Lights up!: The lowdown on Christmas tree lights

It’s 36 days to Christmas and you’re probably already decorating your home for the holidays. Or you may already have done so, like some people who are so excited about Christmas they bring on the bling way ahead of the season. Are you putting up the requisite Christmas tree as in Christmases past?  Those pretty, colorful, sparkling, blinking Christmas tree lights surely add a glow to the holidays, but an environmental watchdog recently warned consumers against lead-tainted Christmas lights.

 “We are alarmed and therefore warn the public that the Christmas lights we could be beautifying our homes with in time for the Christmas festivities could be laden with harmful elements such as the neurotoxin lead,” says Thony Dizon, EcoWaste Coalition’s Project Protect coordinator.

The Coalition issued the warning after detecting alarming amounts of lead in 10 out of 15 samples they screened using the X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer.

Sifting through 10 samples, the XRF found levels of lead above the 1,000 parts per million (ppm) limit prescribed by the EU Directive on Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS). The lead levels found in the 10 positive samples, according to Dizon, ranged from 1,181 ppm to 5,264 ppm, way above the RoHS limit.

Dizon laments the fact that we lack an RoHS-like policy, “giving unscrupulous manufacturers and businessmen the breathing space to easily amass profit at the expense of the Filipino people’s health and safety.”

The RoHS Guide says, “Restricted materials are hazardous to the environment and pollute landfills, and are dangerous in terms of occupational exposure during manufacturing and recycling.”

RoHS restricts the use of six materials in electrical and electronic products, by specifying maximum levels for these substances. The restricted materials are cadmium, hexavalent chromium, lead, mercury, polybrominated biphenyls, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers.

More, the Coalition points out that seven of the 15 samples screened do not bear the Import Commodity Compliance Certificate (ICC) stickers for imported lights or the Philippine Standard mark for those manufactured locally, which means that they did not undergo the Department of Trade and Industry protocol for standards before entering the market.

The 15 samples, purchased in Caloocan City, Binondo, and Tondo, Manila, cost as low as P60 to as high as P180.

Take note of these 10 samples found with high levels of lead:

1) Two-way flashing 100 rice lights with green wiring and packed in green and yellow box had 5,264 ppm of lead.

2) North Star Christmas lights with green wiring and packed in transparent plastic packaging had 4,700 ppm of lead.

3) UL Listed Christmas lights with green wiring and packed in white box had 4,647 ppm of lead.

4) AIO Christmas lights with 12 star lights clinging to green wiring and packed in transparent plastic packaging had 3,970 ppm of lead.

5) Yuletide fantasy red bulb Christmas lights with green wiring and packed in yellow box had 3,437 ppm of lead.

6) Mabuhay Star Christmas lights with green wiring and packed in transparent plastic packaging had 3,249 ppm of lead.

7) Multi-function 100 chasing rice lights with green wiring and packed in transparent plastic packaging had 2,970 ppm of lead.

8) Mabuhay Star Christmas lights with 50 LED lights clinging to white wiring and packed in green box had 2,783 ppm of lead.

9) Yuletide fantasy 100L steady 100 rice lights with green wiring and packed in blue box had 2,218 ppm of lead.

10) AIO 100L rice lights with golden yellow wiring and packed in chocolate-brown box had 1,181 ppm of lead.

Experts also warn that every bulb used to light up your pretty Christmas tree contributes to the emission of greenhouse gasses. And these lights, loaded with toxic materials, could end up as hazardous wastes that are dumped, burned or improperly recycled, thus posing serious health and environmental risks.

Aside from these hazardous substances, buying cheap and sub-standard Christmas lights could expose us to risk of fire, electric shock or mini-explosion.

It is thus wise to use energy-efficient bulbs, like LEDs, or put lights on a timer to cut down on power consumption.  According to www.christmaslightsetc.com, “LED lights allow up to 43 light strings, or 210 watts to be connected so there is rarely a concern for plugging to many LED strands together. Switch to energy-saving LED lights to allow for maximum light counts.”

If you’re recycling your old Christmas lights, check for loose bulbs, frayed lines, and cracked sockets. Make sure not to overload your outlet as this could cause a fire. (Sadly, many a tragic fire during this merry season was caused by Christmas lights.) Install your tree in a well-ventilated area. Keep the lights away from heat sources such as heating vents. Never leave the lights on all night or while you’re away from home as they might overheat. And keep the little ones away from the Christmas lights that they may be tempted to get their little hands on and get tangled up in.

Indeed, lighting up for the holidays is no light matter.