2005 Halloween Decor: Witch hat 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 Witch hat Votive Holder Pictured

Reading #1) on the orange & yellow glaze (buckle)
60-second reading

• Lead (Pb): 506 +/- 37 ppm
• Cadmium (Cd): 354 +/- 20 ppm
• Tin (Sn): 24 +/- 13 ppm
• Mercury (Hg): non-detect
• Selenium (Se): non-detect
• Barium (Ba): 1,985 +/- 97 ppm
• Chromium (Cr): 1,393 +/- 425 ppm
• Antimony (Sb): non-detect
• Copper (Cu): 283 +/- 47 ppm
• Zinc (Zn): 10,900 +/- 300 ppm
• Manganese (Mn): 498 +/- 236 ppm
• Titanium (Ti): non-detect
• Zirconium (Zr): 17,700 +/- 500 ppm
• Niobium (Nb): non-detect
• Indium (In): non-detect
• Iron (Fe): 1,613 +/- 191 ppm
• Vanadium (V): 2,162 +/- 1,075 ppm
• Platinum (Pt): 153 +/- 72 ppm
• Cobalt (Co): 463 +/- 93 ppm
• Bismuth (Bi): 43 +/- 18 ppm
• No other metals were detected in consumer goods mode.

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

• Lead (Pb): 370 +/- 22 ppm
• Cadmium (Cd): non-detect
• Tin (Sn): 40 +/- 8 ppm
• Mercury (Hg): non-detect
• Selenium (Se): non-detect
• Barium (Ba): 1,087 +/- 42 ppm
• Chromium (Cr): 11,300 +/- 500 ppm
• Antimony (Sb): non-detect
• Nickel (Ni): 4,675 +/- 164 ppm
• Copper (Cu): 113 +/- 27 ppm
• Zinc (Zn): 2,269 +/- 77 ppm
• Manganese (Mn): 952 +/- 197 ppm
• Titanium (Ti): 7,590 +/- 1,134 ppm
• Zirconium (Zr): non-detect
• Niobium (Nb): non-detect
• Indium (In): non-detect
• Iron (Fe): 23,700 +/- 500 ppm
• Vanadium (V): 2,060 +/- 596 ppm
• Cobalt (Co): 17,000 +/- 400 ppm
• Platinum (Pt): non-detect
• Bismuth (Bi): 62 +/- 11 ppm
• No other metals were detected in consumer goods mode.

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

• Lead (Pb): 281 +/- 20 ppm
• Cadmium (Cd): 11 +/- 4 ppm
• Tin (Sn): 29 +/- 8 ppm
• Mercury (Hg): non-detect
• Selenium (Se): non-detect
• Barium (Ba): 210 +/- 28 ppm
• Chromium (Cr): non-detect
• Antimony (Sb): non-detect
• Copper (Cu): non-detect
• Zinc (Zn): 109 +/- 17 ppm
• Manganese (Mn): non-detect
• Titanium (Ti): non-detect
• Zirconium (Zr): non-detect
• Niobium (Nb): 333 +/- 17 ppm
• Indium (In): 16 +/- 6 ppm
• Iron (Fe): 3,146 +/- 185 ppm
• Vanadium (V): non-detect
• Platinum (Pt): 60 +/- 30 ppm
• Bismuth (Bi): 137 +/- 13 ppm
• No other metals were detected in consumer goods mode.