Target-branded Philips plug-in Warm White LED Christmas lights strand with white wire: Lead-free!!

For those new to this website:

Tamara Rubin is a multiple-federal-award-winning independent advocate for childhood Lead poisoning prevention and consumer goods safety, and a documentary filmmaker. She is also a mother of Lead-poisoned children (two of her sons were acutely Lead-poisoned in 2005). Since 2009, Tamara has been using XRF technology (a scientific method used by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission) to test consumer goods for toxicants (specifically heavy metals — including Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, Antimony, and Arsenic). All test results reported on this website are science-based, accurate, and replicable. Items are tested multiple times to confirm the test results for each component tested. Tamara’s work was featured in Consumer Reports Magazine in February of 2023 (March 2023 print edition).

Summary: While this product was Lead-free when tested with an XRF instrument, one component was positive for trace (trace = very low levels) of Arsenic. There were also fairly high levels of Antimony in at least one component, which is often the case with electrical items (as Antimony is an ingredient in many fire retardants). Please continue reading for additional images, links, and specific full XRF test results for this product.

Tamara’s personal takeaway: While the Arsenic may not be bioavailable (given the levels are so low), I am uncomfortable with a product containing as high levels of Antimony as this product had and I don’t think I would personally choose to use these in my home. I recommend thorough hand washing after installation (even though these were Lead-free).

Click HERE for some more articles discussing the concern for Antimony in consumer goods and food packaging.

Plug-in Target branded Warm White LED Philips Christmas Lights Strand With White Wire: Lead-Free!!

This newly purchased (2018) set of Target branded “Philips” warm white indoor/outdoor mini lights strand (pictured above with 60 lights and a white wire strand) was tested with an XRF instrument. It was not disassembled for testing, so only accessible parts that one would normally touch when using them (installing them or operating them) were tested.

They had the following XRF readings (with all accessible components tested):