The FDA has been cracking down on lead contaminants in food, and back in December of 2024, the FDA issued a letter to retailers and distributors selling cookware in the United States, stating that some products being imported into the country were at risk of leaching lead. The agency specifically said that cookware made from alloys called Hindalium/Hindolium or Indalium/Indolium had been shown to leach lead in tests it had conducted.
Emails and memos circulating last summer expose a total communication breakdown inside Oakland's public school system, with principals in the dark about the risks to students and district officials unclear on the status of remediation.
In the Eaton burn scar, around 27% of soil samples still had lead levels above California's state standards for residential properties, indicating ongoing contamination risks.
Lead is a heavy metal linked to serious health problems including damage to the brain and nervous system, as well as digestive, reproductive and cardiovascular issues.