PHOTO BY FRANCESCA ABARCA Lisbet Hernandez, freshman psychology major, drinks from her Stanley tumbler.
Raj Verma, freshman biology major, is worried about lead being found in Stanley tumblers due to its toxicity.
“My sister and I both have the tumblers; that is crazy. I know lead is bad for your health after seeing what the people of Flint, Mich., had to deal with lead in their water pipes,” Verma said. “Something should be done about this because it is not right.”
In February, Pacific Market International, the parent company of Stanley, received two class action lawsuits in California and Washington regarding lead being used in the development of their tumblers. According to the website Top Class Actions, both lawsuits claim PMI advertised Stanley tumblers as safe while hiding the fact they contain lead.
Reza Razeghifard, professor and chair in the Department of Chemistry and Physics, explained the risk of exposure to lead, even in small amounts.
“Lead has long been associated with various health issues, with emerging studies demonstrating a correlation between lead exposure and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in adults,” Razeghifard said. “Blood lead levels and bone lead concentrations, even at levels below 5 mg/dl, were found to be linked with an elevated risk of CVD mortality.”
Matei Popescu, junior biology and chemistry major, is also concerned about his drinking from his Stanley tumbler.
“I do not know if I want to continue drinking out of it, it is scary to know that there is lead in this,” Popescu said.
Razeghifard said that students should not worry too much about the lead encapsulated in the Stanley tumbler.
“Although lead is used in the manufacturing process used for the vacuum insulation, it does not come in contact with the drink,” Razeghifard said. “However, if your Stanley cup was damaged, then there is a possibility that it may occur, and that you should not use it anymore.”
Lead exposure can cause a multitude of health issues, as it can cause headaches, nausea, abdominal pain, anemia, and weight loss, according to Razeghifard.
Not only does lead exposure induce these health issues, but it can also decrease the birth weight of newborns for expecting mothers.
“For pregnant individuals, they have a high sensitivity to toxins, and even an acute exposure to lead, which can cross the placenta to the fetus, increases the risk of preterm birth and spontaneous abortion,” Razeghifard said.
Other alternatives to the Stanley tumbler that do not use lead in their tumblers include Hydro Flask, YETI and Takeya.
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