More Dangerous Cadmium Being Used in Toys, Trinkets in Place of Lead

[SRL]

Here's an article about how manufacuturers are substituting the metal cadmium to get around restrictions on lead. Cadmium is a carcinogen and causes developmental problems and the article states it's actually more dangerous than lead.

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/34793600/ns/health-kids_and_parenting/

 

[runawaybunny]

uuggghhh, how can anyone knowingly do something like that? Unconscionable...

 

[GoingNorth]

It is unconscionable, but these are the same "trade partners" who poisoned thousands of their children (and those in other parts of Asia as well) with baby formula adultrated with melamine.

Melamine also killed hundreds of pets in this country when pet food ingredients were adulterating with the same ingredient used in baby formula.

Sad to say it, but I am not really surprised. It seems to be an ongoing pattern.

 

[SRL]

Unconscionable is right. They only care about profit.

The US consumer warnings on this one is strong and unprecendented which means it's too widespread. Not recall or refund, but to take them from your children and toss them.

I'm going through my daughter's jewelry box today. I know she's got some Claire's stuff in there.

LOS ANGELES – The warnings from the nation's chief product safety officer were unprecedented: Don't give your child any of that cheap metal jewelry you've been hearing about. And don't let your young ones play with it either — those shiny $3.99 bracelets and charms could contain toxic cadmium or lead, almost definitely imported from China.
The initial advice Wednesday from U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission chairman Inez Tenenbaum contained plenty of don'Tourette's Syndrome — but didn't say what to do with the jewelry if you have it. When pressed, Tenenbaum's spokesman Scott Wolfson explained parents should grab the trinkets and toss them. Just be sure to "safely dispose" of the merchandise under applicable state and federal environmental law.

 

[flutterby]

According to The Columbus Dispatch a couple of days ago, Walmart and Claire's are pulling the jewelry from their shelves.

 

[SRL]

I have a feeling this is only the tip of the iceberg. Cheap jewelry comes from so many sources that most of what my daughter had is untracable--Claire's, birthday parties (ie packages from Oriental Trading), thrift shops, adult jewelry bought on clearance. It sounds like the testing focused on children's trinkets but imagine the fallout if it expands to adult stuff as well.

She was willing to give up most of us but there was a favorite bracelet and necklace we know came from Claire's that she's not too happy to part with.

 

[TerryJ2]

It's best to steer away from any product from China these days. In our greedy consumer minds, we want more, NOW. And we've got to stop it, and stop demanding it all cheaply, aka, from China.

When I was a college art student, we had all sorts of warnings about not licking our brushes to get a good point, especially when we were using cadmium, cobalt, and titanium. They're great on the canvas, not in your mouth!