Can Plastic Beads Cause Mardi Gras Misfortune? Investigating Toxic Metals and Materials

Plastic beads—an iconic part of Mardi Gras celebrations—may pose hidden risks beyond their festive appeal, as research and product testing have found that many inexpensive throws contain hazardous materials. These cheap, mass-produced necklaces often include metallic coatings and recycled plastics that can harbor toxic heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and cadmium, as well as flame retardants, which in some cases exceed safety limits for children’s products. Because these beads aren’t regulated or screened for toxins during production, they can expose both wearers and the environment to harmful substances, underscoring the importance of material analysis and safer manufacturing practices.

Bead Background

Beads are a colorful symbol of Mardi Gras and are thrown from the many Krewe floats participating in the yearly parades. According to The Historic New Orleans Collection¹, the tradition of tossing throws—trinkets such as beads, doubloons, cups, and decorated coconuts—to spectators during New Orleans Mardi Gras parades began in the 1870s when the Twelfth Night Revelers’ procession included gifts handed out by a costumed Santa, and it evolved in the early 20th century when the Rex parade popularized throwing strings of glass beads to the crowd. Over time these throws grew more elaborate, abundant, and varied (with the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club’s painted coconuts becoming especially coveted), reflecting changing materials and krewe creativity.

According to International Business Times², “The color of the beads was determined by the king of the first daytime Carnival in 1872. He wanted the colors to be royal colors – purple for justice, gold for power and green for faith. The idea was to toss the color to the person who exhibited the color’s meaning….The beads were originally made of glass, which, as you can imagine, weren’t the best for tossing around. It wasn’t until the beads were made of plastic that throwing them really became a staple of Mardi Gras in New Orleans.”

Tens of millions of pounds of painted plastic beads are now thrown and distributed every year.  But therein lies a problem.

The Hidden Danger of Mardi Gras Beads

In the past, many of these cheap plastic beads contained toxic metals, like lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) and were banned because of the health risks.  Unfortunately, despite the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) limits of lead in children’s products to under 100ppm³, there are still many beads out there that contain higher concentrates of those dangerous heavy metals and should be avoided. The non-profit organization, The Ecology Center recently found that one-third (33%) of the samples in their study contained lead at levels higher than 100 parts per million (ppm), the limit allowed in children’s products in the United States. One sample contained lead as high as 472 ppm. Lead is a known neurotoxin. Additional tests on a subset of necklaces found that 12 out of 14 contained a triaryl phosphate chemical. Triaryl phosphates are used as flame retardants or as plasticizers. 

The organization also tested 56 beaded necklaces collected from Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans and parades in Florida. They found bits of chopped up electronic waste (e-waste) inside the beads, along with high levels of toxic chemicals. Smart phones and other electronic devices are made of heavy metals, including lead and are surrounded by plastic “housing” that is infused with flame retardant chemicals. When recycled, these hazardous metals and chemicals are passed on to the new product.

If the manufacturer is using recycled plastic and that plastic hasn’t been screened for toxins, it is then passed along to the consumer.  Last year we wrote about the growing need for plastics identification and sorting in the scrap industry because of the increasing plastics recycling and recovery rates.

In addition, although most Mardi Gras necklaces are made of plastic, many also have shiny colors because many of the inexpensive necklaces are comprised of MOT (Molded on Thread) beads, which are then applied with a metallic finish. The metallic acrylic paint is created by taking a binder made of acrylic polymer resin and water and combining it with powdered metal and pigment to provide the desired color. (See more about metallic beads in this article.)  Those metals may also contain dangerous elements, like lead, mercury, and cadmium. While Mardi Gras beads are not a children’s product, it is not unusual for children to be exposed to the beads or for them to be used as toys.

Analysis Technologies to Help Ensure Safe Plastics and Metals

There are many analysis technologies for polymers and plastics that can be used before, during, and after production. Manufacturers can identify polymers and control impurities through elemental analysis with X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry and elemental analyzers. XRF is ideally suited to analyze and quantify various elements down to sub-ppm levels. It provides critical insight into additives or contaminants, particularly in regulated environments. FTIR, Raman, XPS, and NMR can provide labs with a complete analytical solution for their polymeric materials.

Portable XRF analyzers, which are used by regulatory agencies, manufacturers, and distributors, are helpful in screening consumer products for lead and other toxic metals. By enabling rapid screening of recycled scrap materials, metals, plastics, and paints at the receiving dock and in the warehouse, the chance that hazardous materials will enter the manufacturing process can be limited. Using XRF analyzers during product assembly and in finished goods can greatly reduce the toxic materials from getting shipped out and accidentally ending up on Mardi Gras revelers’ necks.

There is another danger of toxic beads that sometimes gets ignored.  We know that concerns have been raised about hurting a child’s development; but one must also think about the workers who are melting down and working the plastic that goes into the beads. They are touching the plastic and inhaling the dust fumes all day. 

Summary

While Mardi Gras beads are meant to symbolize fun and good fortune, their materials can sometimes tell a more troubling story. Studies show that some plastic throws contain toxic metals and chemicals that pose risks to human health and the environment, especially when produced without safety oversight. Understanding what these festive items are made of highlights the need for better material choices and safer manufacturing—so the celebration doesn’t come with unintended consequences.

If bead and trinket manufacturers utilize the latest metal and plastic analysis technology, both the workers and consumers could benefit, and the only danger that could result from Mardi Gras necklaces would be getting hit in the head when they are being thrown to the crowds.

Editor’s Notes: 

• Mardi Gras 2026 culminates on Tuesday, February 17, 2026
  
• This article was originally bylined by Jonathan Margalit in February, 2016, but has been refreshed, updated with new information, and broken links fixed.

Additional Resources and References

• Polymer Analysis Technologies and Instruments
• Lead Paint Inspection Analyzers
• Infographic: From polymer development and production to plastics recycling

FAQs

1. What technologies are used to detect toxic metals in plastic beads?
Analytical techniques such as X-ray fluorescence (XRF) is commonly used to identify and quantify heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and mercury in recycled materials, plastics and coatings. FTIR, Raman, XPS, and NMR can also provide labs with a complete analytical solution for their polymeric materials.

2. How does XRF analysis work for consumer products?
XRF works by directing X-rays at a material and measuring the characteristic energy emitted by elements in the sample, allowing for rapid, non-destructive screening of metals in finished products like Mardi Gras beads and trinkets.

3. Can these technologies identify chemicals beyond heavy metals?
Yes—techniques such as FTIR and Raman spectroscopy can identify polymer types, additives, and flame retardants, helping researchers understand both the composition and potential risks of plastic materials.

4. How do these technologies support safer manufacturing practices?
By enabling manufacturers to verify raw materials and finished products for hazardous substances, material analysis technologies help improve quality control, ensure compliance with safety standards, and reduce environmental and health risks.

5. Do government agencies use XRF analyzers?
Thermo Scientific Niton portable analyzers are trusted by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the European Union’s Product Safety Enforcement Forum (PROSAFE), and other regulatory agencies to screen consumer products for lead and other regulated elements including barium, antimony, selenium, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, and hexavalent chromium.