Toxic Metal in Kid's Jewelry from China
After news surfaced that Chinese manufacturers allowed dangerous levels of lead to be present in children’s toys and jewelry, a different substance – cadmium – was used instead. However, a recent associated press investigation has revealed that the heavy metal cadmium which has replaced lead in children’s jewelry is no substitute at all. Cadmium poses many dangers to children as well. Lab tests conducted by the associated press discovered that the most contaminated piece contained 91% cadmium. Bought on a national level, other pieces of jewelry amounted to a weight of 84% to 89% cadmium.
It is no secret that cadmium is a carcinogen and can easily come off of objects, thus contaminating the hands and other body parts of users. As additional concern arose regarding the exposure of this dangerous chemical substance to children, the Associated Press bought 103 items from store locations throughout Texas, New York, California, and Ohio, all during the months of November and December. What they found in the purchased items was that 12% of the jewelry items had at least 10% of cadmium present.
One of the worst offenders sold a contaminated bracelet charm- Wal-Mart, Claire’s, and the dollar stores:
- Three flip flop bracelet charms sold at Wal-Mart – 84 to 86 percent cadmium. The company that imported the items - Sulyn Industries of Florida says the charms were subject to lead testing not cadmium.
- Four charms from two “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” bracelets sold at Dollar N More store in Rochester, NY – 82 to 91 percent cadmium.
- Two charms on a “Best Friends” bracelet bought at Claire’s – 89 to 91 percent cadmium.
- Pendants from four “The Princess and The Frog” necklaces purchased at Wal-Mart – ranged between 25 to 35 percent cadmium.
“There’s nothing positive that you can say about this metal. It’s a poison,” said Bruce A. Fowler with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who is a cadmium specialist and toxicologist.
Many parents and consumers may be wondering why the substance cadmium has become a problem. The answer relates to the fact that federal protection has not involved banning cadmium being in jewelry. However, lead is prevented from being present in and on children’s toys.
Cadmium appears on the CDC priority list of 275 most hazardous substances in the environment ranking in at No. 7.
Interestingly, ranked at number seven, cadmium is on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention list of the 275 most hazardous substances present in the environment.
Never before has the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSSC) honed-in on a product for the presence of cadmium the way it has pursued lead being present. The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 was enacted to protect the health and well-being of children against lead contamination. As a consequence of these recent events, cadmium prices have seen a drastic decrease and Chinese distributors are likely to explore a cheaper lead substitute. However, any substitute for lead should not create further hazardous risks for children or consumers.
For additional information regarding safety alerts for children’s toys or other products, consumers should look-up nonprofit groups such as HealthyStuff.org which keeps an eye on the safety of children’s toys and the CPSC for any children’s products that have been recalled.
Source reports: http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5hk1OO8n4-6nNLKxewsoh1inWgQTg?index=0; http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/federal_register_notice_set_22.pdf
