plastic

1982 Tupperware Catalog (a gift from one of my readers to help us date some of the pieces we have tested for Lead.)

March 21, 2019March 21, 2019

I am so thankful to one of my readers (thank you Gail!) who found the 1982 Tupperware catalog and photographed each and every page and e-mailed them to me! Here they are to serve as a reference to help us date some of the vintage Tupperware pieces that I (together with the help of my…

Yellow Tupperware Cup (year unknown): Non-detect for Lead, Mercury, Cadmium and Arsenic.

March 20, 2019March 20, 2019

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To see more Tupperware items I have tested, click here. When using an XRF instrument to test this plastic cup (which is made of solid yellow plastic with no painted markings or decorations) it had the following readings: Lead (Pb): Negative/Non-Detect (Nd) Cadmium (Cd): Negative/Non-Detect (Nd) Arsenic (As): Negative/Non-Detect (Nd) Chromium (Cr): Negative/Non-Detect (Nd) Antimony (Sb): Negative/Non-Detect…

Orange Tupperware Cup (year unknown): Non-detect for Lead, Mercury, Cadmium and Arsenic.

March 20, 2019March 20, 2019

To see more Tupperware items I have tested, click here. When using an XRF instrument to test this plastic cup (which is made of solid orange plastic with no painted markings or decorations) it had the following readings: Lead (Pb): Negative/Non-Detect (Nd) Cadmium (Cd): Negative/Non-Detect (Nd) Arsenic (As): Negative/Non-Detect (Nd) Chromium (Cr): Negative/Non-Detect (Nd) Antimony (Sb): Negative/Non-Detect…

Vintage Orange Tupperware Funnel With Handle: 1,714 ppm Lead + 17 ppm Cadmium + 181 ppm Arsenic

March 20, 2019

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To see more Tupperware items I have tested, click here. When using an XRF instrument to test this funnel (which is made of solid orange plastic with no painted markings or decorations) it had the following readings: Lead (Pb): 1,714 +/- 29 ppm Cadmium (Cd): 17 +/- 6 ppm Arsenic (As): 181 +/- 20…

“Is MY Tupperware toxic?” (Images included for each item tested & linked to test results for Mercury, Lead, Arsenic, & Cadmium)

March 20, 2019August 10, 2023

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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…

Red Tupperware Mug and Saucer, Year Unknown: Red plastic elements are negative for Lead, Mercury, Cadmium & Arsenic.

March 20, 2019

3 Comments

To see more Tupperware items I have tested, click here. The saucer of this set was sent to me for testing. The only consideration with this that my readers really need to be aware of is that I have not tested the white decorative element on the mug and cannot know without testing if that…

Vintage Tupperware ORANGE cup: 3,270 ppm Cadmium + 1,058 ppm Mercury (both are extremely poisonous to humans)

March 12, 2019March 12, 2019

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To read details about the concern for toxicants in vintage Tupperware products, I encourage you to read my original post on the subject here (and – if you have time – please also read all of the comments and responses on that post for the full conversation.) Thank you! Scroll down to see all…

Vintage Radio Shack Phone: 1,850 ppm Lead. Remember these things? [Phones? Radio Shack?!]

February 18, 2019February 18, 2019

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This vintage Radio Shack brand phone had the following readings when tested with an XRF instrument: Lead (Pb): 1,850 +/- 43 ppm Cadmium (Cd): Non-Detect (Nd) Arsenic (As): Non-Detect (Nd) Mercury (Hg): Non-Detect (Nd) Antimony (Sb): 190 +/- 28 ppm Barium (Ba): Non-Detect (Nd) Chromium (Cr): Non-Detect (Nd) Selenium (Se): Non-Detect (Nd) People often hold on…

Plastic Jar for “365” Whole Foods Brand Almond Butter: 195 ppm Antimony

December 4, 2018December 4, 2018

4 Comments

This post is a companion post to several other pieces published earlier. For background and context, please read the two other posts. The overall focus of these posts is that I advise avoiding purchasing nut-butters packaged in plastic jars. To see all of the related posts, click here. Below are the XRF test results for the…

Does the 2018 Starbucks reusable holiday cup test positive for any “nasties”?

November 2, 2018November 26, 2023

6 Comments

If you have been following my work for a while you know that I have found several Starbucks branded cups and mugs to be positive for high levels of Lead (Pb) and Cadmium (Cd) in the past. To see more Starbucks cups & mugs I have tested, Click Here. Therefore I was not surprised today,…

2012 Mardi Gras Beads: 15,800 ppm Lead (Pb) [90 ppm & up is unsafe for kids!] & 2,028 ppm Cadmium (causes cancer).

October 28, 2018February 21, 2020

Blue Metallic Plastic Mardi Gras Beads. When filming for my documentary in New Orleans in February of 2012 we collected quite a few sets of Mardi Gras beads, including this set. When tested with an XRF instrument the blue plastic beads pictured had the following readings: Lead (Pb): 15,800 ppm Cadmium (Cd): 2,028 ppm [This…

2014 Golden Mardi Gras Beads; 1,127 ppm Lead (Pb). 90 ppm & up is unsafe! Please don’t let children play with these.

October 28, 2018February 21, 2020

Gold Plastic Mardi Gras Beads from 2014. In 2014 I did an outreach event at the Charleston Children’s Museum and did XRF testing of consumer goods for folks who came to the museum that day. A nanny came up to my table pushing a toddler in her stroller and I noticed the toddler had these…

XRFTesting: Plastic Doctor Toy Purchased On Amazon in 2018

September 19, 2018

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XRF Test Results for: Plastic Doctor Toys Purchased On Amazon in 2018 Here is my Amazon affiliate link for this toy set.* Words printed on Stethoscope: “Made In China” and “Dongguan”. No other mark or brand info printed on toy. Tests were done without disassembling toy, so results are accurate taking that consideration into account…

#Arsenic: Vintage Popeye & Olive Oyl Baby Rattle

January 22, 2018

When I tested this vintage plastic Popeye and Olive Oyl rattle I was CERTAIN it would be positive for high levels of lead, but I was wrong! No lead at all, not a trace in any component. Unfortunately it does not have a year of manufacture or maker’s mark on it, but based on other…

Plastic Vintage “Grumpy” Plastic Disney Mug: 449 ppm Lead (90 ppm Lead is considered unsafe for kids.)

December 19, 2017February 7, 2019

This vintage plastic cup from Disney – with a picture of Grumpy the dwarf on it – is positive for Lead both in the plastic and in the paint for the Grumpy design. This yellow mug had the following XRF readings: The plain yellow plastic part of the cup: Lead (Pb): 387 +/- 22…

#LeadSafe; 1980 Fisher Price Airport

December 10, 2017August 5, 2018

1980 Fisher Price Airport. All components tested. The only component on this toy that was positive for lead was (ironically) the black gas valve (on the gas pump at the back of the toy)! This piece was low lead (even safe by today’s standards!) at 28 +/- 7 ppm lead (Pb.) The amount of lead…

#Leaded: 1980 Vintage Fisher Price / Quaker Oats Airport and Plane

December 10, 2017December 10, 2017

Yes it’s hard for some of us to believe that 1980 was 37 years ago! And that 1980 is considered vintage – but let’s set that aside for a moment. 🙂 Each of these items is positive for lead and/or cadmium. Some at very low levels and others at high levels. Because there are so…

#Leaded (Unexpectedly!) Magnet Stick & Ball Toy

December 10, 2017December 27, 2017

This is a yard sale find toy, so the year and brand are not known. Important to note there are two different types of metal balls in this set. The balls are not magnetic (only the sticks are magnetic.) The grayish/dull metal balls are lead-free. The plastic sticks with magnets on each end are lead-free….

#LeadSafe: “Newer” Made In Sweden Brio Train

December 5, 2017

3 Comments

Brio trains – “Made in Sweden“. Exact year of manufacture unknown, tested in 2015. Yellow = non-detect for lead. Red = 10 ppm lead. Tested with an XRF instrument. Thanks to Peggy Oehl for donating and supporting my advocacy! Each donation helps make a new post possible! For #SaferChoices for your family, click here. If…

Do plastic Mardi Gras beads have an unsafe levels of Lead and Cadmium?

December 2, 2017October 28, 2018

Purple Plastic Mardi Gras Beads from New Orleans Mardi Gras 2012. When tested with an XRF instrument the plastic beads pictured had the following toxicant readings: Lead (Pb): 315 ppm Cadmium (Cd): 132 ppm Arsenic (As): Negative/ Non-Detect Mercury (Hg): Negative/ Non-Detect For more XRF test results of beads I have tested, click here. The…

NuSpin Zoomie Straw Cup (sippy cup): Non-Detect for Lead, Mercury & Arsenic. Trace Cadmium in the straw.

December 1, 2017April 4, 2019

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When tested with an XRF instrument, this NuSpin Zoomie Straw Cup, purchased new in 2017 had the following readings: Main plastic body of cup (including “painted” decorative elements): Lead (Pb): Non-detect (ND) / Negative Cadmium (Cd): Non-detect (ND) / Negative Mercury (Hg): Non-detect (ND) / Negative Arsenic (As): Non-detect (ND) / Negative Clear flexible silicone sippy straw: Lead (Pb): Non-detect…

#AskTamara: Are New Fisher Price Mega Bloks Lead Free?

December 1, 2017December 27, 2020

3 Comments

Below are the XRF test results for the new (2017) Fisher Price Mega Bloks pictured here. Lead (Pb): Negative / Non-Detect Mercury (Hg): Negative / Non-Detect Arsenic (As): Negative / Non-Detect Cadmium (Cd): Negative / Non-Detect Tested with an XRF Instrument. All components were tested including each color block and all components of bag (zipper,…

#LeadFree: 1978 Fisher Price Toy Tractor

November 30, 2017February 1, 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…

#LeadFree: Little Mommy

November 30, 2017

Fisher Price “Little Mommy” doll, year unknown: Lead Free. Year not known. Tested in 2014. Here’s a link to the current version of this doll on Amazon*! Thanks to Cascade Wellness for donating and supporting this post! For #SaferChoices for your family, click here. To make a contribution in support of my independent consumer goods…