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wittyusername | 4 years ago

We bought some children's sized coat hangars off Amazon and used a lead testing kit on them. They popped positive for lead :(

No name brand from China. I wonder what else in our lives might have lead in it..

discuss

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derbOac|4 years ago

To add additional dimensions to this, because the risk of lead per se is so salient, there's been a shift to using other metals such as cadmium as a substitute. Can't use lead because it's got so much baggage! Use cadmium instead!

There's a different set of issues involved with different substances — many problems associated with lead are due to its historical use — but lead is not the only heavy metal causing problems with health.

Not meaning to undermine what you're saying — on the contrary, I think it's more widespread than people realize.

dwater|4 years ago

Lead is still popular in alloying metals because it's ductile, easy to work, and easy to machine. I would assume if I was buying a brass product made in China it would have lead in it. I try to buy copper and brass plumbing products made in the US, South Korea, or other countries with strong regulation and legal systems.

throwaway0a5e|4 years ago

Leaded brass fittings are still permitted for non-potable applications. You won't find them at Home Depot and other places that have giant consumer lawsuit targets on their back but if you're buying fittings not commonly used for potable water from sources that mostly do B2B sales you'll still encounter them and (IMO it's basically a non-issue in that context).

elsonrodriguez|4 years ago

Just a note, is is almost impossible to buy lead-free brass in the US. Most brass labeled "lead-free" is actually low lead.

Naval Brass is the closest I've seen, and it's not exactly at the corner store.