XRF Test Results for Skrubby Sponges (by Eva Mendes)

March 19, 2023 – Sunday

XRF Test Results For the Sponges Pictured
Purchased by Lead Safe Mama, LLC for testing
Purchased direct from manufacturer’s website

I purchased these sponges (direct from the company’s website) to test them for a friend of a friend. Hopefully my friend will share these test results with her friend (who is involved with the company who manufactures these sponges.) In case that happens, I would like to invite her friend to watch my documentary feature film on Childhood Lead Poisoning – link below! 🙂 For some additional context about the work we do here at Lead Safe Mama, LLC (including the reader-driven independent consumer goods testing we do) – please check out our “about” page (link), our “press” page (link) and read the recent “Consumer Reports Magazine” profile piece about my work (link). Thank you for your time!

Some additional reading:

Color-Code Key to XRF Readings Below

Metals noted in RED are considered toxic heavy metals in most applications (none were found.)
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) Orange Surface of Sponge
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): non-detect
Arsenic (As): non-detect
Chromium (Cr): non-detect
Antimony (Sb): non-detect
Copper (Cu): non-detect
Zinc (Zn): 1,022 +/- 29 ppm
Titanium (Ti): 12,600 +/- 500 ppm
Bromine (Br): 7 +/- 3 ppm
Zirconium (Zr): non-detect
Iron (Fe): 54 +/- 27 ppm
Vanadium (V): non-detect
Platinum (Pt): non-detect
Cobalt (Co): non-detect
Bismuth (Bi): non-detect
No other metals detected in consumer goods mode.

Reading #2) Gray Surface of Sponge
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): non-detect
Arsenic (As): non-detect
Chromium (Cr): non-detect
Antimony (Sb): non-detect
Copper (Cu): non-detect
Zinc (Zn): 1,023 +/- 35 ppm
Titanium (Ti): 17,500 +/- 600 ppm
Bromine (Br): non-detect
Zirconium (Zr): non-detect
Iron (Fe): 810 +/- 61 ppm
Vanadium (V): non-detect
Platinum (Pt): non-detect
Cobalt (Co): non-detect
Bismuth (Bi): non-detect
No other metals detected in consumer goods mode.

Reading #3) Blue Surface of Sponge
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): non-detect
Arsenic (As): non-detect
Chromium (Cr): non-detect
Antimony (Sb): non-detect
Copper (Cu): 75 +/- 19
Zinc (Zn): 1,025 +/- 30 ppm
Titanium (Ti): 15,800 +/- 500 ppm
Bromine (Br): 5 +/- 3 ppm
Zirconium (Zr): non-detect
Iron (Fe): 61 +/- 29 ppm
Vanadium (V): non-detect
Platinum (Pt): non-detect
Cobalt (Co): non-detect
Bismuth (Bi): non-detect
No other metals detected in consumer goods mode.

Reading #4) Green Surface of Sponge
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): non-detect
Arsenic (As): non-detect
Chromium (Cr): non-detect
Antimony (Sb): non-detect
Copper (Cu): 70 +/- 23 ppm
Zinc (Zn): 1,357 +/- 39 ppm
Titanium (Ti): 9,345 +/- 484 ppm
Bromine (Br): 6 +/- 3 ppm
Zirconium (Zr): non-detect
Iron (Fe): 170 +/- 37 ppm
Vanadium (V): non-detect
Platinum (Pt): non-detect
Cobalt (Co): non-detect
Bismuth (Bi): non-detect
No other metals detected in consumer goods mode.

Reading #5) Gray Underside of Sponges
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): non-detect
Arsenic (As): non-detect
Chromium (Cr): non-detect
Antimony (Sb): non-detect
Copper (Cu): non-detect
Zinc (Zn): 320 +/- 21 ppm
Titanium (Ti): non-detect
Bromine (Br): non-detect
Zirconium (Zr): non-detect
Iron (Fe): 136 +/- 39 ppm
Vanadium (V): non-detect
Platinum (Pt): non-detect
Cobalt (Co): non-detect
Bismuth (Bi): non-detect
No other metals detected in consumer goods mode.

In Conclusion

From a heavy metals perspective there are no concerns with these sponges; specifically they tested negative (in all components / all colors) for Lead, Cadmium, Arsenic, Antimony and Mercury (which is a great place to start when looking at these sorts of concerns in products.) They were also negative for Cobalt and Barium – which can be concerning in certain applications.

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.

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March 19, 2023 – Sunday

XRF Test Results For the Sponges Pictured Purchased by Lead Safe Mama, LLC for testing Purchased direct from manufacturer’s website

Some additional reading:

Color-Code Key to XRF Readings Below

Reading #1) Orange Surface of Sponge 60-second test (repeated multiple times to confirm results)

Reading #2) Gray Surface of Sponge 60-second test (repeated multiple times to confirm results)

Reading #3) Blue Surface of Sponge 60-second test (repeated multiple times to confirm results)

Reading #4) Green Surface of Sponge 60-second test (repeated multiple times to confirm results)

Reading #5) Gray Underside of Sponges 60-second test (repeated multiple times to confirm results)