Recently, according to The Guardian, a new investigation has found that many toothpaste products sold in the United States— including those marketed for children and “green” or natural brands—are contaminated with dangerous levels of heavy metals, including lead, arsenic, mercury, and cadmium. The research, conducted by the consumer safety advocacy group Lead Safe Mama, tested 51 brands of toothpaste and found that approximately 90% contained lead, 65% arsenic, nearly half mercury, and one-third cadmium.
These metals are known to be highly toxic, even at low exposure levels, especially to children. Lead in particular is linked to cognitive impairment, kidney damage, and cardiovascular disease, and is considered unsafe at any exposure level. “It’s unconscionable – especially in 2025,” said Tamara Rubin, founder of Lead Safe Mama. “What’s really interesting to me is that no one thought this was a concern.”
Rubin was first alerted to the problem over a decade ago while working with families whose children had unusually high lead levels. A common thread among them was the use of a particular toothpaste brand, Earthpaste, which was later found to contain lead. More recently, Rubin began using an XRF lead detection tool to test toothpaste and, following initial alarming results, crowdfunded an independent lab analysis of popular products.
Major brands found to contain heavy metals include Crest, Sensodyne, Tom’s of Maine, Dr Bronner’s, Davids, and Dr Jen. None of these companies have publicly committed to removing lead or other metals from their formulas. Rubin said she received cease-and-desist letters from several brands after publishing her findings, though she posted them on her blog.
While none of the products exceeded the FDA’s current legal limits—10,000 ppb for fluoride-free and 20,000 ppb for fluoride toothpastes—many surpassed far more stringent thresholds set by other bodies. Washington state recently introduced a 1,000 ppb limit, which several products exceeded. Public health experts have long criticized federal standards as inadequate, particularly in light of recent findings.
The contamination appears to stem from certain ingredients frequently used in toothpaste formulations. Among the most concerning are bentonite clay, calcium carbonate, and hydroxyapatite—a bone-derived compound promoted for strengthening enamel. Rubin’s testing found that products with bentonite clay consistently had the highest metal levels. Independent ingredient testing further supported the conclusion that these additives are the likely sources of contamination.
Despite the alarming results, some children’s toothpastes, such as Dr Brown’s Baby Toothpaste, tested clean and did not contain the problematic ingredients.
