Cathy Flanders has put together a
comprehensive list of websites that carry information about the candle issue as it has
developed in the US since 1997.
www.healthhouse.org/new/press/default.htm American Lung Association November 1999 Press Release:
Candles Can Create Unhealthy Indoor Air Quality: Health House Encourages Care In Burning
Candles at Home, Especially This Holiday Season (November 8, 1999, PDF version)
"...The Health House project of the American Lung Association warns that slow burning
candles, particularly scented ones, can emit fumes with lead or mercury, as well as
volatile organic compounds.
The following are links to
various stories & reports that came out recently. Additional links to recent media
coverage & information can be found at:
www.loe.org/archives/991029.htm A Burning Issue: National Public Radio Broadcast Living on
Earth Segment 29th October 1999.
www.ksl.com/dump/news/cc/candles.htm NBC & CNN Broadcast similar stories to the Living on
Earth Segment on the evening news: Candle Dangers
www.9news.com/extra/candles.htm Denver TV Market: 9 NEWS Consumer Corner - We the People
http://www.sph.umich.edu/faculty/jnriagu.html
Jerome Nriagu, Department of Environmental and
Industrial Health, School of Public Health, University of Michigan
http://www.leadsafe.org/Parents/Sources/Candles_2.html
Nriagu Study - Some Candles Emit Dangerous Levels Of
Lead. Dr. Nriagu’s study resulted in the American Lung Association issuing a warning
regarding candles & lead late in 1999. "Assuming that only 50 percent of the lead
released is deposited in an area measuring 12 feet by 15 feet (such as a living room), we
estimate that the loading of the lead to house dust will exceed the U.S. EPA guideline of
1000 micrograms per square meter by burning one of the Chinese candles for a few hours.
Our data thus shows that burning leaded candles can result in extensive contamination of
the air and house dust with lead," Nriagu said.
In general, Nriagu found that metal
cores in Chinese candles were made of either pure lead or lead alloy while those made in
the United States or Mexico consisted of zinc or lead-containing alloys. Lead was detected
in small quantities in emissions from zinc-based wicks, suggesting that the lead may be a
common contaminant in the zinc, wick or wax. The levels of lead were small, but still may
represent a health risk over a long period of time.
http://www.baileyeng.com/edu_info.htm This is an excellent article that contains some of the test
evaluations used to compile data for a candle emissions study by Bailey Engineering
Corporation.
http://www.baileyeng.com/black_soot_deposition.htm Black Soot Deposition
http://www.unified-eng.com/index.shtml Dr. Lori Streit, Unified Engineering, Inc., Lombard, IL. Dr.
Streit did some of the early air chamber emissions testing and analysis and was one of two
labs to discover that a significant quantity of lead was present in the Gap candles.
http://www.aflab.com/index2.htm Contact: John Corn or Andy Armstrong, Armstrong Forensic
Laboratory, Arlington, TX. John has performed in-depth testing, analysis and modelling re:
lead emissions from candles from Gap & Banana Republic for the purpose of a class
action.
