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 four sons were acutely Lead-poisoned in 2005).
- Tamara owns and runs Lead Safe Mama, LLC — a unique community collaborative woman-owned small business for childhood Lead poisoning prevention and consumer goods safety.
- Since 2009, Tamara has been conducting XRF testing (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).
- Recent notable press… There has been too much to mention already in 2024! Please check out our press page to see some of the amazing coverage of our work so far this year!
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February 18, 2024 — Sunday
In February 2023 (one year ago, this week) Lead Safe Mama, LLC reported (via the above post on social media) that the Iron Flask insulated stainless steel water bottle products tested positive for Lead.
Using XRF technology, the Lead reading that we got on the example tested, and reported on that day (shown in the image above), was 352,900 ppm Lead — this indicates that a 60/40 Lead solder (40% Lead) was likely used to create the vacuum insulation for these bottles. To read more about what a Leaded “sealing dot” is (the component on this bottle that tested positive for Lead), click here.
For context, any item that tests positive for Lead at 100 ppm or higher in the substrate (base material) of any component of that item is considered ILLEGAL if that item is marketed and sold as an item intended for use by children. At 352,900 ppm Lead, this bottle is considerably higher than 100 ppm Lead in the substrate… HOWEVER, it is not “an item intended for use by children,” so it is not illegal in any way. While it is not illegal, that does not mean it is safe — please note the caption in our original post (image above)!
Lead Safe Mama, LLC has (independently, scientifically) tested dozens of bottles from the Iron Flask brand in recent years and all of the insulated stainless steel products that we have tested from Iron Flask have tested positive for unsafe levels of Lead in the sealing dot. Said another way, we have not tested any examples from this brand that have been negative for Lead and I have not seen any indications suggesting that Iron Flask may have changed their manufacturing process recently.
Specifically, Iron Flask’s advertising on Amazon (two images below) doesn’t state anything about the product being Lead-free (and I would expect them to note this new development as a huge selling point in their advertising if it were — in fact — true).
Image #1
Image #2
Today (February 18, 2024), a Lead Safe Mama reader sent me the following e-mail (image below), which included an exchange she had with Iron Flask regarding these insulated Stainless Steel products.
In the above e-mail, the Iron Flask representative is asserting that their water bottles are 100% Lead-free.
As it is only February of 2024 — and the bottle pictured in our post from February 2023 appears to have been manufactured in August of 2022 (if the code on the bottom is representative of a manufacturing date) — in the unlikely event that this company is in fact currently manufacturing Lead-free products, it is a very recent development.
Given a healthy dose of skepticism, due to the rampant corporate greenwashing/ ignorance in the marketing and manufacturing sectors — while I would love it if their new products are truly Lead-free —it is more likely that the representative who wrote the e-mail (above) is simply delivering their marketing department’s scripted response, completely ignorant about the presence of Lead in their products, or even that they may be knowingly misrepresenting the facts. However, as I said, IF Iron Flask has, in fact, recently radically changed their production/ manufacturing specs, and they are now Lead-free, that would be great. But I would need to see evidence of that! To this end, we have purchased three of their insulated stainless steel products (one specifically sold for use by children) for testing and we will publish an update on this brand as soon as we have more information to report.
Even if the company is now (in February 2024) manufacturing Lead-free products (when they were definitely NOT Lead-free in 2022/ 2023!) an e-mail like the one above gives false assurances to unsuspecting customers by leading customers to assume that not only are the products Lead-free now, but implying that they have also been historically Lead-free (something that is simply not true given the testing Lead Safe Mama, LLC has completed for multiple Iron Flask products to date).
This is a link to the product we purchased for testing (direct from the Iron Flask store on Amazon) https://amzn.to/3T0wMCW. We also purchased this one: https://amzn.to/4bErlkn, and this one: https://amzn.to/3T3BiAv.
If you would like to purchase a water bottle from a reputable brand — that Lead Safe Mama, LLC has confirmed to currently, consistently manufacture Lead-free products (via repeated testing of multiple examples from that brand over multiple years, using scientific methodologies and not home test kits!*) please take a look at the offerings from these brands:
*Home test kits cannot be effectively used to test most consumer goods. This article (link) has more water bottle brands we have tested that also tested positive for Lead (as well as those that have tested negative for Lead!)
Amazon links are affiliate links. If you purchase something after clicking a Lead Safe Mama, LLC Amazon link, we may receive a percentage of what you spend at no extra cost to you.
I had just purchased two 64 ounce hydro jugs on 2-14 right before reading your article they they contained a leaded sealed dot. I wrote them telling them this. They denied it saying they are lead free. I ask them to send me more information so I could be sure. They didn’t. So I forwarded them your article about them. No Response. Any advice. Thank you for all your hard work!!!
Thank you so much, Tamara. I had been wondering about my Ironflask – the paint has been chipping over the last year. After getting the same unhelpful, canned response from their customer support, I’ll be choosing another brand immediately.
Any updates with the new Iron Flask bottles you bought to test?
Although the Iron Flask product tests positively for lead, if undamaged, is the user still at risk for lead exposure?
Hi Naela,
I believe she answered your question in the article linked above:
https://tamararubin.com/2020/07/this-is-what-a-leaded-sealing-dot-looks-like-on-a-stainless-steel-water-bottle-please-read-the-full-post-if-you-have-questions/
There she answered your question, stating:
[[ Is this a problem? Why is this a problem?
My main concern is that children (and some adults) may interact with the dimple on the bottom of these bottles — whether out of curiosity or as a “fidget.” If the sealing dots are fully exposed to bare Lead (as with the example in the main picture for this article), that means the owner/user is touching bare Lead.
Is there any risk that the water inside the bottle can be contaminated by Lead?
The short answer to that question is “No.” This is a serious but localized/ exterior potential touching hazard; with any of these bottles, the water or other liquid inside the bottles is NOT exposed to the Lead sealing dot on the outside of the bottle, and thus the contents of the bottle are not Lead-contaminated. For the bottles that have a painted coating (or sticker or other seal covering the Lead dot), I have noticed that those seals consistently come off in most brands so a hazard may not be present at the time of purchase but can become an issue later with normal use and wear of the bottle (as intended). If you have one of the above-mentioned brands and the bottom cap (or other seal) covering the Leaded sealing dot has come off, please cease using the cup and either return the product (asking for a refund) or destroy the product. ]]
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If you decide to continue using your Iron Flask, it might be a good idea to buy a cover of some kind for the bottom, like a BPA-free silicone bottle bottom. NOTE: Lead Safe Mama discourages the use of all silicone products because “most modern silicone products are contaminated with trace levels of Cadmium (a known carcinogen).”
https://www.instagram.com/leadsafemama/p/C4DqJxlrSE_/