Does Stainless Steel Contain Lead? (Leaching of Metals, And Lead Parts Explained)

While stainless steel itself does not contain lead, stainless steel items can contain lead parts.

It also leaches Nickel and Chromium.

We will look at metal leaching from stainless steel, stainless steel items that contain lead parts, which cookware does leach lead, and the alternatives.

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What Stainless Steel is Made From

The most common grade of stainless steel is 304. Stainless steel grades 304 and 316 are the most commonly used in the food and beverage industry.

Grade 304 contains approximately 18–20% mass fraction Chromium, and 8–12% Nickel, whereas grade 316 contains approximately 16–18% Chromium and 10–14% Nickel; other metals may also vary within the grades. (Source)

Tamara Rubin says when she gets an XRF reading that a stainless steel item is 304 grade, 99.9% of the time she found that it means it does not contain Lead, Cadmium, Arsenic, or Mercury.

Typical XRF readings of 304 stainless steel, according to Rubin are as follows:

• Chromium (Cr): 150,100 +/- 1,100 ppm
• Copper (Cu): 5,593 +/- 568 ppm
• Nickel (Ni): 92,100 +/- 1,700 ppm
• Iron (Fe): 728,100 +/- 2,500 ppm
• Vanadium (V): 950 +/- 191 ppm
• Molybdenum (Mo): 1,959 +/- 146 ppm
• Manganese (Mn): 18,100 +/- 1,300 ppm

And:

• Chromium (Cr): 181,900 +/- 700 ppm
• Vanadium (V): 1,555 +/- 164 ppm
• Manganese (Mn): 8,169 +/- 482 ppm
• Iron (Fe); 722,900 +/- 1,100 ppm
• Cobalt (Co): 1,363 +/- 573 ppm
• Nickel (Ni): 80,700 +/- 700 ppm
• Copper (Cu): 3,033 +/- 174 ppm
• Zinc (Zn): 61 +/- 35 ppm

Metal Leaching From Stainless Steel

Nickel and Chromium do leach from stainless steel water bottles and pots and pans into food or drinks.

In this study, they used tomato sauce (which is acidic and causes metals to leach) and long cooking times (which also increases leaching). After six cooking cycles of tomato sauce the amount of metal leaching leveled off. There was still an approximately 8-fold increase in Nickel and a 3-fold increase in Chromium observed above the unexposed control of tomato sauce. (Source)

To reduce leaching you could cook tomato sauce 6 times in your pans, reduce the use of acidic food and drinks in stainless steel, and reduce contact time.

Other ways to reduce intake of Nickel and Chromium would be to vary the type of pots, pans, and water bottles you use, for example using glass water bottles (that one is lead-free, tested by Tarama Rubin), cast iron pans (that one is also lead-free by Tamara Rubin), and Visions glass pots (modern ones tested lead-free by Natural Baby Mama).

Nickel Free Stainless Steel

“Surgical-grade” stainless steel may contain some nickel, but it’s generally considered hypoallergenic for most people (source). Surgical grades include austenitic 316 stainless and martensitic 440 and 420 stainless steel grades (source).

430 stainless steel, also known as 18/0, can be labeled as “nickel-free”, and contains a nickel content of around 0–0.75%, according to Xometry. Here is another link showing that even 430 stainless steel can still leach some Nickel (potentially relevant to those extremely allergic to it).

Prop 65 Warning on Stainless Steel

Many stainless steel pots and pans have a Proposition 65 warning (for products sold in California) primarily due to their Nickel and Chromium components as well as possibly for Cobalt.

Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottles Can Contain Lead

Insulated stainless steel water bottles often contain lead (up to 40%) in a sealing dot on the bottom of the bottle. Sometimes this dot is fully exposed, and sometimes it’s covered in paint (which could wear down with time).

The stainless steel body of the bottle itself does not contain lead but this is still a lead risk and many bottles have been recalled.

Brands that contain/ed lead according to XRF testing by Tamara Rubin:

• Pura Kiki insulated stainless steel baby bottles made through until some time in 2018
• Thrive Market Insulated Stainless Steel Tumbler
• ThermaFlask
• Iron Flask (tested in 2023)
• Cupkin (recalled in 2023)
• Green Sprouts insulated stainless steel baby bottle products (recalled in 2022)
• Stanley insulated tumblers (children’s and adult’s versions)
• Bindle Bottle insulated bottles with snack compartment (recalled 2023)

Brands that are free of lead currently (tested with XRF technology by Tamara Rubin):

• HydroFlask
• LifeFactory (Glass Bottle)
• Owala
• Kleen Kanteen, only the uninsulated bottles

Cookware That Contains Lead

According to this study by Public Health-Seattle & King County, both Aluminum and brass cookware can contain Lead and this can leach into food.

Aluminum is likely contaminated through recycled aluminum containing lead (like lead solder, they say). Whereas brass normally contains lead as part of its composition (though there is lead-free brass, it’s not very common).

Aluminum cookware also leaches Aluminum.

Corinne Segura is an InterNACHI-certified Healthy Homes Inspector with certifications in Building Biology, Healthier Materials and Sustainable Buildings, and more. She has 10 years of experience helping others create healthy homes. You can book a consult here.