Lead Free Indoor Christmas Lights - Do They Exist?

The lead in the coating on electrical wiring tends to be an issue when the lights are older and the coating starts to deteriorate. If there's a chalky film on the wiring, definitely get rid of the lights. Otherwise there is probably no concern from just handling the lights.

I saw a story on this on CNN yesterday. Here is the link

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/12/10/christmas.lights/ind...

If it doesnt work go the CNN website and type in lead in Christmas lights. It does seem like there is lead in everything. Basically, the article said that lights are not toys and not to let your kids play with them. Well, hopefully this article helps a little.

My friend was just complaining about the same thing although this was with a surround sound stereo thing she bought it said the wires contain lead wash hands after handling. She was so upset she returned the product.

I've come to the realization EVERYTHING is made in China and has lead.

I've been very diligent about avoiding anything made in China lately but it's very hard. I know today we were at a store that was selling cheap toys made in China and my 6year old was begging for it. I said no way it's made in China put it back!

I think the only way to get around this is for us start boycotting anything made in China. I'm trying my hardest on part.

I just read an article in a magazine that I get and they said that all wiring contains lead, even young childrens nightstand lamps. I guess coating the wiring with lead does something to protect it, just like how they put high levels of lead in lipstick and mascara. According to the article, there is no such thing as lead free Christmas lights. Stinks, I know.

I have had both of my childrens blood tested for lead because we had some of those toys on the recall list this last year. They both turned out to be fine, NO lead in their blood. Our pediatrician said that its probably a good idea to test children at least once between the ages of 1 1/2 and 5 years, especially with all the issues with the toys. It is a simple test, just a finger prick. Our insurance paid for all of it.

I believe that LED lights are lead free.

Just an FYI, some Christmas tress have lead in them as well. I work in a retail store and it said on some of the trees about washing your hands after touching because of lead. I guess it isn't a big deal to me. I think just about everything seems to have some level of lead in it now a days.

One that I really have to watch for is the cord for my laptop. It also has the disclaimer and since my laptop is sitting on my dining room table, the cord goes down and across the floor a couple of feet to the wall outlet. It's easy for a baby to crawl over and start chewing or playing with the cord so I have to really keep an eye on it.
Most Peds do lead testing with every well baby/well child checkup. They were testing my kids and I didn't even realize that was what they were testing for until I called to get it done and they had the list of results.
I don't know about lead free Christmas lights but I would just try and encourage baby not to touch the tree at all. Who knows what's on the ornaments either.
Hope this helps,
J.

Hi C.,

I am extremely concerned for our families due to all the chemical body burden our children are absorbing. I was just pouring over recalls this afternoon to send to my daughter. To my horror, my grandson's have toys with lead recalls. I'm providing the US Consumer Product Safety link

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prerel.html and

I'm always updating my blog on ways to keep our families safe from chemicals at:

http://www.angieupnorth.wordpress.com

and I've cut and pasted a recent article I received from achoo.org regarding lead and our children.

Hope it helps!
A. Silberberger

How to Protect Your Children from Lead Poisoning

As the holiday season approaches, children across the country will be tearing the gift wrap from millions of toys. But how many of those toys pose lead poisoning hazards? In a year dubbed “The Year of the Recall,” parents face the task of protecting their children from a large list of popular toys that could potentially poison them.

The medical director of Georgia's Poison Center, Robert J. Geller, M.D. states: "The reason for concern is there is no good level of lead in the body."

Children’s Toys and Lead Paint
Most often, the lead danger present in toys comes from their paint. Ironically, although lead-based paint was banned from residential use by the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) in 1978, many children’s toys, particularly those made in China, are found to contain levels of lead in excess of that allowed.

Lead in paint resists moisture, increases durability, speeds drying, and allows the pain to retain a fresh appearance, factors which presumably account for its persisted use despite its known toxicity. Parents can help keep their children safe by regularly checking recall lists to see if their households have any hazardous toys. A comprehensive, month-by-month list is available through CPSC’s Product Safety and Recall News.

Symptoms of Lead Poisoning in Children
Children are particularly susceptible to the effects of lead poisoning, which involves the accumulation of lead in their bodies over time. Although mere contact with items containing lead does not in itself pose a threat, when children put toys with lead paint in their mouths (which young children are apt to do) lead lodges in their developing nervous systems, poisoning tissues and enzymes. And even a small amount of lead is enough to cause harm in young children.

Frighteningly, signs and symptoms of lead poisoning are often non-specific (they could be attributed to any number of typical childhood ailments) and are not apparent until lead levels have reached dangerous proportions. Symptoms of lead poisoning in children include weight loss, sluggishness, abdominal cramps, vomiting, loss of appetite, paleness, and constipation. Eventually, lead poisoning can lead to learning difficulties and even lowered intelligence.

Children younger than six are even more vulnerable. Attention deficit disorders, behavioral problems, stunted growth, hearing loss, kidney damage, and learning disabilities can result from even very low levels of exposure; high levels of exposure can cause mental retardation, comas, and even death.

Lead Dust & Other Sources of Lead Poisoning
Toys are not the only culprits of lead poisoning. Lead plumbing, lead-contaminated dirt, leaded crystal decanters, and painted ceramic dishware are also sources of the toxin. However, lead-based paint in older homes is the greatest cause for worry.

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, about 38 million American homes still contain lead paint. Twenty-four million of these have lead paint that is in the most potentially harmful condition – deterioration. Paint chips ingested by children, or lead paint on places that children could chew, such as window sills, are one source of danger. But more sinister is the lead dust that threatens not only children, but adults as well.

Lead makes its way into the body not only through the stomach but also through the lungs, and inhaled lead is just as dangerous as ingested lead. Lead poisoning through lead dust is typically the cause of toxicity in adults, although much greater levels of exposure are necessary to produce adverse effects in adults as compared to children.

Symptoms of lead poisoning in adults include headache; abdominal pain; memory loss; mood disorders; pain, numbness, or tingling of the extremities; muscular weakness; and reproductive harm. Pregnant women are especially at risk: pregnancy releases lead that has accumulated in the mother's body into her bloodstream and can expose the fetus to lead as well.

Lead Paint in the Home
The only way to find out if your home’s paint contains lead (and if was built before 1978, it probably does) is to test for it. If it does, the next step is to take the proper precautions in order to keep your household safe.

First, check the paint for any damage such as peeling, chipping, chalking, or cracking. Damaged paint creates lead dust, which contaminates the air quality of your home. Actions such as opening and closing a window or door that has lead paint, or even just the normal wear and tear on banisters or railings produces lead dust. Regular vacuuming with a vacuum cleaner equipped with a HEPA filter will trap lead particles.

It’s actually quite important to repair damaged surfaces; simply painting over them is not a permanent solution. Steps should be taken to replace the paint with safer materials.

Keep in mind that improperly removed lead spreads even more lead dust around the house and poses a greater hazard to your family. This danger is particularly relevant when remodeling or renovating a home containing lead-based paint.

In order to minimize the amount of lead dust and fumes, do not use a propane torch, heat gun, dry scraper, dry sandpaper, or a belt-sander. If possible, move your family to another location for the duration of the renovation; if this is impossible, make sure that the work area is sealed off. While work is in progress, anyone who enters the work area should be sure to wear a mask in order to keep from inhaling lead dust.

To prepare for your family’s return to the newly renovated living space, clean surfaces that may be contaminated by lead dust, making sure to wear a mask. Wash any items, especially toys such as stuffed animals, that may have come into contact with the dust. Using a HEPA air purifier is also a good idea, both during renovation and after, as it will capture lead particles and reduce your family’s risk of lead poisoning by inhalation.

In addition to these precautions during periods of reconstruction, the following routine measures can be taken to protect your family from lead poisoning:

Check a toy recall list regularly, and also check your children’s toys to make sure none of them are on recall lists.
Maintain a clean environment in your home by wiping floors, window frames and sills, and other surfaces on a weekly basis.
Vacuum with a HEPA filter vacuum cleaner to trap lead dust particles that come either from paint or from contaminated soil that’s tracked inside.
Wash children’s hands often, especially before they eat and prior to naptime or bedtime.
Wash children’s toys, stuffed animals, bottles, pacifiers, and other toys regularly.
Don’t allow children to chew on window sills, railings, or other painted surfaces.
Finally, ensure that your children eat nutritious meals that are high in iron and calcium. Children with such diets absorb less lead.

My understanding is that lead is used to keep the insulation around wires flexible. It has been that way for our whole lives (including our childhoods). It is not a MIC issue. The warning labels are newer because of a law in California that started requiring them. It is really only a problem if the wire insulation is ingested but the handwashing is to CYB (no company wants to be sued and lead is the hot button media issue now). Don't panic about it, just try to keep electrical cords out of kids hands as much as you normally would anyway.