2005 Halloween Decor: Jack-o-lantern pumpkin votive candle holder from Michaels stores tested positive for both Lead & Cadmium

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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). Tamara’s work was featured in Consumer Reports Magazine in February 2023 (March 2023 print edition).

October 18, 2022 — Tuesday
XRF Test Results for the Pumpkin Votive Holder Pictured

Reading #1) on the orange glaze
60-second reading

• Lead (Pb): 550 +/- 39 ppm
• Cadmium (Cd): 644 +/- 30 ppm
• Tin (Sn): 35 +/- 14 ppm
• Mercury (Hg): non-detect
• Selenium (Se): non-detect
• Barium (Ba): 1,944 +/- 95 ppm
• Chromium (Cr): 973 +/- 402 ppm
• Antimony (Sb): non-detect
• Copper (Cu): 243 +/- 44 ppm
• Zinc (Zn): 13,600 +/- 400 ppm
• Manganese (Mn): 545 +/- 231 ppm
• Titanium (Ti): 9,537 +/- 1.990 ppm
• Zirconium (Zr): 18,200 +/- 500 ppm
• Niobium (Nb): 206 +/- 24 ppm
• Indium (In): 21 +/- 11 ppm
• Iron (Fe): 1,416 +/- 181 ppm
• Vanadium (V): 3,159 +/- 1,060 ppm
• Platinum (Pt): 122 +/- 75 ppm
• Bismuth (Bi): 57 +/- 19 ppm
• No other metals were detected in consumer goods mode.

Reading #2) on the brown glaze
60-second reading

• Lead (Pb): 581 +/- 35 ppm
• Cadmium (Cd): 26 +/- 6 ppm
• Tin (Sn): 30 +/- 10 ppm
• Mercury (Hg): non-detect
• Selenium (Se): non-detect
• Barium (Ba): 1,672 +/- 66 ppm
• Chromium (Cr): 2,060 +/- 412 ppm
• Antimony (Sb): non-detect
• Copper (Cu): 64 +/- 31 ppm
• Zinc (Zn): 11,900 +/- 300 ppm
• Manganese (Mn): non-detect
• Titanium (Ti): 10,100 +/- 1.900 ppm
• Zirconium (Zr): 296 +/- 14 ppm
• Niobium (Nb): 234 +/- 20 ppm
• Indium (In): non-detect
• Iron (Fe): 4,206 +/- 249 ppm
• Vanadium (V): 2,435 +/- 1,006 ppm
• Platinum (Pt): non-detect
• Bismuth (Bi): 114 +/- 18 ppm
• No other metals were detected in consumer goods mode.

Reading #3) on the white glaze/ bottom with sticker
60-second reading

• Lead (Pb): 214 +/- 17 ppm
• Cadmium (Cd): 13 +/- 4 ppm
• Tin (Sn): 31 +/- 7 ppm
• Mercury (Hg): non-detect
• Selenium (Se): non-detect
• Barium (Ba): 161 +/- 27 ppm
• Chromium (Cr): non-detect
• Antimony (Sb): non-detect
• Copper (Cu): 31 +/- 20 ppm
• Zinc (Zn): 111 +/- 17 ppm
• Manganese (Mn): non-detect
• Titanium (Ti): non-detect
• Zirconium (Zr): non-detect
• Niobium (Nb): 308 +/- 16 ppm
• Indium (In): 18 +/- 6 ppm
• Iron (Fe): 2,946 +/- 173 ppm
• Vanadium (V): non-detect
• Platinum (Pt): 43 +/- 27 ppm
• Bismuth (Bi): 141 +/- 12 ppm
• No other metals were detected in consumer goods mode.