By: Samuel P. Medenilla and Chito A. Chavez
Manila, Philippines — With the rising demand for candles amid the forthcoming celebration of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday pushed for the registration of all candle products available in the market.
FDA said in an advisory that candles are regulated products since it could cause health complications if improperly manufactured.
“Candles are considered health products, and are categorized as household hazardous substances or articles,” FDA said. It said it will mount a campaign to urge candle companies to register their products to ensure that wicks, scents, and wax will not contain any harmful substance.
“We will inform candle manufacturers, importers and distributors to secure a License to Operate and apply for market authorization of their products from FDA,” FDA said. Only one brand of scented candle is registered in FDA.
FDA reminded consumers to scrutinize their candles and practice basic safety guidelines in its use. “Well-made candles does not emit smoke when burned properly. It is also always good and safe to remember to burn candles in a well-ventilated area,” FDA said. “If burning candles flickers or emits a lot of smoke, it is best to replace it with a new one,” it added.
FDA added burning candles should not be left unattended and should be kept away from pets, children and volatile materials to avoid any accidents. Candles are traditionally used by Filipinos to commemorate their departed loves ones during All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day in November.
Relatedly, an environmental watchdog based in Quezon City warned the public of the hazardous effects of candles containing excessive amount of lead which experts confirmed can cause brain damage and harmful effects on other human organs.
Thony Dizon, Coordinator of EcoWaste Project Protect, said the group’s efforts to rid consumer products with poisonous chemicals netted them 70 sample candle products that contained damaging substance.
Discovery of the dangerous content of candle products made the group sound the danger alarm that extreme exposure to the substance can cause body organs to break down leading to injuries and even death.
Dizon said 70 of 115 samples of candle products bought from Chinatown in Binondo, Manila had lead-cored wicks that “are dangerous, especially to the health of young children as well as to pregnant women.”
“Burning candles with leaded wicks may release toxic fumes into the surroundings and cause lead exposure via inhalation of airborne lead. Lead dust may accumulate onto the grounds and other surfaces where kids gather or play causing exposure,” Dizon said.
The coalition came out with the warning in time for the International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week of Action from October 20 to 26. “Exposure to even small doses of lead can contribute to increased blood lead level in kids, cause irreparable damage to their brains and bring about learning disabilities, IQ losses, mental retardation and behavioral problems later in life,” Dizon said.
On October 18-19, the EcoWaste Coalition’s AlerToxic Patrol bought assorted candle products for P20 to P160 per set from 10 retailers in Binondo, Manila. Subsequent analysis of the candles using an X-Ray Fluorescence spectrometer found high levels of lead ranging from 1,178 to 14,900 parts per million (ppm) in the candlewicks, way above the United States’ limit of 600 ppm for lead in wicks and for candles with such wicks.
On the average, the 70 candles with lead-cored wicks had 3,671 ppm of lead. The other 45 candles with wicks mostly made of cotton tested negative for lead and other toxic metals.
Dizon said the results prompted the group to advise consumers to shun candles that have lead-cored wicks, which can be identified by the darkish fine metal strand in the center of the white wick. Consumers were earlier reminded by the Food and Drugs Administration “to exercise safety precautions when burning candles,” saying that “cotton and hemp wicks, as well as metal-free wicks, burn cleanly and safely.”
Six of the worst candles analyzed that had lead and other chemicals of concern include: A red wax candle in a gold ingot-shaped and red-colored plastic container with 14,900 ppm of lead and 228 ppm of chromium; a yellow wax candle in a gourd-shaped glass container with 10,300 ppm of lead and 572 ppm of arsenic; a wax candle in a pineapple-shaped glass container with 6,097 ppm of lead and 270 ppm of arsenic; a red wax candle in a lotus-shaped plastic container with 5,755 ppm of lead and 148 ppm of arsenic. A red tealight candle with 4,277 ppm of lead and 134 ppm of arsenic; and a red wax candle in a gold ingot-shaped ceramic container with 4,520 ppm of lead and 32 ppm of mercury.
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSCC) has determined that candles using lead-cored wicks could present a lead poisoning hazard to young children and has banned their manufacture and use effective October 2003.“The Commission finds that metal-cored candlewicks containing more than 0.06 percent lead by weight (or 600 ppm) in the metal and candles with such wicks are hazardous substances, and that, due to the degree and nature of the hazard presented by these items, in order to protect the public health and safety it is necessary to keep them out of commerce,” the CPSCC ruling said.
Dizon noted the government should take cue from US and other countries that have banned lead-cored wicks and impose a similar if not more stringent regulation that will prohibit the production, importation, distribution, sale and use of lead-containing candles.
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