Lead can be found in even the most unexpected objects in your house. Our team at Healthy Homes and Gardens visited a home to test for traces of lead in kitchen items and utensils. Using the Restricted Materials calibration on the Bruker S1 TITAN 800 Portable XRF, we were able to test everyday household items such as cutlery, plates and crockery sets which received some interesting results.
Painted china and crockery can often have traces of lead, as in the past, lead paint was used to create vided details and colours.
The kitchen featured a beautiful blue teacup, which was once the homeowner’s favorite teacup. However, unfortunately the teacup tested over 4 times the maximum level of lead. As the results exceeded the ‘safe’ limit of lead, the teacup should not be used and kept in a separate cupboard for display purposes only. The charming blue teacup can be admired from afar.
The painted flower details on the crockery pot also tested above the ‘safe’ limit of lead, which we expected (up to 1.3 mg/cm2). As this crockery pot is used in hot temperatures, the lead can potentially seep in and contaminate the food. Therefore, it is recommended that the crockery pot, joins the blue teacup in the display cupboard.
If you are interested in finding out the lead results of your household items, follow this link to book our lead house survey: https://www.healthyhomesandgardens.com.au/bookings
For further reading and advise on how to safely treat household items and structures, please visit the Australian Government department of agriculture, water and environment website:
Instrument Make/Model used: Bruker S1 TITAN 800