Warning Out on Love-Themed Ceramic Mugs with Toxic Cadmium and Lead
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14 February 2025, Quezon City. Following its exposé on perfumes containing a banned “reprotoxic” synthetic scent ingredient, the EcoWaste Coalition today alerted consumers against two heavy metals lurking in Valentine- and love-themed ceramic mugs that are sold in the marketplace.
As part of its continuing campaign to promote consumer awareness and vigilance against hazardous chemicals that may put people’s health and safety at risk, the EcoWaste Coalition purchased 15 mugs containing messages and designs celebrating romantic love and friendship.
The mugs were obtained for P45 to P189 each from department, school supplies and general merchandise stores in Makati, Manila and Quezon Cities.
To check if the items purchased contain heavy metals of concern, particularly cadmium and lead, the group performed a chemical screening on the mugs using a handheld X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyzer.
According to the XRF screening results, 11 out of the 15 ceramic mugs contained cadmium and/or lead at levels ranging from 172 to 795 parts per million (ppm) for cadmium and 3,362 to 15,400 ppm for lead. Nine of the analyzed mugs were found to contain both cadmium and lead.
A mug with black and red “Happy Valentine’s from the one you love” message had the highest cadmium content at 795 ppm, and a mug with multicolored heart design registered with the highest lead content at 15,400 ppm.
The cadmium and lead detected on the mugs could be attributed to the use of ceramic glazes and decorative paints containing lead and/or cadmium, which give the mugs attractive luster and bright colors. Studies have shown that cadmium and lead may leach into the beverage or food prepared, kept or served using mugs and related ceramic tableware containing these chemicals.
On the positive side, cadmium and lead were not detected on four of the analyzed mugs, indicating that such products can be produced without using glazes or paints containing these toxic metals.
The EcoWaste Coalition advocates for the non-use of cadmium and lead in ceramic mugs and other food contact materials knowing that these chemicals have no beneficial role in the human body, and that articles like mugs can be produced without using lead- and cadmium-containing glazes and paints.
Considering the health and safety of the workers making ceramic mugs and the consumers using them, the EcoWaste Coalition urges manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers to only market products with no heavy metals.
According to the key scientific findings published by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), “lead is a heavy metal that is toxic at very low exposure levels and has acute and chronic effects on human health. It is a multi-organ system toxicant that can cause neurological, cardiovascular, renal, gastrointestinal, haematological and reproductive effects.”
Cadmium “exerts toxic effects on the kidneys as well as the skeletal and respiratory systems (and) is classified as a human carcinogen,” according to the World Health Organization (WHO), which has identified both cadmium and lead among the 10 chemicals or groups of chemicals of major public health concern.
Before getting a mug for your special someone, the EcoWaste Coalition urges love-hooked Filipinos to exercise their consumer rights to information and to product safety, and take these important tips into account:
1. Ask for information from the seller if the product is properly manufactured and tested prior to sale.
2. If the information is not available, opt for a plain white mug or a clear glass mug as a precaution.
3. Consider other gift ideas if it cannot be guaranteed that the mug is food-safe.
References:
https://wedocs.unep.org/
https://wedocs.unep.org/
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