Stanley’s Have Lead Poison Risks
Recent studies have found that Stanley cups contain lead and could give people lead poisoning. People on social media have gone wild over this finding. Many people have hyped this brand of ‘aesthetic’ looking cups for months now.
Many have even gone as far as sleeping outside a store that will launch a limited-edition cup. It seems that many have been fascinated over this big cup. They are however quite expensive. Which is why it is no surprise that people are worried over them no longer being able to use these cups.
“I think not having lead at any point in the production process is important. I think that an important aspect of a reusable water bottle is health and convenience,” said twenty-three-year-old artist, Shireen Saidi. These colorful cups have become a big sensation all over TikTok. Now, instead of praising the cup like usual, people are posting videos on TikTok about the cups containing dangerous amounts of lead.
Some have even tried to take a swab and check for any lead residue in their cups. However most of the results have come back negative for lead. Even still, people are scared and hesitant about using their Stanley cups out of fear for lead poisoning.
How Bad Can Lead Be?
Are people exaggerating about this lead poisoning thing? or are their fears valid? Well research shows lead exposure can lead to serious health risks. Especially for young children. “There is no known safe blood lead concentration. It may be associated with decreased intelligence in children, behavioral difficulties and learning problems,” stated by The World Health Organization (WHO).
This means that even a small portion of lead can cause several intelligence and behavioral issues amongst children. Children that consume lead are more likely to develop ADHD.
According to the CDC, lead poisoning can also lead to growth, hearing, and speech problems. It can also have negative impacts in the brain and nervous system. In adults, lead poisoning can lead to high blood pressure, and cardiovascular issues.
It is very dangerous for pregnant women as well. This is because lead can transfer to the baby which has a high risk of getting a miscarriage. Lead poisoning is also fatal. State laws have helped to drastically lower the exposure rates of lead to the people. However it doesn’t mean all lead has been banned.
So, Are The Cups Safe Or Not?
Experts have stated that the lead found in the Stanley Cups is not a threat or any concern. Public health professor at the New York University, Jack Caravanos, decided to conduct an experiment to check for lead. He used three different Stanley Cups to test for lead and none of them had any sign of lead.
He stated that he even tried to cut open the cup and test it but even then, there was no lead in sight. “There appears to be lead, according to the report, but I had trouble detecting it and wasn’t able to detect it using state-of-the-art equipment.” He said the reason might be because any sight of lead might just be in too deep in the cup, which is a good thing because this means the chances of getting lead poisoning are almost zero.
However, even if Stanley possesses no harm regarding lead, the fact that big corporations are still using lead in their products is disappointing. While Stanley stays safe from lead, many other companies that make the same type of cups are not out of the woods. Hopefully products that could contain lead are soon recalled to prevent people from getting lead poisoning.
Written by Erika Cano
Sources:
BBC: Stanley cups contain lead – should we be worried about exposure?
Washington Post: Are Stanley tumblers safe? Here’s what to know about lead in drinkware.
Bon Appetit: Stanley Cups Apparently Contain Lead. Here’s How Worried You Should Be
Top and Featured Image Courtesy of Nick Perla Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of dreamingofariz Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
