Watch group’s pre-‘undas’ warning: Beware of toxic candles in Binondo

Imported candles with lead wicks long banned in the United States and other countries are being sold in Manila’s Chinatown just days before All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, a toxics watch group warned Saturday.

In test buys conducted a few days before “Undas,” the time of the year Filipinos pay their respects to the dead, EcoWaste Coalition discovered that candles with wicks made of lead were available locally, particularly in Binondo.

The US has banned the use of thin lead wire to support or straighten the braided or woven wicks of candles since 2003. Lead wicks are also banned in Australia, Canada, Denmark and other countries, according to the group.

“We were really shocked to discover that some imported candles made of gel or paraffin wax had lead-cored wicks that produce health-damaging lead vapor and dust during burning,” said Thony Dizon, coordinator of EcoWaste’s Project Protect.

“Lead builds up in the body and even exposure to tiny amounts can add to the level of lead in the blood. This is utterly dangerous, especially for unborn babies and growing children,” he said in a statement.

Furthermore, the burning of candles with lead wicks indoors or outdoors will contribute to rising levels of the toxic chemical in the environment, the group added.

Seven of 12 candles EcoWaste bought on Oct. 26 from specialty shops in Benavidez, Masangkay and Ongpin Streets in Binondo were found to contain traces of lead, ranging from 34,800 parts per million (ppm) to 62,900 ppm or an average of 43,943 ppm.

Six of the seven lead-tainted items were also found to contain other heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium and mercury “above levels of concern,” the group said.

EcoWaste used a portable X-Ray Fluorescence spectrometer to screen the candle samples for heavy metals.

The group cited the findings of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) which banned the manufacture and sale of candles with lead-cored wicks in 2003 after determining that these could release huge quantities of lead into the air during burning.

“Children may then inhale the vaporized lead, placing them at risk. Children may also be exposed to lead [when they put in their mouth] objects on which lead has settled or by handling such objects and then [placing] their hands [in their mouth],” the CPSC was quoted as saying.

The impact of children’s exposure to lead are often irreversible and can bring about life-long health problems, including brain and nervous system damage, lower IQ, developmental delays and decreased bone and muscle growth, EcoWaste said.

To guard against lead exposure, it advised the public to refrain from buying candles with a metallic core unless these are certified to be of nonlead material and use only candles made by reputable local companies to ensure that these are of good quality and nontoxic.