Dollgirl
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Is the cadmium/lead content in vintage dolls truly dangerous?
Hi, I'm not a scientist or anything but I came across this forum via Googling information on cadmium and other toxins after coming across this
alarming piece of information, so I guess I'm hear to ask the opinions of some knowledgeable experts. I've been collecting vintage dolls(mostly
Barbie-type fashion dolls from the '60s through '80s) for many years now as a hobby, but was alarmed to find out that some vintage dolls contain very
high levels of cadmium and lead, much higher than what's currently regulated as "safe". So my qurstion to those who know their stuff about chemicals
is: does this really pose a legit health risk to adult collectors?
http://tamararubin.com/2017/12/francie/
Thanks in advance!
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Deathunter88
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No, the lead/cadmium content shouldn't pose much of a hazard to a responsible adult. As long as you don't suck on it, eat it, or swallow parts of it
the lead and cadmium will not enter your body. Just wash your hands after playing with them and I think you are fine.
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j_sum1
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Someone who knows more will unlikely be here soon. But the short answer is you probably don't need to worry too much.
There was little lead paint used in the 60s-80s. It was starting to be phased out before that.
Secondly, the compounds in question are fairly stable. They are not volatile and so you aren't in any danger of breathing in anything bad. Nor will
they penetrate the skin so you can handle them ok.
Lead/cadmium pigments are not appropriate as toys since they suffer a high level of wear and there is the constant danger of ingestion when kids put
them near or in the mouth. But as collectables, neither of these two factors presents a real risk.
If you have a doll with a significant amount of flaking paint then it might pay to be a littke more cautious. You can buy lead paint testing kits
fairly cheaply. If you discover flaking lead paint then it might be worthwhile having a restorer look at it.
To my knowledge the only cadmium pigments you are likely to encounter are bright yellow (American school bus yellow). I doubt you will find much of
that on a doll. But again, if it is flaking then get it looked at.
edit
ninja'd by deathhunter. 
[Edited on 14-1-2018 by j_sum1]
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unionised
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The use of heavy metal pigments was a serious risk to children- who chew everything, including their toys.
The risk to adult collectors is practically nil.
There are a handful of cadmium based pigments
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadmium_pigments
and, of course, paints may contain mixtures of pigments so, for example, a pale yellow might be mainly white lead with a little cadmium yellow.
On a related note there's a risk to kids mainly from toys made in other countries where standards are less well enforced but also from unscrupulous
makers anywhere in the world..
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Dollgirl
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Thanks for the replies, guys! <3
To clarify,in addition to pigments the legs and arms vintage vinyl dolls sometimes contained a little bit of cadmium compounds as like a plasticizer
to give it that rubbery texture, some dolls tested in 700-2000 ppm range, although when you convert that to percentages, it's 0.07%-0.2%, which
doesn't sound that high after all if you're not putting it in your mouth. I also heard there's a difference between total and soluble cadmium
[Edited on 14-1-2018 by Dollgirl]
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Dollgirl
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http://www.neha.org/sites/default/files/publications/jeh/JEH...
Just found this study which is a pretty good overview of cadmium/lead in vintage '70s and '80s dolls/toys. Here are the findings I found most relevant
and interesting:
*In 7 out of 12 '70s/'80s Barbie torsos tested, cadmium was found ranging from 0.0085%-0.0611% cadmium(85-611 ppm). Since sulfur was not measured in
the XRF mode used here, it is not possible to see if cadmium follows sulfur content, which might indicate cadmium sulfide pigments. Selenium was not
detected in any samples, ruling out the presence of cadmium selenide.
*In the 1970s and 1980s vinyl toys tested, lead and cadmium are most likely part of pigment compounds added for color. The concentrations of lead and
cadmium, while high relative to current acceptable limits in toys, are lower than would be expected for stabilizer compounds. If lead-or-cadmium-based
stabilizers were present, metal content should be on the order of 1%-3%. The highest weight concentrations in vinyl toys here were around 0.1% cadmium
and 0.5% lead.
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woelen
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I only can repeat what others already said before. As long as there is no flaking or powdering of materials from these dolls, there is no need to
worry. Just don't saw, drill or otherwise mechanically work these dolls. As collector's items they are perfectly safe.
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