Gardening With Lead

Kids drinking from the hose this summer? Maybe don’t let them? Hose pictured is 22,300 ppm Lead. 90 is unsafe.

Kids drinking from the hose this summer? Maybe don’t let them? Hose pictured is 22,300 ppm Lead. 90 is unsafe.

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Originally Published: June 30, 2019 Updated: July 2, 2021 Who doesn’t have the childhood memory of the sensation of putting their mouth up against the cool bubbling water right at the end of the hose to drink on a hot summer day? I certainly do! The concern for Lead in hoses is two-fold: potential contamination…

Walmart Expert Gardener Light Duty Garden Hose New (2017), Made In USA: 52 ppm Lead. Safe by all standards.

Walmart Expert Gardener Light Duty Garden Hose New (2017), Made In USA: 52 ppm Lead. Safe by all standards.

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This “Expert Gardener” “Light Duty” garden hose was tested new on the shelf in Walmart in 2017. Only the plastic part of the hose was tested and it was positive for lead (Pb) at 52 parts per million. 52 ppm lead is a relatively low level of lead, but I would still have concerns for…

#AskTamara: What is stainless steel? (This U.S.A. made Lead-free hose has all stainless steel hardware!)

#AskTamara: What is stainless steel? (This U.S.A. made Lead-free hose has all stainless steel hardware!)

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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)…

Green Leader Garden Hose, Brand Unknown: 741 ppm Lead [in the hardware], 90 is unsafe for kids.

Green Leader Garden Hose, Brand Unknown: 741 ppm Lead [in the hardware], 90 is unsafe for kids.

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When I tested this old dirty hose with an XRF, I was a bit surprised by the results! The hose itself was not leaded, and only one of the metal ends was positive for lead. That said, we have lived in this home for more than 11 years and I believe we may have purchased…

Vintage hose bibb handle: 1,615 ppm Lead (90 ppm Lead is unsafe for children.)

Vintage hose bibb handle: 1,615 ppm Lead (90 ppm Lead is unsafe for children.)

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These always test positive for lead in my experience (when tested with an XRF instrument.) They tend to be painted with lead paint or have lead paint residue from decades gone by (which has mostly likely worn off on the hands of the user!) To see more gardening things I have tested click here. For…

#Leaded: Vintage Hose Nozzle

#Leaded: Vintage Hose Nozzle

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Vintage hose nozzle: 28,900 ppm lead. #LeadedBrass – Tested with an XRF instrument. All yellow brass hose and gardening components I have tested have been very high lead like this one (and also can have contaminants like mercury and arsenic.) To see more of my posts related to gardening, click here. For a lead-free option, click…

Brass Walmart hose nozzle (2017): 39,500 ppm Lead. 90 ppm is unsafe & illegal in items intended for use by kids.

Brass Walmart hose nozzle (2017): 39,500 ppm Lead. 90 ppm is unsafe & illegal in items intended for use by kids.

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Hose nozzle: 39,500 ppm lead. New on the shelf at Walmart in August of 2017 Tested with an XRF instrument. All yellow brass hose and gardening components I have tested have been very high lead like this one (and many also have contaminants like mercury and arsenic.) To see more of my posts related to gardening,…

You tested my soil, what do the results mean? How do I interpret the data? Is my soil safe?

You tested my soil, what do the results mean? How do I interpret the data? Is my soil safe?

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Click here to read my post about soil testing. You may hear “experts” say that all soil has some amount of lead in it today, in the post-industrial revolution modern era.  This is simply not true. I have personally tested countless soil samples from around the country that were completely negative (non-detect / ND) for lead,…

#Leaded; Hose Spray Nozzle

#Leaded; Hose Spray Nozzle

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Hose sprayer, as high as 26,900 ppm lead. I don’t yet have a lead-safe alternative to recommend, but finding one made of stainless steel might be a good start, and here is my post on lead-free hoses (including a #MadeInOregon option!). I will update this post as soon as I find one that I am…

#LeadedHousehold: Lead in Hoses

#LeadedHousehold: Lead in Hoses

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Posted: January 6, 2017 Below is a post I originally wrote and shared in June of 2014.  I’ve slightly updated it for today.  It’s a post I have shared often so I am re-sharing now, so those who are new to my page and my work have the benefit of the information provided.  Thanks for…