Vintage Plastic

Some vintage Legos® test positive for high level of a known carcinogen. Can I tell if my Legos® are safe?

One of these small yellow Lego® bricks (pictured above) is vintage (the one on the left of the photo was purchased new, “between 1978 and 1988”) and tested positive for a very high level of Cadmium (a known carcinogen); the other is newer (belongs to my kiddos and was purchased sometime in the past 15 years)…

Want some poison with your lemonade? Vintage Tupperware pitcher: 18 ppm Lead, 225 ppm Cadmium, 30 ppm Mercury.

When tested with an XRF instrument this vintage Tupperware brand orange plastic skinny juice / lemonade pitcher had the following readings: Orange Plastic of the Container: Lead (Pb): 18 +/- 4 ppm Cadmium (Cd): 225 +/- 11 ppm Mercury (Hg): 30 +/- 7 ppm Arsenic (As): Negative / Non-Detect Barium (Ba): 438 +/- 87 ppm Chromium (Cr):…

Remember licking this after mom frosted a cake? Vintage Tupperware Cake Decorator: 1,283 ppm Lead (90 is toxic)

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…

Vintage Fisher Price Doll. Please don’t let your kids play with these dolls. 75 ppm Cadmium (& higher) is illegal in Denmark.

The amount of CADMIUM that is considered toxic (and illegal in Denmark!) in newly manufactured items intended for use by children today, is anything 75 ppm Cadmium or more. Here’s a table from a recent (2015) study about toxicants found in vintage plastic toys. If you click on the table it will take you to…

Vintage Fisher Price Doll. Please don’t let your children play with these dolls. 90 ppm Lead is unsafe for kids.

The amount of Lead that is considered toxic (and illegal / unsafe) in newly manufactured items intended for use by children today, is anything over 90 ppm Lead in the paint or coating and anything over 100 ppm Lead in the substrate. Here’s a table from a recent (2015) study about toxicants found in vintage…

Vintage Plastic Fisher Price Doll. Please don’t let your children play with these dolls. 90 ppm Lead is unsafe for kids.

Vintage Fisher Price Little People + Why Does Tamara Do This?

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Many second hand plastic toys could pose a risk to children’s health, study suggests (Feb 2018)

Date: January 26, 2018 Source: University of Plymouth Summary: Scientists have discovered high concentrations of hazardous elements including antimony, barium, bromine, cadmium, chromium and lead in many second hand plastic toys. Click the image below to read the story in Chemical News. Click the link here to read the linked piece in Science Daily. Click here…

Orange Tupperware Vintage Measuring Cups: 61 ppm Cadmium. Cadmium is a known carcinogen for humans.

To see more Tupperware items I have tested, click here. When using an XRF instrument to test these plastic measuring cups (which are made of solid orange plastic with no painted markings or decorations) they had the following readings: Cadmium (Cd): 61 +/- 7 ppm Barium (Ba): 138 +/- 71 ppm Zinc (Zn): 394 +/-…

White Tupperware Vintage Measuring Cups: Non-detect for Lead, Mercury, Cadmium and Arsenic. [But these have BPA!]

To see more Tupperware items I have tested, click here. When using an XRF instrument to test these plastic measuring cups (which are made of solid white plastic with no painted markings or decorations) they had the following readings: Zinc (Zn): 21 +/- 7 ppm Titanium (Ti): 537 +/- 250 ppm All test results reported…

1982 Tupperware Catalog (a gift from one of my readers to help us date some of the pieces we have tested for Lead.)

I am so thankful to one of my readers (thank you Gail!) who found the 1982 Tupperware catalog and photographed each and every page and e-mailed them to me! Here they are to serve as a reference to help us date some of the vintage Tupperware pieces that I (together with the help of my…

Yellow Tupperware Cup (year unknown): Non-detect for Lead, Mercury, Cadmium and Arsenic.

To see more Tupperware items I have tested, click here. When using an XRF instrument to test this plastic cup (which is made of solid yellow plastic with no painted markings or decorations) it had the following readings: Lead (Pb): Negative/Non-Detect (Nd) Cadmium (Cd): Negative/Non-Detect (Nd) Arsenic (As): Negative/Non-Detect (Nd) Chromium (Cr): Negative/Non-Detect (Nd) Antimony (Sb): Negative/Non-Detect…

Orange Tupperware Cup (year unknown): Non-detect for Lead, Mercury, Cadmium and Arsenic.

To see more Tupperware items I have tested, click here. When using an XRF instrument to test this plastic cup (which is made of solid orange plastic with no painted markings or decorations) it had the following readings: Lead (Pb): Negative/Non-Detect (Nd) Cadmium (Cd): Negative/Non-Detect (Nd) Arsenic (As): Negative/Non-Detect (Nd) Chromium (Cr): Negative/Non-Detect (Nd) Antimony (Sb): Negative/Non-Detect…

Vintage Orange Tupperware Funnel With Handle: 1,714 ppm Lead + 17 ppm Cadmium + 181 ppm Arsenic

To see more Tupperware items I have tested, click here. When using an XRF instrument to test this funnel (which is made of solid orange plastic with no painted markings or decorations) it had the following readings: Lead (Pb): 1,714 +/- 29 ppm Cadmium (Cd): 17 +/- 6 ppm Arsenic (As): 181 +/- 20…