Are Zinc-Core Wicks Safe, and Are Lead Wicks Banned?

Lead-cored candle wicks are banned in the US. The rule is 16 CFR 1500.17(a)(13), from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). It lets a candle or a wick have a metal core only if the lead in that core is 0.06 percent or less of the core's weight. Zinc is the usual metal core. The rule never names it, but the CPSC's 2003 news release lists zinc among the "safe alternatives" to lead cores. I am a candle maker, not a lawyer or a doctor, so this page reports what the rule and its sources say, and gives no legal or medical advice.

What does the lead rule say?

The CPSC's final rule was published April 18, 2003 and took effect October 15, 2003. Its summary says it is "banning such wicks and candles with such wicks," meaning metal-cored wicks with more than 0.06 percent lead by weight in the metal.

The text in the eCFR, paragraph (a)(13)(i), covers candles "manufactured or imported on or after October 15, 2003, made with metal-cored candlewicks, unless" two things are true:

• "The metal core of each candlewick has a lead content (calculated as the metal) of not more than 0.06 percent of the total weight of the metal core"
• Each outer container or wrapper the candles are shipped in is labeled "Conforms to 16 CFR 1500.17(a)(13)." The rule says the outer container does not mean the immediate container displayed at retail, unless that is also the only container shipped to a retailer.

Paragraph (a)(13)(ii) says the same for metal-cored candlewicks sold on their own. The 2003 notice says the final rule dropped the record-keeping and tracking the proposal had. The CPSC's candle page does list a certificate today, covered under Questions below.

What is a zinc-core wick?

Lone Star describes it as a cotton wick around a zinc wire center. The wire holds it upright while the candle is poured and lit, and it suits votives, pillars, small containers and gel. Lone Star calls it "the modern replacement for the lead-core wicks banned long ago," and says it does not recommend zinc-core wicks in soy. The CPSC's 2003 news release says candles with a metal wick core most likely contain zinc.

So are zinc cores safe?

The CPSC's 2003 news release says: "Safe alternatives to lead-cored wicks, including zinc, synthetic fibers, cotton and paper, are used by most candle and candle wick manufacturers." That is the most direct line I found. It is a 2003 news release, not the rule's text and not a test of zinc. What else I can report:

• The rule is about lead in the core, not about which metal it is. CPSC staff say in the 2003 notice that the metal's lead content, not its physical attributes, is the important thing.
• The notice says zinc-cored wicks have trace amounts of lead, about 0.01 percent, well under the 0.06 percent limit.
• It also says you cannot tell by looking at a wick core whether it is lead, and that lead in a wick can only be found by laboratory analysis.
• Atkins & Pearce, a wick maker, says its zinc-core wicks have a maximum lead content of 0.004 percent. It also says lead occurs naturally so it cannot call its wicks completely free of lead, but that its regular testing has found none detectable. That is a company's statement, not an independent test.
• Zinc does leave the wick when it burns. Nriagu and Kim (2000) measured 14 brands of metal-core wick candles sold in Michigan and report zinc emissions of 1.2 to 124 micrograms an hour. The abstract, which is all I read, raises its health concern about lead and gives no verdict on zinc.

Beyond the news release, I did not find a CPSC statement on any effect of zinc itself. If that matters to you, ask a health professional or a lawyer.

Worked example: what the percentages mean

Say a zinc core weighs 0.50 g. That weight is an example.

• At the 0.06 percent limit: 0.50 x 0.0006 = 0.0003 g, or 0.3 mg of lead
• At the 0.01 percent in the CPSC notice: 0.50 x 0.0001 = 0.00005 g, or 0.05 mg
• At Atkins & Pearce's 0.004 percent maximum: 0.50 x 0.00004 = 0.00002 g, or 0.02 mg

Compared with the limit, 0.06 / 0.01 = 6 and 0.06 / 0.004 = 15. So those figures sit 6 and 15 times under the limit. This only shows what a percent of a core weight means. It says nothing about what burning does.

How do I check the wicks I buy?

• Ask the supplier in writing whether the wick has a metal core. Many cotton and paper wicks do not.
• If it does, ask for its lead content and how it was tested. Keep the answer with your batch records.
• Do not mix up "lead-free" and "zinc-free." They are different claims.

Common mistakes

• Assuming "zinc" means "no lead." The rule limits lead, and a lead claim needs a lead answer.
• Assuming a wick has no metal because it looks like cotton.
• Buying unlabeled wicks from a reseller who cannot name the maker.

Questions

Are lead wicks banned for all candles?

The rule's text covers candles and candlewicks "manufactured or imported on or after October 15, 2003" with metal cores over the lead limit. The CPSC's news release describes the ban as covering manufacturing, importing or selling, for domestic and imported candles alike. For what it means for your business, ask the CPSC or a lawyer.

Do I need the "Conforms to 16 CFR 1500.17(a)(13)" statement on my candles?

That wording is for the outer container or wrapper used to ship candles with metal-cored wicks, as quoted above. The CPSC's candle page says it goes on the shipping package or outer wrapping as shipped to retailers, and does not need to be on the retail packaging itself. Whether it applies to you is a question for the CPSC or a lawyer.

Do I need a certificate for metal-cored wicks?

The CPSC's candle page says manufacturers and importers of products under a CPSC ban must certify them with a General Certificate of Compliance (GCC). For metal-cored candlewicks and candles using them, it gives the citation 16 CFR § 1500.17(a)(13), "Metal-cored candlewicks." It also says there is no certification requirement for wicks with nonmetal cores or candles that use them. If you pour with zinc-core wicks, ask whether this reaches you: the page lists the CPSC's Small Business Ombudsman at (888) 531-9070.

Can soot or smoke tell me if a wick has lead?

No. The 2003 notice says one cannot tell whether lead is being released by looking at smoke or soot. See our soot guide for what soot does tell you.