#Leaded: Vintage/Antique Glass Marbles, Yellow and White Swirl
Yellow and White Swirled Glass Vintage Marble: 2,364 ppm Lead! The amount of lead that is considered toxic in the substrate of a newly manufactured item intended for use by children is anything 100 ppm lead or higher. Tested in 2014 with an XRF instrument. Year of manufacture and brand: unknown. Once I learned that even…
#Leaded: Glass Pokeman Marble, c. 2013
Pokeman Marble. Tested with an XRF instrument in 2013. Apprx 36,000 ppm lead (on the “painted” design). The amount of lead considered toxic (and therefore illegal) in a newly manufactured item intended for children (after 2010) is anything with paint or coating testing positive for lead at 90 ppm or higher. I don’t know what…
Vintage Hammer With Green Paint & Wooden Handle: 24,600 ppm Lead in the green paint. 90 ppm is unsafe for kids.
Vintage Hammer: 24,600 ppm lead paint (green) on the metal. [& That’s what is LEFT, given the amount of wear on this piece it is likely that the lead level on this paint was originally much much higher!] Tested with an XRF instrument in 2014. To see more tools I have tested, click here! As…
Hammer With Rubberized Grip [Purchased at Harbor Freight]: 45 ppm Lead + 174 ppm Arsenic.
This hammer was tested in 2017, however I do not know the year of manufacture or vendor. My husband confirmed that he purchased these at Harbor Freight a few years ago. One thing this hammer demonstrates is that “Made In China” doesn’t necessarily translate to “high-Lead”, although I’m not too keen on Arsenic in my…
Bank of America Promotional Tool From 2012 Builder’s Tradeshow: 2,491 ppm Lead [90 ppm is unsafe for kids.]
Nesting mini-screwdriver / hammer set. I got this at the National Builder Show in February of 2012. The vendor gave one to each of my kids. Metal part of hammer = no lead. Screwdrivers = no lead. Rubberized handle: 2,491 ppm lead. To see more tools I have tested, click here! As always, if you…
Testing the paint on a reusable glass milk bottle with a LeadCheck Swab (Video.)
Here’s a little (3-minute) video where I test the paint on a Garry’s milk bottle (Garry’s is an Oregon based company) with a LeadCheck swab. There is also a photo below showing how many swab tests I was able to get out of the liquid from one LeadCheck swab by using q-tips. This picture also…
#LeadFree: Straus Family Creamery Reusable Glass Milk Bottle
Straus Family Creamery (in Marin County, California) managed to do what other creameries have not managed to do somehow… the black paint on their new (2018) reusable glass bottles is negative for lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) when tested with an XRF instrument! The great thing that this demonstrates is that it is actually possible…
Red markings on Lady Lane Farms glass milk bottles, Garry’s Meadow Fresh: 20,500 ppm Lead (90 is unsafe for kids).
Originally posted: June 16, 2018 Updated: January 14, 2020 – Update at bottom of post. When the red paint on these reusable glass milk bottles was tested with an XRF instrument it was positive for lead at levels as high as 20,500 +/- 500 ppm and for cadmium at 1118 +/- 48 ppm. To learn…
Email today to Lady Lane Farm, Garry’s Meadow Fresh Milk – Oregon
Saturday, June 16, 2018 – To: Info@LadyLaneFarm.com – From: TamaraRubin@mac.com – Subject: Your bottles are painted with lead paint – I recently discovered that the red paint on your reusable glass milk bottles is lead paint. It is more than 20,000 ppm lead. – There is no regulation on this at all, so – to…
2006 Nursery Songs Book With Built In Xylophone: 62,500 ppm Lead [90 ppm Lead is unsafe.]
Nursery Songs book with built in xylophone. First published in 2006 by The Five Mile Press Pty Ltd, e-mail: publishing@fivemile.com.au. Tested positive as high as 62,500 ppm LEAD!!!!!! (when tested with an XRF instrument.) The component that was the highest lead was the yellow xylophone key. New legislation was signed and put in place in the…
#LeadSafe: Vintage 1970s Archie Comics
Vintage 1970s Archie Comics. – 16 ppm lead when tested with an XRF instrument. Safe by all standards. New books are generally lead-free! 90 ppm lead and higher is considered unsafe for any newly manufactured items intended for use by children. – To see more vintage books I have tested click here. As always, if…
1953 Walt Disney Little Golden Book, Hiawatha: 535 ppm Lead (90 ppm Lead is considered unsafe for kids.)
1953 Walt Disney Little Golden Book: “Hiawatha” This book tested positive for 535 ppm Lead when tested with an XRF instrument. Items intended for children are considered unsafe (and illegal if newly manufactured) when they test positive for lead at 90 ppm lead (or higher) in the coating or 100 ppm lead (or higher) in…
1958 Little Golden Book – 208 ppm Lead; 90 ppm is unsafe for kids. Stick with 1980s (and newer) books.
When tested with an XRF instrument this 1958 Little Golden Book (1958! Same age as my husband!), tested positive for 208 ppm Lead (Pb). Newly manufactured Items intended for use children today (in 2019) are considered unsafe (and illegal if newly manufactured) when they test positive for lead at 90 ppm lead (or higher) in…
Pre-2015 Oxo Ice Cream Scoop With Rubber Handle: 1,481 ppm Lead in the metal scoop.
This OXO brand ice cream scoop tested positive for lead at 1,481 parts per million (in the bare metal part of the scoop – the part that touches your food.) I tested this in September of 2014, so while I don’t know the exact year of manufacture it was before this date. This grayish metal…
2018 purple vintage style Ball jars: 63 ppm Lead (safe by all standards). Personally I avoid the tinted ones.
XRF Test Results for Purple Tinted Ball Brand Canning Jars Published: June 14, 2018 When these new purple ball jars were tested with an XRF instrument they tested positive for a very low level of lead (just a trace and within the realm of what might be considered safe for a modern item intended for…
Franciscan Desert Rose Earthenware China — c. 1941, Made in USA: 122,200 ppm Lead! (90 ppm is unsafe in kids’ items)
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…
Franciscan Ware Potteries (c. 1948) Franciscan Ivy Pattern Serving Tray: 304,000 ppm Lead [90 ppm is unsafe]
This is a Franciscan Potteries vintage “Ivy” pattern serving tray that I got at the Good Will Bins a while back (to add to my “Museum of Lead” collection!) The interesting thing about glazes (especially on pieces that are handmade or hand-painted) is that the levels of lead can vary significantly across the surface of…
Modern Homer Laughlin China Fiestaware Christmas Tree Mug, Made In USA: 23 +/- 12 ppm Lead (Safe by all standards)
When tested with an XRF instrument the Christmas tree on this Homer Laughlin Fiestaware “Made In The U.S.A”. mug was non-detect (ND) for Lead (Pb). The Christmas tree area did test positive for cadmium (Cd) at 61 +/- 9 ppm. The bottom of mug was also had the following XRF readings: Lead (Pb): 23 +/- 12…
Vintage Spode Christmas Tree Plate, Made In England: 71,900 ppm Lead [90 ppm Lead is unsafe for kids.]
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…
Maybe Grandma can Keep her Vintage Faux Pearls?: 295,900 ppm Lead (90 & up is unsafe in items kids use)
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…
Made In Mexico Ceramic Glazed Bowl Marked “Lead Free”: Positive for more than 300,000 ppm Lead [that’s 30%!]
Mexican pottery bowl purchased new c. 2007. Marked “Lead Free.” This bowl tested positive for more than 300,000 ppm Lead in the glaze when tested with an XRF instrument. Most of the Mexican pottery that I have tested that has been labeled “Lead Free” has tested positive for at least 1,000 ppm lead. This piece was unique,…
A study of potential exposure to environmental lead resulting from porcelain enameled bathtubs
I had shared this link back in 2015, but the link is now dead and I cannot seem to find the original study anywhere. If you have time to help me look for it, please do and let me know what you find. I would be happy to repost a full PDF of the study…
#Leaded: Art Project Tile from Portland Public Parks
Art my youngest son Charlie did a few years ago. Tile for this art project provided by Portland Parks (through their summer activity program). 895 ppm lead. Tested with an XRF & Posted, 3/17/2016. The amount of lead that is considered toxic in an item intended for children is anything 90 ppm or higher in the coating…
Tom & Jerry Vintage Milk Glass Christmas Mug: 37,100 ppm Lead + 943 ppm Cadmium (90 Lead + 40 Cadmium is unsafe for kids)
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)…