#AskTamara: “Do you recommend Corning Visionware?” No, and here’s why.

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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…

#AskTamara: Is my scary witch Halloween mask full of toxic chemicals?

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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…

Reminder: A Thomas the Tank Engine wooden toy was recalled in June 2007. Do you still have these trains at home?

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  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: Q. Could A Vintage Leaded Brass Mouthpiece Cause Kidney Failure In A Trumpet Player? A. Maybe

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#AskTamara Question: Could a vintage leaded brass mouthpiece cause (or contribute to) kidney failure in a professional trumpet player? Answer: Maybe. The vintage (c. 1980s or earlier) trumpet mouthpiece shown here tested positive for a relatively high level of lead for leaded brass (22,200 ppm lead.) It is a bare leaded brass mouthpiece that is…

Should I be worried about the possibility of lead in the sandbox toys at my child’s school? [Vintage toy dinosaur pictured: 8,000 ppm Lead].

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Introduction: Tamara Rubin is a Federal award winning independent advocate for consumer goods safety and childhood Lead poisoning prevention. She is also a mother of Lead-poisoned children. She began testing consumer goods for toxicants in 2009, and was the parent-advocate responsible for finding Lead in the popular fidget spinner toys in 2017. She uses XRF testing (a scientific…

XRF Test Results For Cardew Design Made in China (Designed In England) Wizard of Oz Commemorative Mug Set

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Below are the XRF readings for this commemorative Wizard of Oz mug set. This set is from Cardew Design North America Inc and was made in 2011 (after the CPSC regulation limiting the amount of lead in items made for use by and marketed to children!) While the company might argue that this is not…

Join the sisterhood – be among the *very first* to get one of our new #LeadSafeMama T-shirts!

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Hi all! My friend Nicole has an Etsy store, and (with a little design partnership from my friend Janelle) Nicole is creating these custom-made #LeadSafeMama t-shirts for you! Click this link to get yours today! With the #LeadSafeMama hashtag you are NOT advertising any company or product, but rather declaring to the world that YOU…

#Recall: Lead Paint Recall, August 30, 2018 – Rust-Oleum Countertop Coating in Black Satin

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  Below is the text from Rust-Oleum’s website regarding the recall: Recall Date: August 30, 2018 Recall Number: 18-DFC Rust-Oleum Recalls Countertop Coating Due to Violation of Federal Lead Paint Ban Recall Summary Name of Product: Rust-Oleum black satin countertop coating Hazard: The countertop coating contains levels of lead that exceed the federal lead paint…

Hape Wooden Railway Kid’s Xylophone Melody Track

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When I coordinate XRF testing of consumer goods for my friends and followers I ask them to send me a box with one complex item and up to nine simple items. I usually test these ten personal items for people in thanks for their $150 contribution that helps to cover the costs of the XRF…

#AskTamara: Do “Mermaid” Reversible Sequin Things Have Unsafe Levels of Lead?

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#AskTamara Question: Do “mermaid” reversible sequin things have unsafe levels of Lead? Answer: Please read my full response below to see the XRF test results for one example of this type of item. My young son is currently invested in pink, purple and sparkles; anything that is pink or purple and/or or sparkly is very exciting…

#AskTamara: Does my scary zombie Halloween mask have unsafe levels of Lead?

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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…

#AskTamara: Do modern Halloween masks have Lead? Does my Halloween gorilla mask have any toxic chemicals?

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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…

An Interesting Article About Vintage / Historic Fiestaware Toxicity

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From the article linked below (Source ORAU.org): “The accompanying photo shows two pieces of Fiestaware produced by the Homer Laughlin Company of West Virginia: a Fiesta red saucer and an ivory bowl. In each case, uranium was used to provide the color of the glaze. Although the radioactivity of both is easily detectable, that of…

Click to read the full XRF test results for Stockmar beeswax crayons (testing for Lead, Cadmium, Arsenic, etc.)

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#AskTamara Question: Do Stockmar beeswax crayons have lead (Pb)? Answer: Below is a full summary of the specific XRF Test Results for a newly purchased set of  Stockmar Wachsmalblöcke Wax Block Beeswax Crayons  (purchased in August of 2018 off of Amazon.com) This is new-in-box product. If you are in a rush to see the results, please…

September 2018, #FlashSale

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September 2018 #FlashSale! ***** Final #FlashSale of 2018 ***** ******* This “Flash Sale” ends Monday (9/3) at midnight PST! – Usually folks contribute $150 towards my work (helping to cover the cost of XRF rental and other costs related to testing consumer goods and reporting the results) and in exchange they can send in a…

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

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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…

Here’s what one might expect a modern clearance test to look like in 2018

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     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…