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: As with the version of this product with the white-colored wiring, 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 the high levels of Antimony that this product does 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 Green 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 green 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):
- Lead (Pb): Non-Detect / Negative
- Mercury (Hg): Non-Detect / Negative
- Cadmium (Cd): Non-Detect / Negative
Continue reading below the images…
The green wiring had the additional readings (image above):
(tested for at least 60 seconds)
- Antimony (Sb): 5,706 +/- 105 ppm
- Barium (Ba): 498 +/- 57 ppm
- Bromine (Br): 36 +/- 5 ppm
- Zinc (Zn): 552 +/- 38 ppm
- Copper (Cu): 689 +/- 51 ppm
- Iron (Fe): 296 +/- 69 ppm
The green plastic base of lights (image above):
(Arsenic results confirmed with multiple 60-second tests)
- Arsenic (As): 44 +/- 24 ppm
- Antimony (Sb): 36,700 +/- 1,400 ppm
- Bromine (Br): 99,a00 +/- 3,900 ppm
- Zinc (Zn): 3,516 +/- 155 ppm
- Nickel (Ni): 71 +/- 44 ppm
- Vanadium (V): 1,304 +/- 332 ppm
- Titanium (Ti): 2,018 +/- 554 ppm
Continue reading below the images…
The hard green plastic part of plug (image above):
(Confirmed with minimum 60-second test)
- Antimony (Sb): 92 +/- 22 ppm
- Bromine (Br): 14 +/- 2 ppm
- Zinc (Zn): 57 +/- 8 ppm
- Copper (Cu): 185 +/- 14 ppm
- Iron (Fe): 27 +/- 15 ppm
- Titanium (Ti): 1,294 +/- 230 ppm
- To learn more about XRF testing, click HERE.
- To see more lights from this brand, click HERE.
- To see these exact lights on Target’s site, click HERE.
- To see more Holiday lights I have tested, click HERE.
As always, please let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you for reading and for sharing this work.
Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama
Thank you so much for this, I will not be buying this brand of lights. Do you know if the ikea lights are safe? Also since you said the Walmart one is safe, does that also apply for the white plug in lights from Walmart too?
The Walmart one that is safe (lead-free and antimony-free) is battery operated. I will have to check on the plug-in Ikea lights. I am sure they are lead-free but I don’t know how much antimony they might contain. I’m relatively newly discovering this issue of antimony in everything around us….
Hi,
Thanks so much for your testing and research! Have you been able to check the plug-in Walmart Holiday Time lights or the Ikea lights available this year? Or Walgreens? etc? The Phillips/Target lights and the Walmart battery operated lights you tested are not available in our area, so I’m looking for alternatives…
Thank you!
Hello Erika,
I have not tested any lights yet this year. Sorry about that. My testing is directed by my readers. Here’s how to participate:
https://tamararubin.com/2019/08/tamara-can-i-send-you-one-of-my-dishes-to-test-for-lead/
Tamara Rubin
Hi Tamara,
Thanks for your work. I would like to know what’s the risk of antimony and lead leaching from Christmas lights and ornaments? In a household without children (so no risk of anyone putting things in mouth or not washing hands after decorating)?
While I do appreciate the problems with using toxicants in this industry, it is also important to weigh the risks and benefits at a personal level. Christmas and associated decorations are an integral part of life. This year I decided not to do the usual decorations because of toxicants, but tbh it’s leading to a lot of sadness. We all need a little holiday cheer, specially this year!
Thanks in advance!
Hi Tamara!
What do you know about quntis brand?
All quntis lights are RoHS compliant/ CE compliant ,( according to the website). But in the warning label on the box says: may cancer and reproductive harm www. P65Warning.ca.gov
Thanks for so tirelessly gathering and testing all these products! Do you know if “fairy” lights (the ones with metal, usually copper) contain lead? There’s no plastic, so that’s good…. but I assume the lights are soldered on somehow… so…. ♀️ Just curious if you had any insights on those. Thanks!