Lead Database

Brass-colored cabinet knob: 7,986 ppm lead by XRF
XRF readings: Lead: 7,986 ppm · Cadmium: 161 ppm · Arsenic: not measured Verdict: High, FluoroSpec test required 7,986 ppm lead detected by XRF. This item is at or above the boundary where ceramic lead can begin to behave differently under acidic conditions. Children should not use this item. FluoroSpec is the actionable test: glow = retire it, no glow = lower risk. Also: 161 ppm cadmium present. There is no safe amount of lead. This number is a starting point, not a verdict on your safety. What matters is... Read more...
Sliver/ chrome-colored cabinet knob: 36 ppm lead by XRF
XRF readings: Lead: 36 ppm · Cadmium: 18 ppm · Arsenic: 6 ppm Verdict: Low, probably not a concern 36 ppm lead detected, below the 90 ppm children's safety threshold. At this level, most toxicologists would not flag this as actionable for typical adult use. FluoroSpec test: if it doesn't glow, the lead is not in reactive surface form. There is no safe amount of lead. This number is a starting point, not a verdict on your safety. What matters is whether the lead can actually reach a person. Think... Read more...
Calamityware (2015) mug: 28 ppm Lead (safe by all standards) and 12,200 ppm Cobalt (a possible human carcinogen) in the blue decorations
XRF readings: Lead: 100 ppm · Cadmium: 7 ppm · Arsenic: 0 ppm Verdict: Low-elevated: below most adult thresholds This Calamityware (2015) mug: 28 ppm Lead (safe by all standards) and 12,200 ppm Cobalt (a possible human carcinogen) in the blue decorations reads 100 ppm lead, above the 90 ppm CPSC limit for children's products. Whether the lead can actually reach food depends on whether it's locked into fired glaze (typically not bioavailable) or sitting on surface paint (typically is). What this XRF reading actually means → XRF measures lead... Read more...
Milk Glass with cow from Global Amici, Made in Italy: 9 ppm lead by XRF
XRF readings: Lead: 9 ppm · Cadmium: 6 ppm · Arsenic: not measured Verdict: Low, probably not a concern 9 ppm lead detected, below the 90 ppm children's safety threshold. At this level, most toxicologists would not flag this as actionable for typical adult use. FluoroSpec test: if it doesn't glow, the lead is not in reactive surface form. There is no safe amount of lead. This number is a starting point, not a verdict on your safety. What matters is whether the lead can actually reach a person. Think... Read more...
1876 Book: Home Talk, Medical Common Sense (Society, Love, Marriage, Parentage, Etc.) contains 1,478 ppm Lead, 18 ppm Cadmium, 133 ppm Mercury (in the cover): 1,478 ppm lead by XRF
XRF readings: Lead: 1,478 ppm · Cadmium: 29 ppm · Arsenic: not measured Verdict: Elevated, likely lower risk in fired ceramic, test to confirm 1,478 ppm lead detected. Context: where on the item, food contact frequency, and whether it is fired ceramic vs. paint or soft coating matters significantly. Run FluoroSpec, glow = retire, no glow = likely lower risk. There is no safe amount of lead. This number is a starting point, not a verdict on your safety. What matters is whether the lead can actually reach a person.... Read more...
Red antique box with 17,000 ppm MERCURY-based paint! This is very dangerous! (I learn new things every day!)
XRF readings: Lead: 100000 ppm · Cadmium: 9 ppm · Arsenic: 0 ppm Verdict: Extreme: do not use This Red antique box with 17,000 ppm MERCURY-based paint! This is very dangerous! (I learn new things every day!) tested at 100000 ppm lead, heavily contaminated. If any of the lead is on the painted surface, decoration, or worn area, expect bioavailable exposure with food contact, mouthing, or abrasion. What this XRF reading actually means → XRF measures lead presence on the surface. It does not measure whether that lead can reach... Read more...
The people at Longmont Dairy (in Colorado) seem to be dismissive jerks. Here’s my note to them just now: 38,500 ppm lead by XRF
XRF readings: Lead: 38,500 ppm · Cadmium: not measured · Arsenic: not measured Verdict: Very high, avoid food contact 38,500 ppm lead detected. at this concentration leaching into acidic foods (tomato, citrus, vinegar) becomes a realistic concern even in well-fired ware. FluoroSpec will confirm whether lead is surface-reactive. There is no safe amount of lead. This number is a starting point, not a verdict on your safety. What matters is whether the lead can actually reach a person. Think of tacks: a box of them in a drawer is fine,... Read more...
Cupkin’s corporate philosophy includes “mistakes happen” — guess so! “Lead-free” kids cup tests positive for unsafe (& illegal) levels of Lead
XRF readings: Lead: 4800 ppm · Cadmium: 0 ppm · Arsenic: 0 ppm Verdict: High: FluoroSpec test required This Cupkin’s corporate philosophy includes “mistakes happen”: guess so! “Lead-free” kids cup tests positive for unsafe (& illegal) levels of Lead tested at 4800 ppm lead, significantly elevated. The bioavailability question (can this lead reach a person?) depends on whether the lead is locked into a fired matrix or sitting on a painted surface. What this XRF reading actually means → XRF measures lead presence on the surface. It does not measure... Read more...
Moroccan Aker Fassi Clay Pot Lipstick (Etsy) tests positive for UNSAFE (with intended use) levels of Lead (a potent neurotoxin), and Cadmium (a carcinogen): 54 ppm lead by XRF
XRF readings: Lead: 54 ppm · Cadmium: 12 ppm · Arsenic: 37 ppm Verdict: Low, probably not a concern 54 ppm lead detected, below the 90 ppm children's safety threshold. At this level, most toxicologists would not flag this as actionable for typical adult use. FluoroSpec test: if it doesn't glow, the lead is not in reactive surface form. There is no safe amount of lead. This number is a starting point, not a verdict on your safety. What matters is whether the lead can actually reach a person. Think... Read more...
Is your artificial Christmas tree safe? XRF test results for 2020 Home Depot artificial Christmas tree sample (& guidelines for choosing a safer tree)
XRF readings: Lead: 600 ppm · Cadmium: 0 ppm · Arsenic: 75 ppm Verdict: Low-elevated: below most adult thresholds This Is your artificial Christmas tree safe? XRF test results for 2020 Home Depot artificial Christmas tree sample (& guidelines for choosing a safer tree) reads 600 ppm lead, above the 90 ppm CPSC limit for children's products. Whether the lead can actually reach food depends on whether it's locked into fired glaze (typically not bioavailable) or sitting on surface paint (typically is). What this XRF reading actually means → XRF... Read more...
“What is a ‘safe’ level of Lead in water?” “How much Lead in water is ‘too much’?” Understanding Lead Levels in Water: 80,000 ppm lead by XRF
XRF readings: Lead: 80,000 ppm · Cadmium: not measured · Arsenic: not measured Verdict: Extreme, do not use 80,000 ppm lead, roughly 8x the CPSC 90 ppm children's limit. At this concentration, even fired ceramic glaze carries leaching risk under acidic food conditions. No food contact under any circumstances. FluoroSpec will glow. There is no safe amount of lead. This number is a starting point, not a verdict on your safety. What matters is whether the lead can actually reach a person. Think of tacks: a box of them in... Read more...
Avi’s 8th Grade Science Class Experiment: “How does the elemental composition of glass marbles affect their color
XRF readings: Lead: not measured · Cadmium: 51 ppm · Arsenic: not measured Verdict: Lead-free per XRF No lead detected by XRF. Cadmium present at 51 ppm, separate concern for colored glazes. FluoroSpec test will confirm no surface lead reactivity. There is no safe amount of lead. This number is a starting point, not a verdict on your safety. What matters is whether the lead can actually reach a person. Think of tacks: a box of them in a drawer is fine, the same tacks loose on the kitchen floor... Read more...