Tests Reveal Heavy Metals in Toothpaste

Environmental activist Tamara Rubin of Lead Safe Mama, LLC released an update in May 2026 regarding a community-funded testing initiative that analyzed over 100 toothpaste and tooth-powder products [2]. The results indicated that 90% of the products tested contained lead, while 65% contained arsenic, 47% contained mercury, and 35% contained cadmium [2]. Only eight products tested non-detect for all four heavy metals [2].

Key takeaways

• Testing of over 100 products found 90% contained lead, 65% arsenic, 47% mercury, and 35% cadmium [2].
• Contamination is reportedly linked to raw ingredients like bentonite clay, hydroxyapatite, and calcium carbonate [2].
• The CDC states there is no safe level of lead exposure, though the FDA sets no specific heavy-metal limit for toothpaste [2].

Investigation Links Contamination to Raw Ingredients

Rubin’s testing initiative, which she began 12 years ago, reportedly found that products containing bentonite clay consistently showed the highest levels of contamination [2]. When raw ingredients were tested individually, hydroxyapatite—often extracted from cow bone—and calcium carbonate used as a whitening agent also revealed concerning lead levels [2]. The investigation attributes the presence of these metals to the materials being sourced from soil and animal sources polluted by decades of industrial and agricultural runoff [2]. A systematic review published in Frontiers in Dental Medicine in March 2025 reportedly analyzed 11 studies from Asia, Europe, and Africa and confirmed this as a global pattern [2].

Health Risks