Ask Tamara

My child’s Lead test came back as “< 2 ," what does that mean? Is my child poisoned?

December 3, 2021December 11, 2023

For those new to this 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). Since 2009, Tamara has been using XRF technology (a scientific method…

How many items can you test with an XRF instrument in one hour?

April 17, 2021June 4, 2024

For those new to this 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). Since 2009, Tamara has been using XRF technology (a scientific method used…

#AskTamara: Which dishes are Lead-free? Pioneer Woman? Wedgwood? Franciscan? Blue Willow? Fiestaware? Heath?

December 28, 2019May 15, 2024

209 Comments

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…

#AskTamara: Which mugs are Lead-free? How can I tell if my mug has unsafe levels of Lead? Which mugs do you use?

December 28, 2019April 23, 2024

212 Comments

For those new to this 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). Since 2009, Tamara has been using XRF technology (a scientific method…

Ask Tamara: What dishes do you use in your home? Which dishes don’t have Lead? Which dishes are Lead-free?

December 28, 2019March 12, 2024

269 Comments

Originally published: December 20, 2016 Updated: December 28, 2019 For those new to this 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). Since 2009, Tamara…

I will not eat mussels again. These shells were positive for 14,000 ppb Cadmium. Food is toxic at levels below 100 ppb.

August 31, 2019November 15, 2023

15 Comments

For those new to this 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). Since 2009, Tamara has been using XRF technology (a scientific method used by…

#AskTamara: Do natural shells have Lead? Are they safe for kids to play with (as far as being non-toxic)?

August 30, 2019March 17, 2020

I get these questions a lot! “Do sea shells have Lead?” “What about Cadmium and Mercury?” “Are they safe for my kids to play with?” My Answer I have tested quite a few shells (of different sizes, from different animals and from different parts of the world) and never found one to have XRF detectable…

#AskTamara: Shellfish can have high Lead (as a food), but do clam shells have an unsafe level of Lead? Are they safe for kids?

August 30, 2019

1 Comment

I get these questions a lot! “Do sea shells have Lead?” “What about Cadmium and Mercury?” “Are they safe for my kids to play with?” My Answer While the food category “shellfish” (like scallops, mussels, clams and shrimp) are notoriously high in Lead, their shells are another matter. For context however, it is important to…

#AskTamara: I know shellfish can have high Lead (as a food), but do scallop shells have an unsafe level of Lead? Are they safe for kids?

August 30, 2019August 30, 2019

I get these questions a lot! “Do sea shells have Lead?” “What about Cadmium and Mercury?” “Are they safe for my kids to play with?” My Answer While the food category “shellfish” (like scallops, mussels and shrimp) are notoriously high in Lead, their shells are another matter. For context however, it is important to know…

#AskTamara: Do sea shells have Lead? Are they safe for my kids to play with? [Spoilers: This one is Lead-free!]

August 30, 2019August 30, 2019

2 Comments

I get these questions a lot! “Do sea shells have Lead?” “What about Cadmium and Mercury?” “Are they safe for my kids to play with?” My Answer I have tested quite a few shells (of different sizes, from different animals and from different parts of the world) and never found one to have XRF detectable…

#AskTamara: Do sea shells have unsafe levels of heavy metals? Are they safe for my kids to play with?

August 30, 2019August 30, 2019

2 Comments

I get these questions a lot! “Do sea shells have Lead?” “What about Cadmium and Mercury?” “Are they safe for my kids to play with?” My Answer I have tested quite a few shells (of different sizes, from different animals and from different parts of the world) and never found one to have XRF detectable…

WHY IS THIS NOT ILLEGAL?! Jervis & George glass sippy cup jar: 6,422 ppm Lead (90 is unsafe for kids) + 88 Cadmium

July 14, 2019October 16, 2023

10 Comments

Introduction (for those new to this website): Tamara Rubin is a multiple-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…

#AskTamara: How do I report a Lead Paint violation? [Video by #LeadSafeMama]

June 24, 2019January 5, 2020

8 Comments

Scroll down to see the video (its just about 2 minutes long.) Please see links below for additional helpful information about Lead paint hazards and identifying and reporting violations. Thanks for being here! As always, please let me know if you have any questions! Tamara Rubin #LeadSafeMama Related posts here on Lead Safe Mama’s blog…

#AskTamara: How can I test my water for Lead? How do I test the water in my home? How do I test the water in my kids’ school?

November 3, 2018June 5, 2023

1 Comment

Published: November 3, 2018 Updated: June 6, 2023 Question: How can I test my water for Lead? Answer: There are multiple ways… There are a few different ways you can get your water tested for Lead (Pb). [Please read the caveats below the list after you read the list!] Ways to test the water in…

#AskTamara: Is there Lead paint on the outside of my “Jervis & George” reusable glass baby food container?

September 16, 2018July 3, 2023

9 Comments

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)…

Question: Do Crayola Crayons have Lead? Answer: Yes they do, at levels considered safe for toys but unsafe for food.

August 28, 2018November 16, 2022

15 Comments

Originally Published: August 28, 2018 Please note: This issue is not isolated to any specific year of crayons manufactured by Crayola nor is the issue (of heavy metal contamination) isolated to any specific type of Crayola crayons. Similar results have been found across all recent years of manufacture tested and across all types of Crayola’s crayon products. What did you find when you tested Crayola crayons for lead…

#AskTamara: Do Glass Dragon Tears Have Lead? (Aka: Squashed Marbles, Glass Drops or Mancala Stones?)

August 13, 2018March 12, 2020

6 Comments

#AskTamara Question: Do dragon tears have lead? Answer: Some do and some do not. Given the nature of the way most colored glass is commonly produced, many dragon tears do have at least some lead, and some have quite high amounts of lead — at levels considered dangerous for children by current/modern regulatory standards. [Even…

#AskTamara: Are my kids’ crayons toxic? Which brand of crayons is safe? Crayola? Filana? Stockmar? Honey Sticks?

August 10, 2018April 23, 2024

32 Comments

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,…

#AskTamara: What is Carbon Steel? (Morakniv, Made in Sweden Carving Knife)

July 8, 2018December 26, 2021

18 Comments

Originally published: July 8, 2018 Updated: December 26, 2021 Q: What is carbon steel? A: The following XRF readings are all of the metals detected when testing the Morakniv “Made In Sweden” knife (pictured here), which is marked “Carbon Steel”. While I have not tested a lot of carbon steel items, these readings are likely…

Ask Tamara: What books do you read to your kids?

June 24, 2018June 24, 2018

Ask Tamara Question: What books do you read to your kids? Answer: Having children with disabilities makes everything challenging. Something a simple as reading a book to them at bed-time can end up in a downright brawl if we are not careful. As a compromise I have found that books-on-tape are a great investment. If…

Ask Tamara: Do Starbucks mugs have high levels of Lead?

April 12, 2018December 19, 2023

16 Comments

For those new to this 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). Since 2009, Tamara has been using XRF technology (a scientific method used…

Ask Tamara: What personal care products do you use?

October 15, 2017April 23, 2024

13 Comments

For those new to this 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). Since 2009, Tamara has been using XRF technology (a scientific method…

#AskTamara: Does my fidget spinner have unsafe levels of lead? 31 answers in 90 seconds! (video)

July 15, 2017December 28, 2018

2 Comments

#AskTamara Question: Does my child’s fidget spinner have unsafe levels of lead? Answer: This video has 31 answers in just 90 seconds! [Scroll down to watch the video at the bottom of the post.] The video linked below shows the test results for 31 of the “fidget spinners” I tested (in no particular order), using an XRF…

Here are some Lead-free toothpaste options I use in my home with my family. Yes — some toothpastes (like Earthpaste) test positive for Lead!

March 10, 2017July 24, 2024

17 Comments

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,…