Almost all vintage Pyrex bowls and baking dishes test positive for large amounts of lead. When using an XRF (a precision scientific instrument that will report the exact quantity of lead, cadmium and other heavy metals found in an item) results are typically 40,000-100,000 PPM lead (anything over 90PPM lead is considered unsafe).
Many vintage Pyrex bowls and baking dishes will also “swab positive” - this means that a reactive agent swab like the 3M LeadCheck swabs will be able to detect lead in quantities above 600 parts-per-million.
This type of test works by getting part of the surface coating (usually paint) to rub off onto the swab.
If leaded paint can rub off onto a swab, it’s able to rub off onto your hands and get into your body.
The lead in milk glass is probably inert and trapped in the glass, however, no lab tests are currently being done on these vintage pieces so we have no way to know for sure if these pieces are safe for food contact.
It is probable that using vintage milk glass with highly acidic foods or using glass that is scratched may release some of the lead contained in the glass – as these are common ways lead is able to leach from glass.
The problem is that as you use the dish, there is no way to tell that you’ve reached the point where your bowl or dish is leaching lead.
While chances that you will get acute lead poisoning from using vintage Pyrex are minimal, do not underestimate the damage exposure to tiny amounts of lead can do over time.
As lead accumulates in the body, it can cause irreversible damage.
Young children are the ones most prone to lead damage as their nervous systems are still developing.
Pyrex a killer in the kitchen , who would of though it…
I’ve clear glass measuring jug and a Lasagna dish, they aren’t vintage.
I had to Google Pyrex
New Pyrex contains 0.1 PPM of lead. Any that’s incidentally there is going to be locked into the glass itself. We allow 90 PPM for paint and 400 PPM is considered safe for soil that kids play on.
It would seem safe however I wouldn’t buy coloured glass cookware after reading about the lead .
Yes I believe clear is safe.
I’ve just read an article which mentions 60s and 70s opaque milk glass and glass with painted designs that contain an amount of lead
It’s the pigment used.
If you buy lead crystal glassware I’ve not thought about it before there must be lead in it
This reminds me about the company Dupont in the USA.
The cooking products they were selling were poisoning people,cattle and the water system.
It was made into a film called Dark Waters,a true story well worth a watch,and very shocking i have to say.
I got rid of my pyrex dishes years ago,thank goodness.
Yes, that’s the reason I’ve replaced mine, they were chipped. In 30+ years, I’ve only had to replace my Pyrex products 3 times. So, I consider that very lucky lol!
Pyrex a killer in the kitchen , who would of though it…
