Smoothy Slim
Smoothy Slim
Photo: Andrew Neel
Overall, the potential for lead ingestion from contaminated ceramic mugs is minimal when compared to other sources, such as food.
Broccoli, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts are all high in Vitamin C and other antioxidants, which help to maintain healthy skin. These veggies...
Read More »
It is best to sleep with your hair down if your hair length is short. This also lets the air flow freely through your hair, which makes you sleep...
Read More »
A potent powdered supplement, based on the diets of among the healthiest, longest-living hamlet in the world.
Learn More »Lead was detected in over 90% of our beverage samples; most samples resulted in concentrations similar to the analytical limit of detection (0.2 μg/L). However, in one of the mugs tested (Green Decorative), the results ranged from 0.8 to 8.6 μg/L. This finding indicates that under the conditions of this study, lead may leach from mugs into hot beverages such as coffee and tea, or even hot water, and result in individual lead exposures well above maximum allowable dose levels set by the State of California. Although this finding only pertained to one of the five mugs tested, it was unexpected, given that these mugs were randomly selected from an office environment, and that all but one were purchased in the U.S. From the small sample size of this study no conclusion can be drawn about the prevalence of mugs with leachable lead in the U.S. market; however, the findings do indicate a need for further research with greater sample sizes (and thereby more robust statistical analyses) in this area. Regarding blood lead levels, we found that background lead exposure in the models primarily contributed to the BLLs for both adults and fetal exposures. As shown in Table 3, lead ingestion from coffee using the highest concentration measured in this study increased the BLL estimated in adults by 0.3 μg/dL. Given the limitations of this study, these results should be considered a screening-level assessment. The U.S. FDA regulates lead content in ceramics used with foods, and in mugs specifically. In 1970, the FDA conducted a survey of imported pottery and found “high levels” of lead leaching from the products (USFDA 1979a, p. 51237). The FDA instituted a compliance program for domestic and international pottery in 1971, limiting the amount of lead that leached from pottery into a leaching solution to 7 μg/L (USFDA 1979a). In 1979, the FDA revised the guidelines for lead leached from ceramic foodware based on a recommended tolerable total lead intake value of 100 μg/day for infants up to 6 months of age and of 150 μg/day for children from 6 months to 2 years of age, based on the endpoint of altered heme synthesis (USFDA 1979b; USFDA 1989). In response to new data and updated international reference values, in 1989 the FDA adopted a range of 6 to 18 μg/day as the provisional tolerable lead intake from food for a 10 kg child, and proposed that the guidelines for ceramic foodware again be lowered (USFDA 1989). The agency noted at that time that it was not possible to establish a threshold for lead toxicity (USFDA 1989). In 1992, the lead release guidelines were amended to include levels specific to cups and mugs “because these articles are frequently used under conditions that may enhance lead leaching” (USFDA 1992, p. 29734). In particular, the FDA noted that cups and mugs are “generally used to hold acidic beverages, such as…coffee or tea” (USFDA 1992, p. 29735). The FDA reported that the acidity in conjunction with the higher temperatures of these beverages enhances the lead leaching rate (USFDA 1992). According to the 1992 guidance, the FDA “may take enforcement action” when cups or mugs exceed a lead level of 0.5 μg/mL in a 4% acetic acid leaching solution in any of six mug or cup units examined (USFDA 1992, p. 29735). This limit currently is still in place for cups and mugs. The FDA reported that based on its request for information and subsequent review, the amount of lead that will leach into a leaching solution is approximately 2.5 to 5 times the amount that will leach into “hot coffee during 15 to 30 min” (USFDA 1992, p. 29735). Applying this estimation to our results, we can estimate that 2 to 43 μg/L lead would leach from the Green Decorative mug into leaching solution, which is 0.002 to 0.043 μg/mL, and well within the FDA’s limit of 0.5 μg/mL. Our results, then, suggest that mugs in compliance with federal regulatory limits for lead may still well-exceed California’s Safe Harbor Levels. Furthermore, the State of California recently proposed reducing the lead MADL to 0.2 μg/day based on modeling of exposure levels that would result in maximum blood lead levels of 15 μg/dL (Cal/EPA 2015a; Cal/EPA 2015b). In 2015, the State clarified that the MADL is intended to be a daily exposure dose, but that alternative exposure doses (increased doses) are plausible within the law, if exposures can be determined not to occur daily (Cal/EPA 2015a). Nonetheless, given the proposed MADL, and assuming mugs are used daily, coffee consumption from the four mugs with lower associated lead levels in this study (mean of 0.2 μg/L, or daily intake of 0.156 μg) nearly results in exposures above the proposed MADL. The lower MADL would also further widen the discrepancy between California and federal compliance levels.
Fatty Cuts of Meat Filet mignon, also known as Chateaubriand or tenderloin, T-bone, New York Strip, porterhouse, flap or skirt steak and rib-eye...
Read More »
Some signs that your body has a toxin buildup include: Brain fog. Hair loss. Fatigue. Brittle toenails. Bad breath. Nausea. Weight gain.
Read More »
Made into a potent powdered supplement blended right into water or your favorite beverage to be appreciated as a scrumptious morning smoothy.
Learn More »Given the existing low MADL, and the fact that the proposed MADL for lead is less than half of the current MADL, understanding the implications for product testing is important. Many analytical methods are not sensitive enough to detect the presence of lead at meaningful concentrations in terms of exposure levels in compliance with the Safe Harbor Level. Inherent variability in measurements at such low levels of analytical detection also exists, which must be characterized and understood properly in order to rely on them for regulatory compliance. For example, the two 10 min coffee samples in the Green Decorative mug were 1.7 and 8.6 μg/L, a seemingly wide range. Also, coffee that had been in the glass cup for 10 min had a detected lead concentration of 0.3 μg/L, but the same coffee after 60 min in the glass resulted in a detected lead concentration of only 0.2 μg/L. These ranges and “reductions” highlight the uncertainty and normal variations in the measurements. In addition, definitively identifying and segregating the relative contributions of lead from different sources in this study is not possible. Lead is ubiquitous in our environment, and its presence in glass, equipment, tea, coffee, and drinking water cannot be ruled out. Several studies, for example, have reported concentrations of lead in solid coffee beans or solid residues of coffee infusions ranging from 0.053 to 1.239 μg/g (Nędzarek et al. 2013; Onianwa et al. 1999; Federal Republic of Germany and Federal Länder unknown; Santos et al. 2004; Othman 2010). One study reported lead concentrations in liquid coffee of 2.37 and 2.57 μg/L (Ong 2014), and another study reported lead concentrations below the limit of detection of 1.5 μg/L (Ashu and Chandravanshi 2011). Additionally, studies have reported lead in tea leaves or residues from tea infusions of 0.046 to 15.479 μg/g (Li et al. 2015; Shekoohiyan et al. 2012; Shokrzadeh et al. 2008; Onianwa et al. 1999; Othman 2010; Al-Othman et al. 2012; Zheng et al. 2014). Although we did not detect any lead in our direct tap water or boiled tap water control samples, the presence of lead in drinking water is a known concern, as shown by the recent state of emergency issued in Flint, Michigan, because of its drinking water lead content. The U.S. EPA reported that 1,831 (8%) of 22,808 residential water samples collected in Flint between September 2015 and June 2016 were above the action level of 15 ppb (State of Michigan 2016). Samples reported above the action level ranged from 16 to 22,905 ppb. These other highly variable potential sources of lead exposure must be considered when assessing total lead intake; in this study, though, the beverage lead content appeared to be most strongly determined by the mug. To our knowledge, ours is one of only a handful of studies in the peer-reviewed literature to evaluate lead leaching into coffee or tea from lead-containing ceramics. In 1985, Wallace et al. tested Italian-originating coffee mugs found in a U.S. household. The authors reported that approximately 4000 μg of lead were leached into a 250 mL serving of coffee (16,000 μg/L) over 15 min at a temperature of 65 °C and a pH of 5.1 (Wallace et al. 1985). Wallace et al. stated that the mugs were “badly degraded,” and that a similar new cup released only 200 μg of lead (800 μg/L) in the same conditions (Wallace et al. 1985, p. 290). Ajmal et al. (1997) investigated lead leaching into tea from ceramic mugs in India. They reported that measured lead concentrations in the tea were below the limit of detection (Ajmal et al. 1997). To our knowledge, then, the current study is the first to evaluate lead leaching into coffee and tea from ceramic mugs purchased in the 21st century in the U.S. (with the exception of the Red Decorative mug, which was purchased in Europe). A greater number of studies have investigated lead leaching from ceramics associated with various other foods and beverages (Sheets 1997; Mohamed et al. 1995; Levin et al. 2008; Markowitz 2000; Gonzalez de Mejia and Craigmill 1996; Feldman et al. 1999; Belgaied 2003; Hight 1996; Valadez-Vega et al. 2011). In studies that measured lead concentrations leached from a variety of ceramics using 4% acetic acid (the same leaching solution used by the FDA to evaluate ceramics), reported values reached up to 2004.7 ppm (2,004,700 μg/L), significantly higher than values we obtained in this study (Gonzalez de Mejia and Craigmill 1996). Many of these studies also evaluated the amount of lead that leached into various acidic and non acidic foods, such as salsa, beans, tamarind juice, pickle juice, wine, and milk products, with results reaching up to 244 ppm (244,000 μg/L). The highest value was associated with salsa, a highly acidic food (Gonzalez de Mejia and Craigmill 1996). The study, however, noted that there was a mean background level of lead of 0.93 ± 0.13 ppm in the salsa.
Fancy exercise or equipment aren't needed - it's enough to walk. Aim for at least 30 minutes daily but if you have less time, a minimum of 20...
Read More »
It is critical to the proper functioning of nerve and muscles cells, particularly heart muscle cells. Normally, your blood potassium level is 3.6...
Read More »
This effective juice jolts the metabolism, boosts energy and burns fat all day.
Learn More »Overall, the potential for lead ingestion from contaminated ceramic mugs is minimal when compared to other sources, such as food. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) reported that the average daily intake of lead from food sources in the general population is approximately 56.5 μg/day (ATSDR 2007a). In comparison, the maximum daily lead intake from drinking 3.3 eight-ounce cups of coffee based on the data collected in our study resulted in a dose of 6.71 μg, over eight times less than the average daily lead intake from food. Nonetheless, exposure to lead should be minimized to the extent possible. The U.S. EPA does not publish a safe dose for lead because it felt it was “inappropriate to develop a reference dose (RfD) for inorganic lead (and lead compounds) because some of the health effects associated with exposure to lead occur at blood lead levels as low as to be essentially without a threshold” (ATSDR 2007a, p. 403). Similarly, WHO withdrew its provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) for lead in 2010 because it did not believe establishing a value that would be “health protective” would be possible (WHO 2010). This study is limited in that a small number of mugs were randomly selected from the authors’ work environment, and were not purchased for the purpose of evaluating the full range of lead contamination in ceramic mugs. We also were not able to test multiple mugs from the same manufacturer or origin, with the exception of the black logo mugs. Overall, then, this study can be considered a pilot study, and the results should be considered as such until additional research can be conducted, and more samples collected. This preliminary investigation, however, provides data on potential lead exposures from daily beverage consumption among typical consumers, with particular implications for pregnant or breastfeeding women. This potential source of lead exposure is less well-characterized than are some other lead exposure sources (e.g., paint, gasoline), yet is relevant to a substantial portion of the U.S. population.
Sprouts Farmers Market was founded in 2002 in Chandler, Arizona, by members of the Boney family. In 2011, Henry's, Sun Harvest, and Sprouts came...
Read More »
The Bottom Line What comes out of your body when you detox? Numerous waste products such as urea, uric acid, creatinine, excess sebum, dead skin...
Read More »
A potent powdered supplement blended right into water or your favored beverage to be appreciated as a scrumptious morning smoothy.
Learn More »
Drinking a large amount of water is essential for your liver's detoxification. It removes the toxins and flushes the liver tissues. A great tip for...
Read More »
This effective juice jolts the metabolism, boosts energy and burns fat all day.
Learn More »
The important thing to remember is that aspirin does not lower blood pressure on its own. However, its ability to thin out the blood can benefit...
Read More »