Candles With Lead-Core Wicks Warn

Candles With Lead-Core Wicks Warn NEWS from CPSC U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Office of Information and Public Affairs Washington, DC 20207 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 10, 1976 Release # 76-086 CPSC Warns Of Potential Risk Associated With Certain Candles With Lead-Core Wicks WASHINGTON, D.C. (Dec. 10) -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission today warned consumers and religious groups that they may be subjecting themselves needlessly to airborne lead through use of candles containing lead-core wicks. The amount of lead vapor given off by such candles is small and does not, by itself, present an unreasonable health hazard, but the additional lead may present a problem for persons exposed to other sources of lead poisoning, such as older housing with lead-based paint, or in urban neighborhoods with high concentrations of automobile exhaust. The hazards of lead-poisoning are well documented, particularly in infants and young children where brain damage may result. In December 1973, the Health Research Group, a Washington, D.C.,-based public interest group, submitted a petition but at that time, the Commission found that the risk of illness was not sufficient to declare lead-wick candles an imminent hazard and ban them as the petition requested. In view of the known harmful effects of lead ingestion and the growing concern over amounts of lead in the environment from a variety of sources, the continued use of lead-core wicks in candles may be unwise. After the petition, the majority of the industry responded with a commitment to discontinue the use of lead-core wick as soon as a satisfactory substitute could be found and within the year, lead-wick candles were virtually off the market and the sole known producer of lead-core wicking discontinued its production and distribution. The Commission commends this action by the industry. However, it has recently come to the Commission's attention that three firms are producing lead-core wicking and that it i