In other news, another study has raised concerns about the safety of what people consume on a daily basis. Amid all the things that we know of, which consists heavy metals, your regular used toothpaste is also now on the list. As per the consumer advocacy group Lead Safe Mama, a large number of popular toothpaste products contain heavy metals. These are lead, arsenic, mercury, and cadmium. The study also found that those marketed as safe for children too contain these metals.How Was The Research Conducted?The organization tested 51 different toothpaste brands. The results then revealed that 90% of these samples were contaminated with lead. Of them, 65% contained arsenic, and nearly half had mercury, while one-third tested positive for cadmium. The Guardian was the first one to report these findings.What Inspired This Research?Tamara Rubin, who is the founder of Lead Safe Mama, has been investigating heavy metal contamination for over a decade now. Her interest began when she saw families whose children had alarmingly high levels of metals in their blood. Her past observations have also already highlighted the content of Earthpaste, which had raised concerns.She said that these recent findings were "unconscionable - especially in 2025". She also criticised the companies which were involved for failing to take responsibility or initiate corrective measures. “None of the companies dragged after the outcome admitted to working towards eliminating lead from their toothpastes,” she said. Instead, some brands reportedly issued cease-and-desist letters in response to Rubin’s findings, which she publicly addressed on her blog, tamararubin.com.Which Popular Brands Are On The Red Flag List?The report noted for some of the top-selling toothpaste brands in the US, including the ones which are marketed as safe for children. The brand names are:CrestSensodyneColgateTom’s of MaineDr Bronner’sDavidsDr JenDr BriteWhat Ingredients Do These Toothpastes Contain?Rubin’s research suggests that certain ingredients are consistently linked to higher levels of heavy metal contamination. Specifically, hydroxyapatite, calcium carbonate, and bentonite clay were found to be contributing factors.Bentonite clay, often included for its cleaning properties, showed the highest levels of contamination. Hydroxyapatite, known for aiding calcium absorption, and calcium carbonate, commonly used for stain removal, were also found to contain troubling amounts of lead and other metals. Toothpastes that did not include these ingredients—such as Dr Brown’s Baby Toothpaste—were free of contamination, according to the findings.What Has Been The Brands' Response?The companies who have been red listed have responded, however, all in different ways. While some offered explanations, others have downplayed the findings. Dr Jen's for instance shared a graph with Lead Safe Mama which showed their toothpaste's metal concentration was well below the US Food and Drug Administration's safety thresholds.However, Rubin challenged this defence, arguing that the FDA’s limits are outdated and not aligned with the current scientific consensus. “All federal agencies agree that there is no safe level of lead exposure for human beings, especially children,” she stated. In a pointed rebuttal, Rubin added, “I expected more from you. I assumed your product would not have harmful toxicants that could impact my children.”She also criticised Dr Jen’s for using safety standards intended for fluoride toothpaste, noting that the tested product was non-fluoride, for which safety limits are even stricter—and still too high in her view.What Do Experts Say?The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) maintains that no level of lead exposure is considered safe. However, the loophole is that while the reports may have found lead levels which do not exceed the federal limits, but they do surpass state limits in Washington and California, and many more like them.California’s legal lead limit in baby food is six parts per billion (ppb), and the Baby Food Safety Act of 2024 aims to cap children’s food lead levels at 10 ppb. However, the toothpaste samples flagged by Lead Safe Mama frequently exceeded these numbers, raising broader questions about regulatory oversight and consumer safety.