United States: The new official report presented by scientists reveals that lead, along with other risky heavy metals, presents widespread contamination within toothpaste products.
Lead was detected across all of the 51 toothpaste brands investigated, including pediatric and green products.
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Lead Safe Mama performed tests that exposed levels of toxic arsenic as well as mercury and cadmium in most major brands.
A total of 90% of toothpaste products tested positive for lead content, while arsenic appeared in 65% of products, and mercury along with cadmium were detected in approximately 45%, respectively.
Multiple toxic substances appear in many brands on the market. Although the detected trace levels exceeded the state regulation for Washington, they remained below the federal standards.
Toothpaste widely contaminated with lead and other metals, US research finds
— Deborah (@Deborah07849071) April 17, 2025
Most of 51 brands tested, including those for children, contained dangerous heavy metal
Toothpaste can be widely contaminated with lead and other dangerous heavy metals, new research shows.
Most of 51… pic.twitter.com/dDDeX6gjEF
Multiple public health groups criticize this threshold since research proves that any degree of lead exposure remains unsafe, according to governmental findings.
Health Experts Sound the Alarm
The brain function of children gets damaged when exposed to lead, which also affects the kidneys and leads to heart conditions, together with other problems.
As per Tamara Rubin, Lead Safe Mama’s founder, “It’s unconscionable – especially in 2025,” the Guardian reported.
“What’s really interesting to me is that no one thought this was a concern,” Rubin continued.
Lead, mercury, and cadmium, together with arsenic, are known carcinogenic substances. Twelve years ago, while helping families with metal-contaminated blood tests of their children, Rubin discovered for the first time that lead elements existed in toothpaste ingredients.
Earthpaste toothpaste proved to be the single factor that appeared in all medical cases examined by the scientific team.
Last year, she uncovered high lead content in selected toothpaste through XRF lead detection testing. This reading demonstrated excessive concern, and readers funded a laboratory analysis to test multiple popular brand products.
Popular Brands Not Spared
The toxic substances were detected in Crest alongside Sensodyne and additional brands such as Tom’s of Maine, Dr Bronner’s, Davids, and Dr Jen.
To date, Lead Safe Mama has discovered that the checked companies have not committed to eliminating lead from their products, according to Rubin.
Several companies sent cease-and-desist letters to her, which she refused to obey, but she published it on her blog anyway.