#AskTamara: What consumer goods should I have tested with an XRF?
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…
1999 Portmeirion China Plate with Cherry Pattern, Made in England: 88,900 ppm Lead [90 is unsafe for kids].
Portmeirion China: 88,900 ppm lead, when tested with an XRF instrument. The owner (a friend of mine) told me that this was purchased new as a wedding gift in 1999. Made in England. The amount of lead that is considered toxic in an item intended for children is anything 90 ppm lead and higher. Total…
#Leaded: Newer/ Modern Switch Plate.
Switch plate we touch every day – by our kitchen door: 12,700 ppm lead. Tested in 2012, purchased c. 2008. [My house]. Thanks to Alicia Bushman for donating and supporting this post! Read more about the testing I do here. For more #SaferChoices for your family, click here. To make a contribution in support of…
“You Are Special Today” Red Plate: 36,100 ppm Lead [90 is unsafe for kids] + 3,354 ppm Cadmium [75 ppm is unsafe].
The Original Red Plate Company: 36,100 ppm lead & 3,354 ppm cadmium. Made in Germany; 1979. Thanks to Tania Marino for donating and supporting this post! Read more about testing dishes here. To see the #LeadFree dishes I use in my home, click here. For more #SaferChoices for your family, click here. To make a…
#Leaded: Vintage Anchor Plate
Vintage Anchor Hocking Plate: 44,700 ppm lead. Thanks to Jodi Benham for donating and supporting this post! Read more about testing dishes here. To see the #LeadFree dishes I use in my home, click here. For more #SaferChoices for your family, click here. To make a contribution in support of my independent consumer goods testing and lead…
Older Corelle Iris Design White Glass Plate: 1,895 ppm Lead (90 ppm is unsafe for kids).
Older Corelle plate with decorative iris pattern Year of manufacture of this exact plate pictured here (the one I tested) is not known, however my readers updated me (August 2019) to tell me they have purchased this exact design (new at the store) in 1989 AND in 2019! I would be very interested in testing…
#Leaded: Blue Glass Plate
Blue glass plate purchased new (c. 2002): 870 ppm Lead. While this may be “fully encased”/ not bio-available, it is still not worth the risk for me to have something like this in my home. These were mine. I got rid of them. The blue glass can go either way (some pieces are not positive…
#Leaded: MSE Plate
MSE Plate: 16,128 ppm lead, 11,318 ppm arsenic. Is this “Martha Stewart Everyday”??? Will update if someone can confirm for me. Thanks! Thanks to Carla Hummel for donating and supporting this post! Read more about testing dishes here. To see the #LeadFree dishes I use in my home, click here. For more #SaferChoices for your family, click…
#Leaded: Tiffany & Co., “Nature” 1996
Tiffany Nature; Made in England, 1996: 62,500 ppm lead (both sides were positive for lead at the same levels.) Thanks to Kelly Lowry for donating and supporting this post! Read more about testing dishes here. To see the #LeadFree dishes I use in my home, click here. For more #SaferChoices for your family, click here. To…
#Leaded: Vintage Switch Plate
Vintage switch plate for lights in an older home: 2,370 ppm lead. Thanks to Veronica Valli for donating and supporting this post! Read more about the testing I do here. For more #SaferChoices for your family, click here. To make a contribution in support of my independent consumer goods testing and lead poisoning prevention advocacy work,…
#Leaded: 1982 Myott Finlandia Plate
1982 “Myott Finlandia” large plate: 67,026 ppm lead. Thanks to Schafer Smith, LLC for donating and supporting this post! Read more about testing dishes here. To see the #LeadFree dishes I use in my home, click here. For more #SaferChoices for your family, click here. To make a contribution in support of my independent consumer goods…
Linens & Things White Ceramic Cake Platter: 9,331 ppm Lead. [Context: 90 ppm is unsafe for kids.]
When tested with an XRF instrument this “Linens & Things” brand cake platter (year unknown – 2014 or earlier) tested positive for the following amount of Lead: Lead (Pb): 9,331 ppm All test results reported on this blog are done with a Niton XL3T XRF instrument and are science based and replicable. Testing is done…
Myth: “Plain white china is usually Lead-free.” For your consideration, Homer Laughlin Ceramic Plate: 75,032 ppm Lead.
White plate by Homer Laughlin: 75,032 ppm Lead. Pre-2015, exact year unknown. Made in U.S.A. There’s a common myth circulating around the internet (and among home hazard assessors and others in the business of Lead poisoning prevention too) that plain white simple ceramic dishes are generally Lead-free. This simply is not true and the Homer…
How Important Is Lead Poisoning to Becoming a Legendary Artist?
This article originally appeared in “The Atlantic” in November of 2013. “In 1713, Italian physician Bernardinus Ramazzini described in his De Morbis Artificum Diatriba a mysterious set of symptoms he was noticing among artists: ‘Of the many painters I have known, almost all I found unhealthy … If we search for the cause of the…
Amazon is selling lead paint, let’s complain!
In searching for leaded items on Amazon yesterday (things being intentionally sold and marketed as containing lead) I learned Amazon is selling lead paint (leaded artists paints, specifically!) Please click through on this links (just click the images below) to these two products and help me change Amazon’s policies by submitting a review (that the…
1992 Study: Potential lead exposures from lead crystal decanters.
Click the image below to read the full piece. “The consumption of alcoholic beverages stored in lead crystal decanters is judged to pose a hazard.”
New s%*t you can buy TODAY on Amazon that is intentionally made with lead….
Today in 2017 (almost 2018) things are being made and sold with high levels of toxic lead every single day! Think this is not true? Check out the following products and links! [Please click on each of the product images to read the full details about each of these products!] I thought this would be…
Glass Reusable Drinking Straws
#AskTamara: What reusable straws do you use? Someone recently asked me about straws. All of the reusable straws I have tested so far have been lead-free, both the plain glass and plain stainless steel ones. I really like the glass ones because you can see inside and know if they are clean or not (vs….
German/ Bohemia Thun China Bowl
Small china bowl: white in center: 23 ppm lead & trim on edge: 1,327 ppm lead. Vintage, Made in Germany – TK Thun, Bohemia. Read more about testing dishes here. To see the #LeadFree dishes I use in my home, click here. For more #SaferChoices for your family, click here. To make a contribution in…
Blue and White Sango Brand Bowl Purchased at Target or Bed, Bath & Beyond: 2,701 ppm Lead.
The owner of this blue and white Sango brand bowl told me it was either purchased at Target (or possibly Bed Bath and Beyond?). It is marked “Made in China”. When tested with an XRF instrument it was positive 2,701 ppm Lead. Later when I researched this company a bit I found some documentation from…
Marine Commissary WW2 Dish: 43,200 ppm Lead
WWII US Marine Commissary Vitrified China dish, by Sterling, East Liverpool, Ohio: 43,200 ppm LEAD. Read more about testing dishes here. To see the #LeadFree dishes I use in my home, click here. For more #SaferChoices for your family, click here. To make a contribution in support of my independent consumer goods testing and lead…
Fire King Tulip Pattern Bowl Set: 19,300 ppm Lead. 90 ppm (& up) is unsafe for items used by children.
Vintage “Fire King” tulip bowl set: 19,300 ppm lead. The amount of lead that is toxic in items intended for children is 90 parts per million and higher. Total lead content in vintage dishware is not regulated at all. Here’s are links to some new (inexpensive AND lead-free) mixing bowl choices on Amazon.* Single 4-quart clear…
Johnson Brothers Bowl
One more for Nicole! Newer Johnson Brothers (replica of the similar Finlandia pattern) this bowl was super low at only 138 ppm lead. This a level that most would consider to be #LeadSafe. Age unknown. Read more about testing dishes here. To see the #LeadFree dishes I use in my home, click here. For more…
Vintage Sheraton Pattern English Saucer by Johnson Brothers: 77,498 ppm Lead [90 ppm Lead is unsafe for kids.]
Sheraton Pattern, “Made in England” saucer, manufactured by Johnson Brothers. 77,498 ppm Lead (Pb) 12,637 ppm Arsenic (As) For context: the amount of lead that is considered toxic in a newly manufactured item intended for use by children is anything that is positive for 90 ppm Lead (or higher) in the paint or coating (or…