (or within safe range) for toxicants like Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, Arsenic and Antimony! This particular example really clearly demonstrates that the beautiful patterns and designs that people want in fine china do not need to be created though the use of toxic heavy metals. I wish however that Lenox would take some responsibility for their toxic historic products – for example by offering families who purchased their high-Lead items free replacement with the newer Lead-free alternatives. When companies like Lenox sell these types of products they know they will be used by generations within the same family – handed down from grandmother – to mother – to child and with this knowledge there is an opportunity to make things right for future generations.
Some additional reading:
- To read more about the concern for Lead in pottery and china, click here.
- For the menu to the website (to look through different categories of items tested by Lead Safe Mama, LLC) – click here.
- To see XRF test results for more Lenox pieces we have tested, click here.
- To learn more about sending in an item from your home for testing by Lead Safe Mama, LLC – click here.
Color-Code Key to XRF Readings Below
Metals noted in RED are considered toxic heavy metals in most applications.
Metals noted in BLUE are not considered toxic in this application.
Metals noted in GRAY were not found to be present (with the low threshold of detection for the XRF instrument normally falling in the single or double digit ppm for most metals.)
Reading #1) White Center Of Food Surface of Dish
60-second test (repeated multiple times to confirm results)
- Lead (Pb): non-detect
- Cadmium (Cd): non-detect
- Tin (Sn): non-detect
- Mercury (Hg): non-detect
- Selenium (Se): non-detect
- Barium (Ba): 167 +/- 31 ppm
- Chromium (Cr): non-detect
- Antimony (Sb): non-detect
- Copper (Cu): 42 +/- 25 ppm
- Zinc (Zn): 3,169 +/- 107 ppm
- Zirconium (Zr): 479 +/- 16 ppm
- Iron (Fe): 1,746 +/- 161 ppm
- Vanadium (V): non-detect
- Platinum (Pt): 115 +/- 44 ppm
- Cobalt (Co): non-detect
- Bismuth (Bi): 35 +/- 10 ppm
- No other metals detected in consumer goods mode.
Reading #2) Gray Decorative Edge of Food Surface of Dish
60-second test (repeated multiple times to confirm results)
- Lead (Pb): non-detect
- Cadmium (Cd): non-detect
- Tin (Sn): non-detect
- Mercury (Hg): non-detect
- Selenium (Se): non-detect
- Barium (Ba): 209 +/- 31 ppm
- Chromium (Cr): 6,007 +/- 489 ppm
- Antimony (Sb): non-detect
- Copper (Cu): 68 +/- 25 ppm
- Zinc (Zn): 2,338 +/- 84 ppm
- Manganese (Mn): 909 +/- 217 ppm
- Titanium (Ti): 16,900 +/- 1,400 ppm
- Zirconium (Zr): 1,011 +/- 26 ppm
- Iron (Fe): 2,421 +/- 176 ppm
- Vanadium (V): 13,600 +/- 900 ppm
- Platinum (Pt): 114 +/- 39 ppm
- Cobalt (Co): 241 +/- 68 ppm
- Bismuth (Bi): 31 +/- 10 ppm
- No other metals detected in consumer goods mode.
Reading #3) Silver Decorative Trim on Food Surface of Dish
60-second test (repeated multiple times to confirm results)
- Lead (Pb): non-detect
- Cadmium (Cd): non-detect
- Tin (Sn): non-detect
- Mercury (Hg): non-detect
- Selenium (Se): non-detect
- Barium (Ba): 300 +/- 63 ppm
- Chromium (Cr): non-detect
- Antimony (Sb): non-detect
- Copper (Cu): non-detect
- Zinc (Zn): 1,565 +/- 130 ppm
- Manganese (Mn): non-detect
- Titanium (Ti): non-detect
- Zirconium (Zr): 359 +/- 26 ppm
- Iron (Fe): 1,211 +/- 293 ppm
- Vanadium (V): non-detect
- Platinum (Pt): 553 +/- 130 ppm
- Gold (Au): 1,606 +/- 154 ppm
- Cobalt (Co): non-detect
- Bismuth (Bi): non-detect
- No other metals detected in consumer goods mode.
Reading #4) Logo Area on Back of Dish
60-second test (repeated multiple times to confirm results)
- Lead (Pb): non-detect
- Cadmium (Cd): non-detect
- Tin (Sn): non-detect
- Mercury (Hg): non-detect
- Selenium (Se): non-detect
- Barium (Ba): 245 +/- 33 ppm
- Chromium (Cr): non-detect
- Antimony (Sb): non-detect
- Copper (Cu): 72 +/- 28 ppm
- Zinc (Zn): 3,702 +/- 121 ppm
- Manganese (Mn): non-detect
- Titanium (Ti): non-detect
- Zirconium (Zr): 653 +/- 20 ppm
- Iron (Fe): 1,851 +/- 167 ppm
- Vanadium (V): non-detect
- Platinum (Pt): 304 +/- 53 ppm
- Gold (Au): 1,080 +/- 69 ppm
- Cobalt (Co): non-detect
- Bismuth (Bi): 20 +/- 12 ppm
- No other metals detected in consumer goods mode.
In Conclusion
The dishes tested for this particular post are 100% safe by all standards, however if you have vintage Lenox china and have been using them as your every day dishes you may want to consider asking your doctor about getting a Blood Lead Level (BLL) test to rule out any potential exposure. Here’s a link with more information about BLL testing. Given BLL testing tends to show immediate recent exposure (there is a 30 to 45 day half-life of Lead in the blood), if you are concerned more about long-term exposure ask your doctor about the possibility of getting a hair test or a urine test. Here’s a link with more information about those types of testing. If you are looking for examples of Lead-free dishes to use as alternatives, please check out this link.
For those new to this website:
Tamara Rubin is a multiple-Federal-award-winning independent advocate and activist, and a documentary filmmaker. She is the owner and founder of Lead Safe Mama, LLC – a woman-owned small business for consumer goods safety and childhood Lead-poisoning prevention. She is also a mother of Lead-poisoned children, the inspiration for her work [Tamara’s sons were acutely Lead-poisoned in August of 2005]. She was trained and certified to use XRF technology in 2009 – specifically with the focus of testing consumer goods for toxicants.
- Tamara was the parent-advocate responsible for finding Lead in the popular fidget spinner toys in 2017.
- In 2022 her work was also responsible for three CPSC product recalls — the Jumping Jumperoo recall (June, 2022); the Lead painted NUK baby bottle recall (July, 2022); and the Leaded Green Sprouts Insulated Stainless Steel Baby Bottles (November, 2022).
- In 2023, her work was featured in Consumer Reports Magazine (link) and has already (as of the date of publishing this article) precipitated one product recall, one of “Oprah’s Favorite Things” the Bindle Bottle insulated stainless steel water bottle.
- To see a summary of violation reports filed by Lead Safe Mama, LLC – as well as recent press coverage of our work please click this link.
The XRF instrument Tamara uses is the same instrument (and same scientific method) used by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to test consumer goods for toxicants (specifically heavy metals), including Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, Antimony, and Arsenic. All test results reported on this website (LeadSafeMama.com / TamaraRubin.com) 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.
Do you know what year this was purchased?
Ty!