Heavy metals
Metals such as antimony, nickel and chromium migrating from a material into what touches it. They accumulate rather than clearing, so a small dose repeated daily matters more than a single large one. Recycled and low-cost materials carry the widest variation.
Definition and health context from ATSDR.
We checked 3,681 products and found heavy metals reported or likely in 11 of them.
Where heavy metals turns up
Categories we grade, worst first, as a share of what we scored in each.
| Category | Flagged | Scored | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cosmetics | 6 | 8 | 75% |
| Guitar Strings | 10 | 15 | 67% |
| Scrubs | 5 | 8 | 63% |
| Clothing | 5 | 9 | 56% |
| Stain-Resistant Bed Sheets | 8 | 15 | 53% |
| Running Shoes | 12 | 24 | 50% |
| Lipstick | 7 | 15 | 47% |
| Ski Jackets | 13 | 32 | 41% |
| Waterproof Mascara | 19 | 47 | 40% |
| Performance Socks | 6 | 15 | 40% |
| Neckties | 6 | 15 | 40% |
| Cycling Jackets | 11 | 28 | 39% |
| Activewear | 13 | 35 | 37% |
| Lip Balm | 18 | 55 | 33% |
Where we found real evidence
Reported or likely, lowest scoring first. Not plausibility.
Nonstick coatings on steel baking sheets degrade with age, dishwasher use, and abrasion, potentially releasing particles and allowing steel corrosion. Properly maintained below 400°F, this risk is low; neglected sheets pose greater exposure over time.
Hybrid cookware coatings can wear, chip, or peel over years of use. Once the nonstick layer fails, underlying stainless steel grid and substrate are exposed, increasing risk of metal contact with acidic foods (tomatoes, vinegar, citrus) and potential minor lea
Ceramic nonstick coatings are inherently less durable than PTFE and chip or flake with use. Once compromised, the underlying aluminum or steel base may leach into food, particularly with acidic foods. Bialetti does not specify the base metal or publish durabil
Non-stick coatings on cookware degrade with age and mechanical wear; once the non-stick layer is compromised, the underlying stainless steel is exposed. Stainless steel itself is very safe and does not leach nickel or chromium under normal cooking conditions,
Carbon steel cookware nonstick coatings degrade over time with use and washing, particularly in dishwashers. Microscopic wear exposes underlying steel; while carbon steel itself is not toxic at culinary levels, flaking coating particles are undesirable. Imusa
No data on coating durability or adhesion; aluminum substrate beneath non-stick layer will leach if coating flakes or wears, especially with acidic foods or metal-utensil use over time.
Crumb rubber infill can contain cadmium, lead, and other heavy metals from tire manufacturing and additives. FieldTurf does not publicly specify infill metal content; if sand infill is used instead, this hazard is largely avoided, so confirmation of infill typ
The 80/20 bronze wrap contains nickel, which can release trace amounts through skin contact during play. Individuals with nickel allergies or dermatitis may experience reactions with prolonged exposure; this is a known issue with metal string instruments gener
Pigments in foundations have been found in trace amounts to contain lead, cadmium, or arsenic in various brands' testing. L'Oréal sources have not published specific heavy metal testing results for this product line; risk remains within industry baseline but u
Enamel and vinyl decals on 40-year-old lunch boxes commonly chip, crack, or peel from normal handling and age. Exposed steel oxidizes and can leach iron; if paint originally contained lead, flaking is a direct contamination pathway to food.
Zinc pyrithione is a zinc compound approved for cosmetic use and is not inherently contaminated with cadmium or lead if manufactured to standard. However, some independent testing of shampoos has occasionally detected trace heavy metals; Head & Shoulders does
What to buy instead
Highest scoring products with no flag for it, in the categories where it is worst.
- bareMinerals bareMinerals Mineral Makeup100
- D'Addario D'Addario Acoustic Guitar Strings XS 80/20 Bronze Coated85
- Levi's Levi's 501 Jeans80
- Uniform Advantage Butter Soft Blue Stretch Women's Scrub Top65
- Uniform Advantage UA Women's Butter-Soft STRETCH 6-Pocket Scrub Pants65
- Uniform Advantage UA Women's Butter-Soft STRETCH Scrub Set65
Common questions
What is heavy metals?
Metals such as antimony, nickel and chromium migrating from a material into what touches it. They accumulate rather than clearing, so a small dose repeated daily matters more than a single large one. Recycled and low-cost materials carry the widest variation.
Which products contain heavy metals?
Of the 3,681 products we have graded, 368 are flagged for it and 11 on reported or likely evidence rather than plausibility. Cosmetics is the worst category at 75% of what we scored there.
Is heavy metals in cosmetics?
More than in anything else we grade. 6 of the 8 cosmetics we scored carry a flag for it, which is 75%. The full breakdown per product is on each product page.
What can I buy instead?
In the categories where it turns up most, the highest scoring products with no flag for it are bareMinerals bareMinerals Mineral Makeup at 100, D'Addario D'Addario Acoustic Guitar Strings XS 80/20 Bronze Coated at 85, Levi's Levi's 501 Jeans at 80. Every one of those was graded on the same rubric as the products above.
How do you know?
We do not lab test. Every grade here is built from published ingredient lists, materials, certifications, brand disclosures, recalls and third party lab results where those already exist. Where a product has been independently tested we use that result and say so, and where a brand publishes nothing we score the silence rather than guessing.
10% of everything we grade carries a flag for heavy metals. See every hazard we track or browse the full products list.