Lead in Lunchboxes

Produced by Washington State Department of Ecology
Hazardous Waste and Toxics Reduction Program
March 2008

Ingestion or breathing of lead may cause a range of health effects, from behavioral problems to learning disabilities.  Children 6 years old and younger are most at risk.  Young children are especially vulnerable because of their hand to mouth behavior.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2002 there were 310,000 children with elevated blood lead levels that pose a health risk.  A key source of lead is paint in older homes.
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There is growing new concern about lead in toys and other children’s products.  Lead is used as a stabilizer in some vinyl products such as soft lunchboxes, and the lead does not stay bound to the vinyl in all boxes.  Health experts are concerned because the lead may rub off lunchboxes onto children’s food or hands, and children may swallow the lead. 

Tests conducted in 2005 by the California Center for Environmental Health and the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) found some lunchboxes containing lead.  Of the 158 lunchboxes tested, 10-20 percent contained high amounts of lead.  The Consumer Product Safety Commission also tested 60 lunchboxes in 2005, and found that one in five lunchboxes contained hazardous levels of lead. 

States and municipalities are working to eliminate sources of lead – both historic sources such as lead paint in older homes, and newer sources of lead such as children’s toys.  In 2005-2006, Ecology asked retailers to pull certain lunchboxes from store shelves until Ecology could do more testing.  The Washington Retail Association was supportive of removing the lunchboxes.  For results, please contact Tom Cusack at Ecology's Hazardous Waste and Toxics Reduction program, 360-407-6755 or tcus461@ecy.wa.gov

In January 2008, EPA issued a rule requiring manufacturers and importers of children’s consumer products to submit health and safety information on lead content.  In March 2008, Washington State passed the children’s safe products act which sets limits for lead in toys. 
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Even though lunchboxes may contain hazardous levels of lead, the amount of lead a child gets from the lunchbox may not be hazardous, depending on hand to mouth behavior and the individual lunchbox.  If you are concerned that your child’s vinyl lunchbox may be hazardous, you can reduce the chances your child may ingest lead by:

• Putting food in reusable containers, plastic wrap or sandwich bags to keep food from touching the lunchbox.
• Regularly washing the lunchbox with warm, soapy water to help remove some of the lead on the surface.
• Switching to a non-vinyl lunch container.

Vinyl lunchboxes should not be given to second-hand stores or put in the trash.  Take used vinyl lunchboxes to your local hazardous materials collection site in Washington.  For the location nearest you, call your local garbage utility or search Ecology’s recycling database at https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/recycle/.

 

 

For more information, please contact us.

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The Washington Department of Ecology funds this website with State Toxics Control Account funds and Worker-Right-to-Know fees.