Lead in Lunch boxes

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QUESTION: Lead in vinyl Lunch Boxes 2, 26 Jun 2006, Queensland Australia

Dear Madam or Sir, I was wondering if you had heard of lead being present in children's vinyl insulated lunch boxes. There is a website www.ceh.org/ that was quite of a concern to me. This is a fact sheet from the Center of Environmental Health. I look forward to your reply, Kind regards, Brenda Lunn.

ANSWER: 28 Jun 2006

Dear Brenda,
Unfortunately, the fact sheet is proven to be true. Some tests had been conducted on several lunch boxes and many were found to exceed the legal limit. Lead has been used to stabilize PVC.
The link that you gave provides several facts about the use of lead in PVC and how to test a lunch box for lead. The presence of lead may also come from the pigments used in PVC.

Therefore, if you're worried about your lunch box, it is advisable to test for the presence of lead. As it is mentioned in http://www.ceh.org/making-news/press-releases/23-lead-in-lunchboxes and http://www.ceh.org/making-news/press-releases/23-lead-in-lunchboxes?start=4 the level of lead in lunch boxes does not cause acute poisoning but lead is a potent neurotoxin. Chronic exposure may cause unwanted effects due to the danger of accumulation. Future exposure of lead from other materials, that contain higher lead level, will add to the lead level in the body. Therefore, it will be better to avoid lead-containing lunch boxes.
You may want to purchase a test kit available from hardware stores, Stockists of Lead Spot Test Kits - Australia, www.leadcheck.com/ or The LEAD Group Inc Do–It–Yourself Lead Safe Test Kits
I hope this would help. Should you have more questions feel free to contact us.
Regards,
Erik Wibowo

Update: L.A. Firm Is Fined $10 Million Over Lead-Tainted Lunchboxes Los Angeles Times, Marc Lifsher, May 22, 2008 and Lead in Lunchboxes FAQs