February 2018 Response from Lena Cup
In February of 2018 I posted on Facebook that I had found trace levels of cadmium (at amounts that were considered safe by all standards) in silicone menstrual cups, and specifically two different menstrual cups from the brand “Lena” had each tested positive for trace cadmium. This level of cadmium in “medical grade” silicone products…
Charlie’s Closet
This is the “After” picture: Published: February 24, 2018 While I was recently away in California with Charlie (my youngest son, who has a mental illness diagnosis), my husband called me and said that while we were out of the house he wanted to repair the door-frame to the closet that Charlie uses as his…
Tamara, what exactly are you trying to do here?
From Leonard Rubin, Tamara’s (Lead Safe Mama’s) Husband. Dear Commentor(s), It’s quite frustrating that the following point evidently needs to be reiterated so frequently (at least every month or so for the last several years running!), but this seems to be unavoidable: To those of you who challenge/question/discount/disbelieve the value of Tamara’s diligent work testing…
Lead Safe Mama’s Healthy Home Consultations, Outreach Events, Speaking Engagements & Rates
Updated; October 23, 2021 (Rates & Minimums Subject To Change) Background Tamara Rubin, an internationally-recognized expert on childhood Lead-poisoning and its prevention, has won numerous awards (including two from the federal government) for her pioneering work in raising awareness of household exposure to neurotoxic Lead (and other heavy metal toxicants) and safe work practices…
2014 Enamelware Mug (Purchased at New Seasons Market): 15,000 ppm Lead [90+ is unsafe in items used by kids.]
This enamelware mug was purchased around 2014 at New Seasons Market in Portland, Oregon. When tested with an XRF instrument the exterior was positive for 15,000 ppm Lead. There is no mark or maker noted on this mug. For context: the amount of Lead that is considered toxic in a modern/newly manufactured item intended for…
#Leaded: Child’s Zoo Mug
Ceramic child’s mug with zoo pattern. Positive for lead at 20,900 ppm. No mark or maker noted. Tested with an XRF in 2014. The amount of lead that is considered toxic in a modern/newly manufactured item intended for children is anything 90 ppm lead or higher. Mugs are not considered items intended for use by…
#Leaded: Magnum P.I. Tiki Mug
Probably one of the strangest things I have ever tested! This Magnum P.I. Tiki Mug tested positive for lead at 17,600 ppm lead. Tested with an XRF instrument in 2013. The amount of lead that is considered toxic in a modern/newly manufactured item intended for children is anything 90 ppm lead or higher. Mugs are…
#Leaded: Chili Pepper Mug
Chili Pepper Ceramic Mug: 5,048 ppm lead (inside), 11,000 ppm lead outside. Tested with an XRF instrument in 2013. Made in China. The amount of lead that is considered toxic in a modern/newly manufactured item intended for children is anything 90 ppm lead or higher. Mugs are not considered items intended for use by children and,…
#Leaded: Prince Charles Mug
Prince Charles souvenir ceramic mug. Tested positive for lead at 300 ppm. No mark or maker noted. Tested with an XRF instrument in 2013. The amount of lead that is considered toxic in a modern/newly manufactured item intended for children is anything 90 ppm lead or higher. Mugs are not considered items intended for use…
#Leaded: Boy Scouts Mug
Boy Scouts Mug, c. 1996/1997: 9,774 ppm lead. Tested with an XRF instrument in 2016. The amount of lead that is considered toxic in a modern/newly manufactured item intended for children is anything 90 ppm lead or higher. Mugs are not considered items intended for use by children and, as such, are not regulated for…
#Leaded: Big Bird Child’s Mug
Big Bird Ceramic Child’s Mug: 15,100 ppm lead. Tested with an XRF instrument in 2013. Made in Japan If you have an interest in learning more about these posts (likely because you are new to my site!) please check out this post and this post for a start! Thanks for visiting! To see more mugs…
#Leaded: Vintage Milk Glass Fire King Mug and Tray Set
Vintage Fire King Milk Glass Mug: 44, 600 ppm lead (on the blue painted surface.) Tested with an XRF instrument in 2014. If you have an interest in learning more about these posts (likely because you are new to my site!) please check out this post and this post for a start! Thanks for visiting!…
#Leaded: MIT Souvenir College Mug
Souvenir Mug from MIT: 32,400 ppm lead. The other mugs shown in this photo range from 17,000 to 19,000 ppm lead. One mug out of 7 tested on this date was lead-free. Tested in 2013. If you have an interest in learning more about these posts (likely because you are new to my site!) please…
#Leaded; Martha’s Vineyard Black Dog Mug
Souvenir Mug from The Black Dog in Martha’s Vineyard. 32,300 ppm lead on the design. [I used to go there every morning for breakfast as a child in the summers when we lived anchored out in Vineyard Haven harbor!!] Tested in 2013. If you have an interest in learning more about these posts (likely because…
Tamara’s “Toxic Mug” Directory
Have I tested your mug for lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic? Click through and find out! This page is a “directory” of sorts, with links below to all of the types of the mugs I have tested to date. I have categorized, tagged and linked all of the mugs that I have listed here on…
#AskTamara: Recommended Mug List, Lead-free mug choices.
Originally published: January 28, 2018 Updated: December 1, 2020 Tamara, which mugs are Lead-free? Which mugs do you recommend? Below are six Amazon Affiliate links to mugs that are the same as (or similar to) the lead-free or lead-safe mugs we use in our home OR similar to mugs I have found to be…
Country (or City or State) of Origin Links
Here are links to all of the things I have tested with an XRF that have a city, state or country of origin listed with the post. If you want to see a list of all the things I have tested from that location… just click the link! Thanks for clicking and reading (and sharing!)…
Paint on 1980s El Camino car: 9,000 ppm Lead when tested with an XRF instrument. This is mostly an issue with metal cars.
1980s El Camino car, auto paint tested positive for approximately 9,000 ppm lead when tested with an XRF Instrument. The amount of lead that is considered toxic in “an item intended for children” is anything 90 ppm lead or higher. Of course automobiles are not considered “items intended for children” and are therefore not regulated…
#Cadmium: Voss Glass Water Bottle
Clear glass water bottle, Voss brand. The bottle and lid were negative for lead, mercury and arsenic – but the white writing on the outside was positive for trace (low levels) of cadmium, at 11 ppm. (+/- 6 ppm). If you have scrolled through the posts on my blog at all you have seen that…
#Arsenic: Vintage Popeye & Olive Oyl Baby Rattle
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…
Article Series: Loaded With Lead, Seattle Times – October 2014
“Lead poisoning is a major threat at America’s shooting ranges, perpetuated by owners who’ve repeatedly violated laws even after workers have fallen painfully ill.” From the article: “A confused 38-year-old father in Kentucky rarely crawled out of bed. A conservation volunteer in Iowa lost feeling in his hands and feet. A 5-year-old girl in South…
New FDA Alert: Lead and Cadmium Concern in Imported Ceramics, January 2018
This is amazing! I’d like to think our advocacy is making a difference here!!! Click on the sentence below to read the full alert. Alert Date: January 11, 2018. It starts to get funny if you read the report!
Late-1990s Spice Islands Spice Jar Lid: 8,000 ppm Lead. Maybe this is a good time to get rid of those older spice jars?
Originally Posted: January 21, 2018 Updated: May 21, 2022 The paint on the metal lid of this older (c. late-1990s) Spice Islands spice jar tested positive for lead when tested with an XRF instrument at more than 8,000 ppm Lead. This jar was tested in 2012, so I did not record any more information than…
Ink Jet Photo Mug: 37 ppm Lead, safe by all standards. [Warning: Not all photo mugs are Lead-safe!]
Ink Jet Photo Mug, positive for lead at 37 ppm, when tested with an XRF instrument. Exact brand unknown: possibly Shutterfly or Vistaprint (or similar). Tested in 2017, year of manufacture unknown. Other photo mugs have tested positive for lead at hight levels, so it is not a good idea to extrapolate this test result to…