Mommy Goes Green

It seems like lead in children’s products are all the rage right now.  Juice and fruit may be new news but lead in kid’s products isn’t new – it’s just getting more widespread. 

The Good Housekeeping Research Institute (the magazine’s product testing laboratory) released a report showing that kid’s jewelry from Target, Claire’s and Walmart all had lead in them.  And it’s not just the cheapy Dollar Store jewelry.  It’s jewelry labeled ’sterling silver’, licensed character jewelry like Disney, and jewelry labeled for children over age 7.  An earring set from Walmart had 124 times the lead limit and the Disney jewelry had 47 times the lead limit.   Remember, there is no safe limit of lead exposure for kids.  Most of the jewelry also contained cadmium.  The GHRI recommends that parents avoid purchasing any inexpensive jewelry for children.  

Unfortunately, lead has been found in hundreds (thousands?) of other products designed for children.  The Daily Green keeps a running list, with photos, that you can review to make sure you don’t have these products in your home.   It’s in everything from pacifier clips to glasses,  books, balls and hockey sticks.  Today’s recall was kid’s belts from Target.

So what’s the next step?  Do you dump all the jewelry and painted toys in your house?   Ban products from China?  Chill out and relax?

Let me start by saying that NO LEVEL OF EXPOSURE TO LEAD IS CONSIDERED SAFE. So it was incredibly frustrating to read the news this morning that the Environmental Law Foundation “ELF”, found lead in children’s fruit juices and packaged fruits. And not just in one brand or a few brands, but in a lot of brands and many of them organic!   Unfortunately, there is likely lead in many other products containing fruit but these are the only ones currently tested by ELF.  Even more frustrating is that while by buying organic, we may avoid pesticides, it doesn’t necessarily mean we’re avoiding lead.  UGH.   This is the kind of stuff that just makes people give up.  No win situation.

At this point, it doesn’t sound like anyone is saying where the lead comes from.  It could be the fruit or the manufacturing process. When we know more, we’ll pass it on.  In the meantime, stay away from the products listed below and pass this information on to your family and friends.  You could also send an email to your favorite brands expressing your concerns.    

 APPLE JUICE    

• Beech Nut 100% Apple Juice
• Earth’s Best Organics Apple Juice
• First Street 100% Apple Cider from concentrate
• First Street Apple Juice from concentrate 100% juice
• Full Circle Organic Apple Juice
• Gerber 100% Juice Apple Juice
• Great Value 100% No Sugar Added Apple Juice
• Hansen’s Natural Apple Juice
• Kroger 100% Juice Apple Juice
• Langers Apple Juice 100% Juice
• Minute Maid Juice Apple – 100% Apple Juice
• Motts 100% Apple Juice
• O Organics Organic Unfiltered Apple Juice Not From Concentrate
• Old Orchard 100% Apple Juice
• Parade 100% Juice Apple
• Raley’s Premium 100% Apple Juice not from Concentrate
• Safeway 100% Juice Apple Cider
• Safeway 100% Juice Apple Juice
• Stater Bros. 100% Juice Apple Juice
• Sunny Select 100% Apple Juice
• Trader Joe’s Certified Organic Apple Juice, pasteurized
• Tree Top 100% Juice Apple Cider
• Walgreens Apple Juice from concentrate 100% juice
• Walnut Grove Market 100% Apple Juice

GRAPE JUICE  

• 365 Everyday Value Organic 100% Juice Concord Grapes
• First Street Grape Juice from concentrate 100% juice
• Gerber 100% Juice – White Grape Juice
• Great Value 100% Grape Juice
• Kedem Concord Grape Juice 100% pure grape juice
• Kroger Grape Juice 100% Juice
• Langers Grape Juice (Concord)
• Langers Red Grape Juice
• O Organics Organic Grape Juice from concentrate
• R.W. Knudsen Just Concord Grape Juice
• R.W. Knudsen Organic Just Concord
• Raley’s 100% Grape Juice
• Safeway 100% Juice Grape Juice
• Safeway Organic Grape Juice
• Santa Cruz Organic Concord Grape Juice
• Stater Bros. 100% Juice Grape Juice
• Stater Bros. 100% Juice White Grape Juice
• Sunny Select 100% Grape Juice
• Trader Joe’s Concord Grape Juice made from fress pressed organic concord grapes
• Tree Top 100% Juice, Grape
• Valu Time Grape Drink from Concentrate
• Walgreens Grape Juice from concentrate 100% juice
• Walnut Acres Organic Concord Grape
• Walnut Grove Market Grape Juice
• Welch’s 100% Grape Juice (from Welch’s Concord Grapes)
• Welch’s 100% Red Grape Juice from Concentrate

PACKAGED PEARS  

• Best Yet Bartlett Pear Halves in Heavy Syrup
• Del Monte Diced Pears in Light Syrup
• Del Monte Pear Halves in Heavy Syrup
• Del Monte Pear Halves, Bartlett Pears in 100% real fruit juice from concentrate
• Dole Pear Halves in Juice
• First Street Diced Pears
• First Street Sliced Bartlett
• Full Circle Organic Bartlett Pear Slices
• Gerber 3rd Foods Pears [Baby Food]
• Great Value Bartlett Pear Halves in 100% Juice
• Great Value Bartlett Sliced Pears in Heavy Syrup
• Market Pantry Diced Pears in Light syrup
• Maxx Value Pear Pieces in Light Syrup
• Polar Pear Halves in light syrup
• S&W Natural Style Pear Slices in Juice
• S&W Sun Pears Premium
• Safeway Lite Bartlett Pear Halves in Pear Juice
• Safeway Pear Halves in Light Juice
• Sunny Select Pear Halves in Pear Juice
• Trader Joe’s Pear Halves in white grape juice
• Truitt Brothers Pacific NorthWest Bartlett Pear Halves, in pear juice from concentrate
• Valu Time Irregular Bartlett Pear Slices
• Walnut Grove Market Natural Pear Halves in Heavy Syrup

PACKAGED PEACHES    

• Best Yet Yellow Cling Peach Halves in Heavy Syrup
• Del Monte Freestone Peach Slices in 100 % Juice
• Del Monte Sliced Yellow Cling Peaches in 100 % Juice
• Del Monte Sliced Yellow Cling Peaches in heavy syrup
• Dole Diced Peaches, Yellow Cling in light syrup
• First Street Yellow Cling Peaches in heavy syrup
• Gerber 3rd Foods Peaches [Baby Food]
• Golden Star Peach Halves in Heavy Syrup
• Great Value Yellow Cling Sliced Peaches
• Libby’s Yellow Cling Peach Slices No Sugar Added (Sweetened with Splenda)
• Market Pantry Diced Peaches in light syrup
• Polar Peach Slices
• Raley’s Sliced Yellow Cling Peaches in Heavy Syrup
• S&W Natural Style Yellow Cling Peach Slices in Lightly Sweetened Juice
• S&W Premium Peach Halves Yellow Cling Peaches in light syrup
• Safeway Diced Peaches in Light Syrup
• Safeway Yellow Cling Peach Slices in Pear Juice
• Simple Value Yellow Cling Peaches in light syrup
• Stater Bros. Yellow Cling Peach Halves
• Stater Bros. Yellow Cling Sliced Peaches in heavy syrup
• Sunny Select Yellow Cling Sliced Peaches in Pear Juice
• Trader Joe’s Yellow Cling Peach Halves in while grape juice
• Valu Time Yellow Cling Peach Slices
• Walnut Grove Market Natural Peaches Sliced Yellow Cling in Light Syrup

FRUIT COCKTAIL  

• Best Yet Chunky Mixed Fruit in Pear Juice
• Chef’s Review Fruit Cocktail
• Del Monte 100% Juice Fruit Cocktail
• Del Monte Chunky Mixed Fruit in 100 % Juice (peach, pear, grape, etc.)
• Del Monte Fruit Cocktail in Heavy Syrup (peach, pear, grapes)
• Del Monte Fruit Cocktail No Sugar Added
• Del Monte Lite Fruit Cocktail in Extra Light Syrup
• Dole Mixed Fruit in Light Syrup
• Eating Right Fruit Cocktail packed in Sucralose
• Eating Right No Sugar Fruit Cocktail
• First Street Fruit Cocktail in heavy syrup
• Golden Star Mixed Fruit in Light Syrup (peach, pineapple, pears)
• Great Value No Sugar Added Fruit Cocktail
• Kroger Fruit Cocktail in Heavy Syrup
• Kroger Lite Fruit Cocktail in Pear Juice
• Kroger Value Fruit Mix (Peaches, pears, grapes)
• Libby’s Fruit Cocktail No Sugar Added (Sweetened with Splenda)
• Market Pantry Mixed Fruit in light syrup
• Maxx Value Fruit Mix in Light Syrup (peach, pear, grape)
• Mrs. Brown’s Fruit Cocktail in Heavy Syrup (peaches, pears, grapes)
• Polar Mixed Fruit
• Raley’s Fruit Cocktail in Heavy Syrup
• S&W Natural Style Fruit Cocktail in Lightly Sweetened Juice
• Safeway Fruit Cocktail in Heavy Syrup
• Safeway Light Sugar Fruit Cocktail
• Safeway Lite Fruit Cocktail in Pear Juice
• Stater Bros. Fruit Cocktail in Heavy Syrup
• Sunny Select Fruit Cocktail in Juice

Lead is often a topic of concern in children’s toys and there are numerous recalls every year just to prove it. Lead poisoning can cause damage to the brain and kidneys.  Research has linked lead with lowered IQ in kids and high blood pressure in adults.  During pregnancy, a baby receives lead from the mother’s bones which may affect brain development.

Toys are not the only source of lead contamination.   Water, paint, dust and even candy can contain lead.  Last spring I sent a sample of our standing water to the city water bureau for lead testing.  A standing water test uses the water that has been sitting in your pipes.  

The standing water test results returned telling us that we had 2 parts per billion of lead in our drinking water. Compared to the EPA Action level of 15 parts per billion, that seemed pretty safe.  However, on further review, I found that there is NO known level of lead is considered safe.  Particularly for pregnant moms and young children – we had both in the house.

Since we had young children, the water bureau offered to perform another test of our water but this time, we did it with running water.  A running water test uses water after the faucet has been turned on for two minutes.  The results?  Non-detected!

Since then, we have been vigilant about running the water until it’s very cold and we never use warm water for the baby bottle.  We just pop the cold water in a glass bottle in the micro for a few seconds to warm it up.

To reduce your family’s exposure to lead in water, follow these tips:

• run your water for a minimum of 30 seconds up to 2 minutes until it becomes cold, if using for drinking or cooking
• ONLY use fresh, cold water for cooking and preparing baby formula
• use a water filter and make sure it reduces lead as not all filters do
• buy low-lead plumbing fixtures
• have your child’s pediatrician do a blood lead level test
• have your water tested

To have your water tested, call your local water bureau to see if they perform testing.  For residents in the Portland, Oregon Metro area, FREE testing is offered by the water bureau – take them up on it.  If your water bureau doesn’t offer testing, the National Water Council will test it for $9.97.  The NWC will test for lead along with other common contaminants.

Remember, lead doesn’t only enter our bodies through water, it can also enter through lead-based paint and contaminated dust.  Houses built before 1978 are likely to have some lead-based paint.  According to the CDC, “approximately 24 million housing units have deteriorated leaded paint and elevated levels of lead-contaminated house dust. More than 4 million of these dwellings are homes to one or more young children.”  If your house was built before 1978, make sure you stay away from any peeling paint and the phrase “don’t eat the paint chips” absolutely applies here.   If you are renovating a house built in this time period, the CDC recommends that pregnant women and children not be present.  Also, clean your children’s hands and toys frequently as they can get contaminated dust on them.  Finally, regularly wet mop floors and wet wipe all window components to remove any leaded dust.

Parents Magazine has a lot of great safety tips in their August issue including one about garden hoses and lead that I hadn’t heard anywhere before.  There is no safe level of lead consumption so we should try to limit exposure to ourselves and our family as much as possible.  The magazine’s advisor, Ari Brown, M.D., noted that many hoses are made of PVC, a material that contains lead.  ( lead is just ONE of the problems with PVC )  Since lead can leach into the water coming out of the hose, you should run the hose for a minute or two before using it to fill baby pools, for example.  Whether we like it or not, we know our kids drink the water in the pool!  They also suggested never letting children drink directly from the hose. 

 This is a great practice for in the house, too.  We recently had the water in our home tested for lead and it came back positive.  Our house was built in 2007 so lead exposure in your house does not just apply to older homes.  The advice we received from the testing lab was to run water for a couple of minutes until it’s cold before drinking and never to drink hot water from the tap – always heat cold water in the microwave or on the stove.  We are also purchasing a water filter – more on that in the future!