Mugs Archives - Page 4 of 11

Portmeirion “The Botanic Garden Circa 1818” Coffee Mug, 1972: 49,700 ppm Lead (90 ppm is unsafe) + Cadmium too.

I do not know the exact year of manufacture of this piece, however the markings indicated it was made in 1972 or later. It is a Portmeirion piece from the collection marked as “The Botanic Garden Circa 1818” and it also has the date “1972” on the bottom as well as the words “Susan Williams-Ellis”,…

Vintage (year unknown) plastic Rubbermaid mug: Lead-free! If you know what year this was made, please let me know.

When tested with an XRF instrument the yellow plastic Rubbermaid brand mug pictured here was negative for all of the main toxicants I look for in my work: Lead, Cadmium, Arsenic, Mercury and Antimony. If you know what year this was made (or if you purchased a similar mug and know what year you purchased…

1969 Avon Milk Glass Charlie Brown Mug: 40,600 ppm Lead (90 is unsafe) + 1,576 ppm Cadmium (40 is illegal)

Below are the full XRF readings (test results) for the vintage milk glass Avon branded Charlie Brown mug (from 1969!) pictured here. Blue painted area of decorative elements (image above) NOTE: areas of worn paint in image above! Lead (Pb): 39,900 +/- 900 ppm Cadmium (Cd): 503 +/- 26 ppm Chromium (Cr): 2,305+/- 147 ppm…

Star Wars Storm Trooper ceramic mug (Dollar Store find): 605 ppm Lead (90 is considered unsafe for 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…

Small Blue Enamelware Camping Cup / Espresso Cup: 48 ppm Lead, 63 ppm Arsenic, 137 ppm Antimony – three neurotoxins.

The pictures of this cup demonstrate how it is a perfect example of what regularly eventually happens to enamel cups with normal use. In this instance the chipping of the enamel is happening both on the outside and the inside of the cup (similar to the red one posted earlier). This cup (and it’s red…

Small Red Enamelware Camping Cup / Espresso Cup: 8,851 ppm Cadmium [≥40 ppm is illegal in Washington State]

The pictures of this cup demonstrate how it is a perfect example of what regularly eventually happens to enamel cups with normal use. In this instance the chipping of the very-high-Cadmium-containing enamel is happening both on the outside and the inside of the cup. This cup clearly demonstrates why, in my opinion, enamelware should really…

New Post: “Does My Mug Have Lead?” – Talk Show Host Edition! Do you think these mugs will have Lead?

Saturday, May 25, 2019 Well, I think I just came up with “a scathingly brilliant idea”* so check out this train of thought / logic… [bear with me, it’s kind of long – as with everything I write – lol!] One of my most popular posts of all time is my post about choosing a…

One of my most disappointing finds recently: purple 2019 ForLife Q Tea Cup w Handle “lead-free” mug: 541 ppm Lead

This story is a perfect example of why I hate recommending any mass-produced product!… Earlier this year (2019) I bought a set of these mugs [ ForLife Q Tea Cup with Handle 10 ounce purple mugs ] as a birthday gift for my good friend Carissa (because I had tested a cute unicorn mug of hers…

Ceramic mug; a perfect symbol of the beef I have with Habitat for Humanity: 28,500 ppm Lead + 379 ppm Cadmium.

I was just talking about Habitat for Humanity on Facebook with someone earlier today. Habitat for Humanity has been on my S%^t list for a looooong time. I have been continually frustrated by the lack of ethics in their Habitat ReStore program — where across the country I have seen countless examples of old lead-contaminated…

New (August 2018) Rae Dunn Ceramic “Gulp” Coffee Mug from Marshall’s: 108 +/- 18 ppm Lead (safe by all standards)

To see more examples of Rae Dunn pieces Lead Safe Mama has tested, click here. Read more: Can I test my dishes with a LeadCheck swab? When tested with an XRF instrument, this ceramic “Rae Dunn Artisan Collection by Magenta” brand “Gulp” coffee mug (Made in China) purchased at a Marshall’s in Portland, Oregon for about…

Souvenir mug Airport Purchase from Riyadh Saudi Arabia (of all places!): 21,300 ppm Lead

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,…

1997 “Vintage” Campbell’s Soup Ceramic Mug: 11,400 ppm Lead + 1,251 ppm Cadmium [M’m! M’m! Good! NOT!]

When tested with an XRF instrument the vintage (vintage is 20+ years officially, so yes – 1997 is vintage!) ceramic mug pictured here tested positive for the following metals when tested with an XRF instrument: White undecorated elements of mug (including inside of mug): Barium (Ba): 2,405 +/- 276 ppm Tin (Sn): 3,843 +/- 303…

Campbell’s Soups Salute America 1976 Ceramic Mug: 65,300 ppm Lead + 882 ppm Cadmium [mm ‘Lead is good food!’ NOT]

When tested with an XRF instrument the vintage ceramic mug pictured here (Campbell’s Soups Salute America” – Made in Brazil) tested positive for the following metals when tested with an XRF instrument: White undecorated elements of mug (including inside of mug): Lead (Pb): 21,600 +/- 700 ppm Zinc (Zn): 11, 100 +/- 400 ppm Copper…

Glazed Ceramic Mug from Cuernavaca, Mexico: 86,600 ppm Lead (Context: 90 ppm is illegal in children’s items).

I tested this glazed ceramic (made in Cuernavaca Mexico) mug with an XRF instrument, and it had the following reading: Lead (Pb): 86,600 ppm This amount of Lead is specially dangerous in an item like a ceramic coffee mug given mugs are often used on a daily basis (by the same person) for acidic…