With recent news and increased concern for the safety of different consumer products such as toys or art products from China, we have received an increase in inquiries regarding the potential for exposure to lead in pencils.

As mentioned on our Pencil Lead page there is no lead in the writing core of a "lead" pencil. The core is made of non-toxic graphiteⁱ and does not contain lead.

The other common concern regarding potential sources of lead in pencils is in the lacquer or paint used to finish the pencil.

First, lead is a naturally occuring compound that is contained in many different raw materials used in many industries to produce many consumer products. Exposure to high levels of lead through various means can have damaging health impacts.

Next, lead content in all consumer products has been under strict regulation for many years by the regulatory authorities of different goverments around the world. Generally, these standards are similar from country to country but there are some variations in regulations and content standards around the world.

In the United States the governing body on this issue is the Consumer Products Safety Commission or CPSC. Current CPSC lead content standards dictate that lead used in paints or lacquers used on consumer goods must not exceed 0.06% by weight. These are levels well below the limits considered to be dangerous established by years of scientific research. Producers that manufacture to these standards are making pencils and other products that are well within these safety limits.

The CPSC itself does not carry out mandatory testing though they due dictate the standands and often the testing protocols and will investigate complaints about a product by consumers or consumer watchdog groups Failure to produce to CSPC standards is a violation of the law, the product is subject to penalties including immediate recall from distribution channels and additional fines. This is in addition to any potential liability issues a company may face if proven that a non-compliant product it markets causes any actual health issues for consumers who purchased that item.

Within the pencil and other related industries such as toys and art materials in the United States, as well as in all other major production regions, industry associations work to establish testing and certification proceedures to assist manufacturers in assuring that products they produce meet the governement standards related to lead content as well as other potential toxins. Testing is generally performed by independent third parties not under the control of the manufacturers.

Pencils are generally certified to the ASTM D4236 or EN71, part 3 standards to assure compliance with the law. The US Writing Instruments Manufacturers Association has it's own PMAⁱ Seal of certification for toxity purposes which includes a higher level of testing of key materials with potential toxin content and is a voluntary program it's members choose to participate in.

If pencils you buy do not contain one of these three certification marks there is some small risk that there may be lead or other toxins at levels higher than allowed by law. However, lack of such a mark does not mean the pencils are necesarily unsafe. To be sure you should always look for one or more of these marks on the pencils you buy. Our Pencils.com Store includes the various certifications applicable to any given pencil within our store.

Of course there is always a risk that a product that bears such a certification mark does not comply, but that is generally very remote. If you have questions or concerns about a particilar pencil you should contact any of the following resources:

Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association
www.wima.org

Consumer Products Safety Commission
www.cpsc.gov

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