Research by Hazardous Waste Management Program in King County drives historic state law banning sale of lead-contaminated cookware

Aluminum cookware manufactured overseas may contain high levels of lead.
Now banned by state law.

Research led by the Hazardous Waste Management Program in King County played a pivotal role in a groundbreaking state law prohibiting the sale of cookware tainted with lead and positioning Washington as a leader in public health protection.

The impetus for this legislative milestone stems from rigorous research conducted by the Hazardous Waste Management Program in collaboration with the University of Washington. Their investigation revealed alarming levels of lead in aluminum cookware manufactured overseas, sparking urgent action to safeguard public health.

"You should not need to be a scientist to purchase safe cookware,” said Maythia Airhart, Director of the Hazardous Waste Management Program in King County. “Our research found cookware that tested at over 50,000 parts per million of lead."

The newly enacted law, a result of these findings, restricts the sale of cookware exceeding lead levels of five parts per million, setting the most stringent limits on lead in cookware nationwide.

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