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Safe or Not - Brass Household Keys
Jennifer Taggart
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Your baby is fussing as you are waiting in line, and you have no toys to soothe him. No pacifier. No bottle. So what does almost every parent do? Jingle that ring of keys at the baby, and then let him play with them.
Keys may be a little gross – they certainly aren’t that clean. But have you ever thought about what most household keys are made out of? Most household keys are brass – and contain lead. Inevitably your baby will want to put those noisy keys in his mouth. So, as your baby sucks on those keys, he can be exposed to lead.
Is there enough lead present to cause a problem? Probably.
In 1999, the California Attorney General sued several manufacturers and distributors of keys under Proposition 65. Proposition 65 is a California law that requires businesses in California to give warnings before exposing persons to chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer or birth defects and other reproductive harm. Failure to provide warnings subjects the business to civil penalties.
Before the Attorney General filed the lawsuit, a number of different brass keys were evaluated. It was determined that lead can come off the keys to the hands and end up in the body through key-to-mouth and hand-to-mouth activity. The final study results concluded that for a high percentage of keys, there was enough potential for lead exposure to be of concern. Some of the keys tested left lead on the hands at levels 80 times the current Proposition 65 standard of 0.5 micrograms lead per day limit. The average level detected was 19 times the current Proposition 65 level.
What’s the risk? Well, lead is a potent neurotoxin. And children under the age of 5 years are particularly at risk. Children exposed to lead can experience developmental delay, lower IQ, learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and stunted growth.
Lead exposure is additive, so it is important to eliminate all sources of lead exposure. There is no biologic function or need for lead.
In the context of the key lawsuit, the California Attorney General stated:
“We believe the public should know that handling keys – ordinary brass keys like you’ll find in your pocket or pocketbook to lock and unlock your house door – may expose you to the toxic chemical lead at levels that exceed Proposition 65 limits . . . Given this discovery of lead exposure, parents may want to rethink using their jangling keys as a convenient toy for their toddlers and small children.”
The result of the Proposition 65 lawsuit is that in California, you should receive a warning if your keys have more than 1.5% lead. But most people in California don’t really remember whether or not they received a warning. And, I have had the experience of testing several household keys. Many of the keys I’ve tested have much higher levels than 1.5%.
Current recommendations are that keys should not be given to children for play, and pregnant women should wash their hands after handling their keys. Plus, if you keep gum or other food items in your purse, you shouldn’t throw your keys in the same compartment.
An original post from Jennifer Taggart, The Smart Mama. You can read more from Jennifer at her personal blog on simple solutions for non-toxic homes at TheSmartMama.
Posted by Elli LeClair RNBS on 11/16 at 08:24 PM
I am so disgusted with this information. It needs to be regulated. Who specifically would I contact in my state of Minnesota about this toxin exposure? Children need to be protected; all of us do.
Posted by Janelle Sorensen on 11/19 at 12:28 PM
Elli- I’m not sure exactly who you could contact about this exposure. I did find that the Attorney General in California sued keymakers a while back over this issue (http://articles.latimes.com/1999/oct/13/news/mn-21774) so you could try the State Attorney General’s office. You could also try the Environmental Health Division of the MN Department of Health.
Posted by Berlin Unterkunft buchen on 01/08 at 08:39 AM
Jennifer, you gave very detailed information about brass keys. I didn’t know that we can expose ourselves to lead by just using or holding the keys. I think this is not only applicable to keys but to some fashion jewelries that are made of brass, too. During an Asian tour with my family, I saw some chandelier earrings that were made of brass in one of the markets in Thailand. So, I think this contain lead, too.
Anyway, back to the keys that are being used as a pacifier, I don’t and will never give keys to my baby. I always bring his toys and pacifier when we go out. I even wrap his pacifier with a clean towel and put it in his diaper bag. I don’t put his toys nor pacifier in my purse where I keep my keys and coins.
Posted by Sommer-Green and Clean Mom on 11/15 at 08:01 PM
Wow! I think we have all done this Jennifer and we just don’t know how serious it is because we don’t know what we don’t know. Thanks for this information.