The history of manufacturing is incredibly toxic. From radium paint to asbestos, lead, flame retardants, and PFAs, our country has paid a price in our unrelenting drive to create useful stuff.
Thanks to the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, new children’s products for ages 12 and under are required to be limited to 90-100 parts per million lead as of 2011. But did you know there are no total lead restrictions on the federal level for adult consumer goods?
Unfortunately our consumer goods can still contain lead, either as a trace impurity or as a known additive. Although we’ve done a lot to clean up out act over the last few decades, and it is less common to find lead in random stuff, it still persists in use.
Here’s where we sometimes find large amounts of lead. Start here if this topic is new to you. This is by no means an exhaustive list.
DIY and Construction Samples: Glazed tiles, glazed porcelain, vinyl wallpaper, reclaimed wood, vintage laminate, electrical tape, vintage blinds, crystal glass, pipes and plumbing fixtures made prior to 
Fine Art: Lead compounds are still used by some contemporary oil painters who imitate the Old Masters. Antique oil paintings are typically made with lead paint. For every art material with lead there is a lead-free option that has been engineered to be safe, archival, and effective.
Art and Craft Supplies: Leather, vinyl decals, vintage stickers, artist’s paint made with lead-based pigments, solder, glazes, dyes (uncommon), clay (trace impurity), crayons (trace impurity), beads, charms
Products Marketed to Women: Costume jewelry, crystals, PVC purses, leather, shoes, metal compacts, enameled products, vintage hair pieces, clay-based beauty products (trace impurity).
Kitchen Items: Glazed or painted plates and mugs, ethnic ceramic dishes, cast metal products, antiques, utensils with mixed metals and solder, antique silver, imitation silver, enamelware, vintage appliances and food processors, unidentified metal, painted glass, crystal, meat grinders, cast aluminum pots, coated pans, waffle irons. Note: Dishes made before 1971 had no leach testing required by the federal government. New dishes that are leach tested are considered safe. We don’t recommend lead glazed products regardless.
Children’s Products: Vintage toys may contain high amounts of lead and/or cadmium in the plastic, metal, and coatings, board games, dolls, glass eyes, painted wood, kid’s jewelry, old playground equipment, and books made prior to 1986 may contain lead in the ink or cover. We also test toys from international manufacturers currently sold on third party marketplace websites. New toys from reputable manufacturers are unlikely to contain lead.
Antiques: Unfortunately in periods where there are no safety regulations, and little publicly available science about the dangers of lead, the products test poorly. Lead was treated like a wonder material and added in all sorts of strange and unnecessary ways. Manufacturers frequently added lead and lead compounds to their products. These can be found in paint, stain, varnish, plastic, metals, printed materials, hand-colored plates, silk, leather, shoes, signage, and across all product categories.
Home Goods: Vintage electronics, power cords, home decor, stained glass, holiday decor, Christmas trees and ornaments, tinsel, glazed figurines, decorative art, brass and crystal sculptures and lamps, musical instruments, garden hoses, recycled rubber mulch, galvanized steel accents, reclaimed wood art.
Sporting Goods: Shooting and fishing components made of lead are well-known hazards and an ongoing source of damage to the environment, wildlife, and a cause of lead poisoning in children exposed to lead dust brought home from ranges. Lead-free options are available for all of these products.
For products such as paint, a reliable and cost-effective way to test for lead at home is by using a 3M lead check swab. However, these swabs do not tell you how much lead is present and their threshold for detection is slightly higher than what is considered safe for a children’s product. But they work in a pinch if you need to test paint or varnish. You can purchase swabs here through our Amazon affiliate link.