The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) voted unanimously to ban the manufacture, import, and sale of candles with lead-cored wicks, effective October 2003, after declaring that leaded candles could present a lead poisoning hazard to young children.

A 1999 study by Jerome Nriagu, professor of environmental health sciences at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, showed some leaded candles on the market emit potentially dangerous levels of lead into the air. Nriagu examined lead emissions from 15 different brands of candles made in the United States, Mexico and China and measured the concentration levels of lead likely to be released into the air. He recommended a U.S. ban on leaded candles at the time the results of his study were released.

Dr. Nriagu's findings were subsequently confirmed in studies by the CPSC, Public Citizen, and others. On February 20, 2001, the CPSC was petitioned to ban candlewicks containing lead cores and candles with such wicks by Public Citizen, the National Apartment Association, and National Multi Housing Council.

""It is rare for scientists to see their work translated into policy. I'll cherish the thought for a while," Nriagu said when the ban was announced.

"Lead poisoning is one of the most serious environmental health diseases in this country and other parts of the world," Nriagu explained. "It affects many organ systems and biochemical processes with the most serious sequelae often occurring in the central nervous, cardiovascular and blood systems."

Lead poisoning in children is associated with behavioral problems, learning disabilities, hearing problems and growth retardation, according to the CPSC. Although the primary source of lead poisoning in the United States is lead from paint in older homes, lead accumulates in the body, and even exposure to small amounts of lead can contribute to the overall level of lead in the blood.

The CPSC states that safe alternatives to lead-cored wicks, including zinc, synthetic fibers, cotton and paper, are used by most candle and candle wick manufacturers. Currently, candles that use a metallic core in the wick most likely contain zinc. Because consumers cannot tell if a metal- cored wick contains lead or an alternative, consumers may wish to contact the retailer for information about the materials used in their candles.

Full text of the CPSC press release: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml03/03105.html

Press release on Jerome Nriagu's 1999 study: http://www.umich.edu/~newsinfo/Releases/1999/Oct99/r100699.html

Contact: Terri Mellow, Director, Office of Communications
Phone: (734) 764-8094
E-mail: twm@umich.edu

© 2003 The Regents of the University of Michigan
Updated April 28, 2003