Speaking Engagements
Introductions! First and foremost I am a mother of four sons. My boys are currently 11, 14, 17 and 23 years old. In 2005 we hired a painting contractor to repaint the exterior of our historic home and he used unsafe and illegal paint removal methods that led to the poisoning of my children (my…
Lead-Free Measuring Cup Choices
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,…
#LeadFree: Handmade Ceramic Mug
Handmade ceramic mug No Lead No Mercury 54 ppm Cadmium Tested with an XRF Instrument by an operator trained & certified in using the instrument. Many handmade modern pieces are low-lead or lead-free! As your local potter if they use lead in their glazes, some may even be marked as lead-free (look on the bottom…
Lead-Safe Handmade Mug
Purple handmade mug Dark purple: 101 ppm lead White part: 62 ppm Arsenic Tested with an XRF Instrument by an operator trained & certified in using the instrument. Many handmade modern pieces are low-lead or lead-free! As your local potter if they use lead in their glazes, some may even be marked as lead-free (look…
#LeadFree: Irish Coffee Mugs
Lead-Free Handmade Irish Coffee Mugs Tested with an XRF Instrument by an operator trained & certified in using the instrument. Many handmade modern pieces are lead-free! As your local potter if they use lead in their glazes, some may even be marked as lead-free (look on the bottom of the piece or on the tag…
Vintage (c. 1957-1966) Pyrex Cinderella Mixing Bowl in Black & White “Gooseberry” Pattern: 35,500 ppm Lead. [90 is unsafe]
Small vintage “Gooseberry” pattern Pyrex Cinderella style mixing bowl- white glass with black paint. When tested with an XRF instrument this bowl had the following readings: Black painted pattern: 35,500 parts per million (ppm) Lead. Unpainted white milk glass: 183 ppm Lead. Read more about lead-in-Pyrex here. Thank you for reading and for sharing my…
Vintage Pyrex Teacup & Saucer with Pink Stripe & Gold Edge: 79,800 ppm Lead (90 is unsafe) + Cadmium
Made in USA: Pyrex cup & saucer: 79,800 ppm Lead (Pb) & 1,962 ppm Cadmium (Cd) Most ceramics or glass items that are tinted pink or red have some level of cadmium in them. This is especially true for vintage or antique items. To learn more about the concern for Cadmium (Cd) toxicity, click HERE. #XRFTesting •…
How worn is your vintage Pyrex? Even with very worn paint, this piece is still positive for a high level of Lead (Pb) at 23,000 ppm.
Above is a reddish orange vintage Pyrex refrigerator dish with most of the paint worn off. When tested with an XRF instrument, this piece had the following reading for Lead: Lead (Pb): 23,000 ppm. This is a great example of how the colors on these pieces wear. The question is… where does that Leaded color…
“Orange Fiesta” pattern vintage Pyrex casserole dish with lid, 1971: 55,000 ppm Lead in the paint (90 ppm is unsafe for kids)
Above is the Vintage Pyrex “Orange Fiesta” pattern casserole with fruit images on lid from 1971. When tested with an XRF instrument, this vintage cookware piece had the following readings: Solid orange of base: 55,000 ppm Lead It also tested positive for: 3,783 ppm Cadmium, 83 ppm Barium, 79 ppm Chromium, 47 ppm Bromine, And,…
Red vintage Pyrex refrigerator dish: 53,900 ppm Lead. [90 ppm Lead is unsafe for kids.]
Small vintage / antique red Pyrex dish • 53,900 ppm lead The current federal hazard level for an item intended for children [The level at which an item is considered unsafe] is 90 ppm lead and higher. Not 900. Not 9,000. Definitely not 53,900. Given the amount of wear on the coating on vintage dishware…
Vintage Green Pyrex Mixing Bowl: 36,599 ppm lead [Context: 90 ppm Lead is considered unsafe for kids in newly made items.]
Vintage Olive Green Pyrex Mixing Bowl. When tested with an XRF instrument the exterior paint on the mixing bowl pictured here was positive for the following elemental heavy metals at the following levels: Lead (Pb): 36,599 ppm Arsenic (As): 12,910 ppm Cadmium (Cd): 615 ppm For Context: The current toxicity level for lead in newly…
Pyrex Glass Measuring Cup (c. 2004): Positive for 31,300 ppm Lead in the Red Exterior Writing. 90 ppm is unsafe.
Pyrex Glass Measuring Cup. Purchased new circa 2004. When tested with an XRF instrument the exterior red writing on this measuring cup was positive for Lead (Pb) at the following level: 31,300 ppm For context: the amount of Lead (Pb) that is considered toxic in an item intended to be used by children is anything 90 ppm…
Vintage Blue Pyrex Casserole: Positive For 108,400 ppm Lead [90 ppm is unsafe for kids] (& Arsenic Too!)
Vintage Blue Pyrex Casserole. Below are the XRF test results for this piece: Top blue (on lid): Lead (Pb): 108,400 ppm Arsenic (As): 27,100 ppm Base blue: Lead (Pb): 84,000 ppm Arsenic (As): 23,800 ppm Plane white milk glass of base: Lead (Pb): 74 ppm Arsenic (As): 3,045 ppm Please share and browse the photo…
Vintage Pyrex Casserole, “Shenandoah” Pattern c. 1981-1986: Yellow Exterior – 212,000 ppm Lead. 90 ppm is unsafe for kids.
Pyrex Vintage Shenandoah Pattern Casserole, c. 1981-1986: White glass: 395 ppm lead Yellow exterior paint: 212,000 ppm lead To learn more about XRF Testing & the potential implications of lead in cookware click HERE and HERE. Read more about lead-in-Pyrex here. For some unleaded mixing bowl options, click here! & unleaded dishes, click here! As…
#SaferChoices: Some Good Lead-Free Mixing Bowls Choices (I have clear glass and stainless steel in my home)
Published: December 30, 2016 Updated: November 23, 2023 – Thursday This is an ad-free article. To make a contribution to help us keep our most widely-read articles ad-free, click here. Thank you. How to choose a safer mixing bowl As many of Lead Safe Mama friends and readers know already most of the vintage dishware…
Large Orange Vintage Pyrex Mixing Bowl: 61,000 ppm Lead — 90 ppm is illegal in new items made for use by 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 used…
Leaded Dishes: Franciscan Ivy
83,900 ppm lead – Franciscan Ivy Tray Vintage Dishes #XRFTesting #LeadedDishware Items intended for children are required by current legislation to be under 90 ppm lead. Dishes (especially vintage dishes!) are not regulated for total lead content (via XRF reading.) Click here to see some lead-free dishware options!
Franciscan Earthenware Madeira Pattern Dishes: 67,300 ppm Lead. [90 ppm Lead is considered unsafe in children’s items.]
Vintage Franciscan Madeira Pattern Plate: tested positive for 67,300 parts per million lead when tested with an XRF instrument. To learn more about XRF testing, Click Here. For context, modern items intended for use by children are required by current legislation to be under 90 ppm lead in the paint/glaze or coating. Dishes (especially vintage…
Vintage (c. 1955-1966) Franciscan Autumn Pattern China: 716,100 ppm Lead [71%!] + 73,000 ppm Arsenic Too!
Franciscan Autumn Pattern plate & saucer: as high as 716,100 ppm Lead in the glaze. Autumn Pattern: 1955 – 1966 Also: 73,000 ppm Arsenic. Note: the plate was higher lead than the bowl, and they look like they are from different batches based on the maker’s marks on the bottom. The bowl / saucer was…
Vintage Franciscan Earthenware Plate: 100,400 ppm Lead
Franciscan Potteries Earthenware Tray/ Plate: 100,400 ppm lead! Vintage Dishes #XRFTesting #LeadedDishware Items intended for children are required by current legislation to be under 90 ppm lead. Dishes (especially vintage dishes!) are not regulated for total lead content (via XRF reading.) Click here to see some lead-free dishware options! Thank you for reading and for…
Vintage Franciscan Apple China is not safe for food use purposes: 80,700 ppm Lead
Published: December 27, 2016 When tested with an XRF instrument this Franciscan Apple vintage (c. 1950s?) china was positive for 80,700 ppm Lead. These usually also test positive with a reactive agent swab test. Items intended for children are required by current legislation to be under 90 ppm lead in the glaze, paint or coating….
Millions of American children missing early lead tests…
Millions of American children missing early lead tests, Reuters finds Published June 9, 2016 Please click on the image to read the full article.
The thousands of U.S. locales where lead poisoning is worse than in Flint
The thousands of U.S. locales where lead poisoning is worse than in Flint Reuters, December 19, 2016 Please click on the image to read the full article. Thank you.
2011 Trasande Report
Here is the press release for the 2011 Trasande report. Dr. Trasande was also interviewed for my film. Click on the image below to read the full press release as a downloadable PDF.