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Flame retardants and lead in Mardi Gras beads may pose a danger to people and the environment. A family catches Mardi Gras beads during the Krewe of Thoth parade down St. Charles Avenue in 2000. Based on the composition of the chemicals found in the plastic beads, the researchers concluded that plastic from electronic waste was likely being recycled into producing Mardi Gras beads (2). While exposure to lead and flame retardants is harmful to everyone’s health, it’s particularly dangerous for children. The stringed beads, often sourced from China, can contain lead, heavy metals, and other materials that can be toxic to humans, particularly children. Tens of millions of pounds of Chinese-made plastic beads are imported to the Gulf Coast for Mardi Gras annually, a cheap but vast loot of plastic throws that only increases in volume each year. In late 2018 and early 2019, we tested 56 beaded necklaces collected from Gasparilla parades in Florida and from Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans, Louisiana. For necklaces that contained multiple bead colors or pendants, we tested these different components separately. The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals states beads and throws during Mardi Gras parades may contain lead — and so might soil along parade routes. Ingesting lead is not safe at any “We estimate that a single year’s inventory of Mardi Gras beads may contain many thousands of pounds of hazardous flame retardants and lead.” For our study, we tested 66 components in the 56 necklaces. Most of them contained high levels of bromine (70% of tested samples) and antimony (64% of tested samples), strongly suggesting the Mardi Gras Free Printables This collection features a wide range of printables, including word searches, crosswords, scattergories, and trivia quizzes to test your knowledge of Mardi Gras. It also includes potluck sign-up sheets for coordinating food contributions from guests, tracing worksheets for younger fans, and charades cards for engaging Lead concentrations were also found to be high on beads collected by the researchers at parades in Mobile, Alabama, during the 2018 Mardi Gras season. Based on these findings, researchers suggest washing hands after handling Mardi Gras beaded necklaces, avoiding putting them in the mouth, and not giving them to children without supervision. The lead content of the beads is recognized as a health threat, even by officials in Louisiana, the epicenter for Mardi Gras celebrations in this country. A fact sheet from the Louisiana Department of Health warns that “Some beads and throws may contain lead and there may be lead in the soil along the parade routes.” As the good times roll at Mardi Gras, float by float, the throws filter through the crowd to the roads and sidewalks below—beads, trinkets, and Moon Pies—covering the ground in a layer of Each Mardi Gras, 25 million pounds of beads hit the streets of New Orleans. an environmental scientist named Dr. Howard Mielke was directly involved in the legal efforts to phase out lead in Product Description: It isn't a Mardi Gras festival without beads, and our mega bulk assortment includes enough jewelry for all your Mardi Gras party pals! Adorn all your celebration guests with these colorful Mardi Gras Party Supply Beads to wear and share! They're also fun for throwing from parade floats. Here’s how we made that discovery: FOX10 News Investigates hired a local laboratory, Pace Analytical, to test 20 different beads, purchased from two major throws stores in Mobile, for lead content. At eMardiGrasBeads.com, we have everything you need to make your parties memorable events.Whether it’s New Year’s Eve, Mardi Gras, or Halloween that you’re celebrating, or a themed birthday party you’re in the midst of planning, you can’t go wrong with our huge supply of awesome party favors in a variety of styles and colors to suit your needs. This is anecdotal, but I started hearing about kids that had no exposure to lead in their homes but would have high lead levels from playing with Mardi Gras beads. It was really important to me to get the news out since I’m a mom and a medical doctor. Many people treat Mardi Gras like it’s an adult holiday, but it is largely a family holiday. Parade-goers vie for beads and trinkets during the Krewe of Proteus Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans, Monday, Feb. 16, 2015. The day is known as Lundi Gras, the day before Mardi Gras.
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