“Beauty can be deceiving.”
This saying must have taken its physical form as innocent- and pretty-looking
yet dangerous Christmas lights that the environmental watchdog EcoWaste
Coalition warned the public against buying and using.
yet dangerous Christmas lights that the environmental watchdog EcoWaste
Coalition warned the public against buying and using.
“We are alarmed and therefore warn the public that the
Christmas lights we could be beautifying our homes with in time for the Christmas
festivity could be laden with harmful elements such as the neurotoxin lead,” said
Thony Dizon, Coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition’s Project Protect.
Christmas lights we could be beautifying our homes with in time for the Christmas
festivity could be laden with harmful elements such as the neurotoxin lead,” said
Thony Dizon, Coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition’s Project Protect.
In their press release today, the coalition issued the warning after detecting
alarming amounts of lead in 10 of the 15 samples that they screened using the
X-Ray Fluorescence spectrometer or XRF.
alarming amounts of lead in 10 of the 15 samples that they screened using the
X-Ray Fluorescence spectrometer or XRF.
The 10 samples showed levels of lead above the 1,000 parts
per million (ppm) limit under the EU Directive on Restriction of Hazardous
Substances (RoHS).
per million (ppm) limit under the EU Directive on Restriction of Hazardous
Substances (RoHS).
According to Dizon, lead levels detected in the 10
positive samples range between 1,181 ppm
to 5,264 ppm, which are way above the RoHS limit.
positive samples range between 1,181 ppm
to 5,264 ppm, which are way above the RoHS limit.
“It’s worrisome that we lack a RoHS-like policy, something
that gives unscrupulous manufacturers and businessmen the breathing space to easily
amass profit at the expense of the Filipino people’s health and safety,” Dizon stressed.
that gives unscrupulous manufacturers and businessmen the breathing space to easily
amass profit at the expense of the Filipino people’s health and safety,” Dizon stressed.
According to the RoHS Guide,
“restricted materials are hazardous to the environment and pollute
landfills, and are dangerous in terms of occupational exposure during
manufacturing and recycling.”
“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 6 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.
electronic products, by specifying maximum levels for these substances. The restricted materials are cadmium,
hexavalent chromium, lead, mercury, polybrominated biphenyls, and
polybrominated diphenyl ethers.
The coalition also noted that 7 of the 15 samples do
not bear 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.
not bear 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, which were procured from Caloocan City and from Binondo
and Tondo in Manila, ranged in price from as low as PhP60.00 up to PhP180.00
when bought.
and Tondo in Manila, ranged in price from as low as PhP60.00 up to PhP180.00
when bought.
The 10 samples detected with high lead levels are the following:
- A 2 Way Flashing 100 rice lights with green wiring and packed
in green and yellow box had 5,264 ppm of lead. - A North Star Christmas lights with green wiring and
packed in transparent plastic packaging had 4,700 ppm of lead. - A UL Listed Christmas lights with green wiring and packed in
white box had 4,647 ppm of lead. - An
AIO Christmas lights with 12 Star Lights clinging
to green wiring and packed in transparent plastic packaging had 3,970 ppm
of lead. - A Yuletide Fantasy Red Bulb Christmas lights with green wiring
and packed in yellow box had 3,437 ppm of lead. - A Mabuhay Star Christmas lights with green wiring
and packed in transparent plastic packaging had 3,249 ppm of lead. - A Multi Function 100 Chasing Rice Lights with green wiring and
packed in transparent plastic packaging had 2,970 ppm of lead. - A Mabuhay Star Christmas lights with 50 LED lights clinging to
white wiring and packed in green box had 2,783 ppm of lead. - A Yuletide Fantasy 100L Steady 100 rice lights with green wiring
and packed in blue box had 2,218 ppm of lead. - An AIO 100L Rice Light Christmas lights with golden yellow wiring
and packed in chocolate-brown box had 1,181 ppm of lead.
Consumers should bear in mind that they have the right to know what is
in the product that they are buying and should therefore be extra cautious when
this information is not available on the packaging, the coalition advised.
in the product that they are buying and should therefore be extra cautious when
this information is not available on the packaging, the coalition advised.
Additional hazards that accompany buying cheap and sub-standard
Christmas lights include risk of fire, electric shock, mini-explosion, getting burned,
and exposure to hazardous substances.
Christmas lights include risk of fire, electric shock, mini-explosion, getting burned,
and exposure to hazardous substances.
“Bear in mind too that Christmas lights loaded with toxic materials could
end up as hazardous wastes that are dumped, burned or improperly recycled, posing
as serious health and environmental risks,” EcoWaste Coalition stressed.
end up as hazardous wastes that are dumped, burned or improperly recycled, posing
as serious health and environmental risks,” EcoWaste Coalition stressed.
-end-
Reference: