Christmas Lead Dangers
The Soft Landing Safe Living Guide's article, Top 5 Ways to Avoid Lead this Christmas, expands on the topic of Christmas lights lead exposure risks, which we talked about on Monday.
Although it is not as prevalent as it once was, lead can still be found in many items and products, including many children's toys, such as trick-or-treat pumpkin buckets. Further, lead can be found in an array of other objects around the home – especially around the holidays, as summarized below:
• Real Christmas trees do not pose any lead danger, as most PVC-made fake trees do. Keep in mind that fake trees can also harbor other allergens, such as dust.
• Find and use RoHS compliant, lead-safe Christmas lights. Remember that even if the flame retardant chemicals found on electrical cords are rarely handled (or put into mouths, as may be the case with children), the chemicals, including lead, contaminate dust in the home.
• Opt out of cheap jewelry and PVC plastic toys for stocking stuffers or other gifts. Questionable products are consistently found to contain lead. Check out HealthyToys.org and the Center for Environmental Health for a database of information about lead in toys.
• Beware of leaded crystal glassware, and make sure that ceramic and China dishes have been tested by the manufacturer for heavy metals.
• When making holiday art projects with the kids, make sure to use non-toxic, lead free paints (especially finger paints).
Avoiding lead is important because it is a probable carcinogen and a neurotoxin that can cause learning disorders, brain damage, nerve damage, growth problems, digestion problems, and hearing loss. Note that there is no safe level of lead exposure, and the risks are greatest for young children as well as pregnant women.
Although it is not as prevalent as it once was, lead can still be found in many items and products, including many children's toys, such as trick-or-treat pumpkin buckets. Further, lead can be found in an array of other objects around the home – especially around the holidays, as summarized below:
• Real Christmas trees do not pose any lead danger, as most PVC-made fake trees do. Keep in mind that fake trees can also harbor other allergens, such as dust.
• Find and use RoHS compliant, lead-safe Christmas lights. Remember that even if the flame retardant chemicals found on electrical cords are rarely handled (or put into mouths, as may be the case with children), the chemicals, including lead, contaminate dust in the home.
• Opt out of cheap jewelry and PVC plastic toys for stocking stuffers or other gifts. Questionable products are consistently found to contain lead. Check out HealthyToys.org and the Center for Environmental Health for a database of information about lead in toys.
• Beware of leaded crystal glassware, and make sure that ceramic and China dishes have been tested by the manufacturer for heavy metals.
• When making holiday art projects with the kids, make sure to use non-toxic, lead free paints (especially finger paints).
Avoiding lead is important because it is a probable carcinogen and a neurotoxin that can cause learning disorders, brain damage, nerve damage, growth problems, digestion problems, and hearing loss. Note that there is no safe level of lead exposure, and the risks are greatest for young children as well as pregnant women.
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