Question from Stacey Santoro
Hi Debra,
I am looking for an outdoor patio set and trying to purchase the safest/least toxic one.
I saw one that is made of powder coated steel at Lowe’s, and it is made in China.
I found another set that is made of wrought-iron, made in the USA, but is also almost triple the price of the steel set made at Lowe’s.
Do I need to worry about the set that is made in China?
I’m sure that the wrought iron set is a little heavier, sturdier, but in terms of toxicity/safety, would you recommend one over the other?
Thanks again!
Debra’s Answer
Powder coating is a system for applying paint to a surface using dry paint. The dry paint is in the form of a powder, which is sprayed on the surface. The two major types of powder for powder coating are thermoplastic and thermoset.
There are some toxic substances in the powder, including lead and other carcinogens. This is mostly a concern if you are applying the powder coat to the steel at home. There are many different formulas, however. One MSDS I checked contain no lead, but did contain aluminum. You’re just not going to know because the retailer probably doesn’t know and the manufacturer probably doesn’t know. They just buy “powder coat” and usually are not concerned about the toxic exposures.
It would be unlikely for you to have much, if any, exposure to these toxic substances when using a powder-coated product. It would not release these substances into the air, as they are particles bound into the paint. You may have some of these substances transfer through your skin if you touched a powder-coated item.
So I would say I do recommend one over the other. The safest without question would be the wrought iron. It would also last longer.
