Our Partnership with The Lead Lady
Lead exposure is preventable. But first, people need to know it’s there.
The Lead Lady tests everyday products for lead and shows her followers what she finds. She’s partnering with Pure Earth to show what lead-contaminated products look like in the countries where we work, starting with traditional pottery in Mexico.
Leaded products travel the globe. The children most at risk live where these products are made and used, like Mexico, where lead-glazed pots and bowls are a staple in home kitchens. But a glazed bowl from Puebla or a spice ground in Ecuador can end up on tables anywhere. In 2023, lead-contaminated cinnamon processed in Ecuador poisoned children across the US.
Stronger protections on imported products are needed, but long supply chains and hand-carried goods make contamination hard to catch. The best solution is to stop lead at the source. Pure Earth helps artisans and manufacturers switch to lead-free methods, and helps governments in low- and middle-income countries set and enforce rules that keep lead out of everyday products. That protects children where these products are made, and everywhere they end up.
Lead-Free Pottery in Mexico
In Mexico, the 2022-2024 National Health and Nutrition Survey found that roughly 1 in 6 children (16%) aged 1 to 4 has lead poisoning, and traditional glazed pottery is a major source. Lead in the glaze leaches into food, especially acidic foods like salsa, lemon, or coffee. Potters and their families are often the most exposed.
A study by researchers from Universidad Iberoamericana of Mexico City found that traditional home methods used to “cure” glazed earthenware not only fail to eliminate lead, but could actually increase its release.
Since 2008, Pure Earth has worked with artisans and government partners to replace lead glazes while protecting traditional livelihoods. Together, we:
- Raise awareness in pottery-making communities, including testing potters and their families for lead so they can see the risk for themselves.
- Train potters to use lead-free glazes, which cost about the same and give the same glossy finish, and build upgraded kilns. Pure Earth’s CREA digital platform provides free technical resources and videos to potters transitioning to lead-free methods.
- Build demand for safe pottery by certifying lead-free potters and restaurants.
Today the program reaches 16 pottery communities in Morelos, Puebla, and Mexico City, with more than 90 artisan families moving to lead-free production.
What You Can Do
Know where your products come from. Be cautious with spices, metal cookware, glazed ceramics, and traditional cosmetics like kohl eyeliner (also sold as surma or kajal) brought in from abroad. Check for lead alerts and test results before you buy or use them:
Test what’s in your home. The Lumetallix Instant Lead Detection Kit is the same tool The Lead Lady uses in her video. Every kit bought through Pure Earth’s link supports our lead programs. Get a kit.
Follow The Lead Lady on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.
Watch and share Pure Earth President Drew McCartor’s TED Talk on the scale of global lead poisoning.
Help stop lead at the source. Your gift helps potters in Mexico switch to lead-free glazes and helps governments find and stop lead in products before it reaches children.
