Worse than coal in your stocking, lead in your holiday decorations
A lot of consumers are concerned about potential lead in toys that they may be buying this holiday season. But there’s also reason to consider your lead exposure while decorating for the holidays. Already this fall, there have been recalls of several thousand holiday decorations because of lead including ornaments sold at JC Penney (below) and figurines sold at Home Depot (at right).
Meanwhile, many readers have asked us about warning labels that appear on holiday string lights that say they contain lead. Some labels may also advise washing your hands after handling. We think that‘s prudent advice. Lead is often used as a thermal stabilizer in the PVC insulation for electrical wire and cable. It helps keep the string lights flexible in a wide range of temperatures. But in CU’s tests, we found that the lead in the wire’s insulation can rub off on your hands. If you are eating finger foods while hanging your lights, you might be transferring some of that lead to your mouth. Lead accumulates in the body and is a neurotoxin that can cause brain damage and other problems, so it’s important to take precautions to avoid as many sources of lead exposure as possible.
That’s why you should follow the same advice if you have an artificial Christmas tree made of PVC. A 2004 study published in the Journal of Environmental Health found that the average artificial Christmas tree does not present a significant exposure risk. However, its limited sampling of trees indicated that some of the older trees it tested—13 and 17 years old—had relatively high levels of lead. The study by the University of North Carolina’s Environmental Quality Institute suggests that’s because lead was more commonly used as a stabilizer in the past. But some environmentalists, such as Christopher Gavigan, head of the nonprofit Healthy Child Healthy World, thinks the higher lead levels could also be due to the older trees breaking down, causing more lead to leach out. “Typically over time, with wear and tear and duress—the lead may shed lead-laced dust out of artificial trees, which may settle on branches or gifts below the tree and be transmitted to finger tips and mouths, especially of small children,” said Gavigan.
Steven Patch, EQI’s director and one of the study’s authors, said that he is more concerned about lead in everyday products, such as phone cords, toys, PVC lunch boxes and raincoats. Those items, he said, “present a greater hazard because there is more of a year-round chronic exposure.” However, he added, if he had to give personal advice to families with artificial trees it would be: “If you have a tree, use it, but wash your hands very carefully after assembling and dissembling and do not let children play near the tree, where some of that dust might settle. With newer trees, the risk should be minimal.”
Consumer Reports has not tested artificial trees so we can't say whether lead is a real problem or not. Since no one appears to know at what point a tree might shed it's lead, we urge consumers with older trees—especially families with young children who are most susceptible to its effects—to take extra care, keeping children away from trees and perhaps even discarding older trees for new ones particularly if you notice it generating dust or if the needles get brittle and start falling off.
One more piece of advice from the Consumer Product Safety Commission: When purchasing an artificial tree, look for the “Fire Resistant” label. “Although this label does not mean the tree won’t catch fire, it does indicate the tree is more resistant to burning,” says the CPSC.
Whether the tree is real or artificial, be sure to place it away from fireplaces, radiators, and candles. And unplug the lights when you go to bed or leave home.
Holiday recalls
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