Beware of pretty but dangerous Christmas decor

While Christmas decorations may put you in a holiday mood, an environmental and consumer protection group has warned that some can be pretty dangerous as they contain high levels of toxic metals.

The EcoWaste Coalition said Sunday that it recently detected excessive levels of toxic metals in 62 of 80 Christmas decorations—particularly in Christmas lanterns made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC)—bought from various budget shops around Metro Manila.

In a statement, EcoWaste’s Project Protect coordinator Thony Dizon said that “lead is dangerous even at low levels, hence [there is a] need to curb all avoidable sources of exposure as much as possible, including lead in paint, dust and soil and, of course, in consumer products.”

He warned that “children are most prone to lead exposure because their bodies are still developing and they tend to explore their surroundings by touching, tasting, biting or chewing anything they can get their hands on, including the power cord of Christmas lights and the trimmings and trinkets of a Christmas tree.”

“There is also the risk of lead [coming off] as painted or glazed surfaces deteriorate, thus contaminating the ground where children gather and play…,” Dizon said.

According to him, there is also the risk of indoor air pollution from the “out-gassing” of chemicals from plastic-based Christmas decorations, particularly among workers making or handling these products. Out-gassing is the release of gas dissolved, trapped, frozen or absorbed in a material.

Late last month, EcoWaste bought Christmas ornaments from stores in the Divisoria and Quiapo districts in Manila, Monumento in Caloocan City  and a market in Quezon City at prices ranging from P15 to P199.

Using an X-ray fluorescence analyzer, the group detected high levels of toxic metals—including lead, antimony, arsenic, cadmium and chromium—from most of the items they purchased.

Lead up to 23,500 parts per million (ppm) was found in 50 samples, above the United States limit for lead in paint and surface coatings of 90 ppm. The other 12 samples contained antimony, arsenic, cadmium or chromium.

Among the samples analyzed by the group were Christmas balls, bells, foliage, garlands, lanterns, trees, trinkets, serving platters and table decorations featuring characters such as Frosty the Snowman and Santa Claus.

It found 23,500 ppm of lead in a big yellow star lantern made of PVC; 16,100 ppm of lead in a medium-size yellow star lantern made of PVC and 13,600 ppm of lead in a small yellow PVC star lantern. A plate with a Christmas tree design had 11,800 ppm of lead while a Snowman ceramic container had 11,000 ppm of the toxic metal. A ceramic gingerbread house had 9,513 ppm of lead.—With a report by Erika Sauler