Holiday Decoration Archives

c. Late-1990s (or later) Spode Christmas Tree dish: 319 ppm Lead on the food surface ( + 138 ppm Cadmium & 2,402 ppm Cobalt)

July 3, 2022November 23, 2023

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…

c. 1980s Nikko Happy Holidays China Dish With Christmas Tree (Japan): 87,000 ppm Lead on the food surface (90 ppm & up is unsafe for kids)

July 3, 2022November 23, 2023

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Published: Sunday — July 3, 2022 Given all federal agencies agree there is no safe level of Lead exposure for humans and that in 2008, the Consumer Product Safety Commission set 90 ppm Lead as the limit for allowable Lead in the paint, glaze, or coating of an item intended for use by…

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

December 3, 2018December 12, 2023

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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…

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

December 3, 2018December 11, 2023

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…

Walmart Holiday Time plug-in Christmas Lights: Lead-free! (8,188 ppm Antimony — a fire retardant & known carcinogen)

December 3, 2018December 11, 2023

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This newly-purchased (2018) set of Walmart brand “Holiday Time” 16 Function Multicolor Mini Lights (pictured above with 150 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….

Please click and read for more info! Walmart Holiday Time LED Christmas Lights With Green Wire: Lead Free!!! #Yay!

November 21, 2018December 12, 2023

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This newly purchased (2018) set of Walmart brand “Holiday Time” 8-function battery-operated LED multicolor mini lights (pictured above) 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. To learn more about XRF…

Glazed Ceramic Chanukiah / Chanukah Menorah: 10,000 ppm Lead. 90 ppm & up is unsafe for children’s items.

November 4, 2018September 1, 2019

I bought this Chanukah menorah for my family at my local natural foods store c. 2009. It is made by Rite Lite of Brooklyn, New York. It is “Made in China” for the Jacob Rosenthal Judaica Collection. When tested with an XRF instrument the menorah pictured was positive for approximately 10,000 ppm Lead. To learn more…

The Lead-free “Travel Chanukiah” my husband and sons made for me.

November 3, 2018November 3, 2018

Did you know that most Chanukah menorah’s have high levels of Lead? [Link] The picture here is of the Lead-free Chanukah* “Travel Chanukiah*” (Chanukah menorah) that my husband and sons made for me when we were shooting my film. Since we left to start shooting early in December (of 2011) we were on the road…

Lucerne Foods Holiday Christmas Food Storage Canister: 5,441 ppm Lead in the decorative glazes (90 ppm Lead & up is unsafe for kids).

June 24, 2018August 24, 2021

This Lucerne Foods cookie jar/food storage container was positive for lead at the following levels when tested with an XRF instrument: Outside Glaze: 5,441 +/- 189 ppm lead (Pb) & 150 +/- 16 ppm cadmium (Cd). ~ Inside Glaze: 159 +/- 33 ppm lead (Pb). This piece was non-detect (ND/Negative) for mercury (Hg) and arsenic…