Avoid Jewelry from Claire's, Dollar Stores and Walmart (AP reports toxic cadmium replaced lead)

** Update:  Walmart pulled the cadmium jewelry this yesterday!**


Ever since I learned about the 4 year old boy who died from acute lead poisoning after chewing on a charm that came with Reebok sneakers, I have been highly concerned about jewelry made for children, and imported from China.


Lead has been found in astounding amounts in cheap jewelry found in popular chain stores.  Back in December, I reported about VPIRG's Trouble in Toyland report and wrote this:


"Be very, very afraid of the store Claires. Lots of cheap, toxic, China made jewelry and trinkets. A cell phone charm purchased by VPRIG contained 71 percent lead. That is enough to cause accute lead poisoning which is fatal, if a child were to chew and suck on it. Claire's claims they don't sell this product anymore. "


Jewelry falls into a no man's land for regulation.  I saw this first hand when I testified at the Vermont Legislature for greater regulation about lead in everyday products, including jewelry.  According to this article and test results reported by the AP, cadmium use in on the rise, and it fall between the regulatory cracks:


"A patchwork of federal consumer protection regulations does nothing to keep these nuggets of cadmium from U.S. store shelves. If the products were painted toys, they would face a recall. If they were industrial garbage, they could qualify as hazardous waste. But since there are no cadmium restrictions on jewelry, such items are sold legally."


Apparently just as the CPSC reform act of 2008 was reducing the use of lead in products, cadmium prices fell.  What is the problem with using cadmium?


According to the article, cadmium is a carcinogenic.  And according to the Ecology Center and healthystuff.org, cadmium:


"Depending on the level of exposure, cadmium has been linked to:

• Cadmium exposure is associated in animal studies with developmental effects, including possible decreases in birth weight, delayed sensory-motor development, hormonal effects, and altered behavior (Schantz 2001).
• Cadmium can cause adverse effects on the kidney, lung and intestines (ATSDR 2005).
• Cadmium is classified as a known human carcinogen, associated with lung and prostate cancer. (Huff 2007).
• Exposure to cadmium can result in bone loss and increased blood pressure (Gilbert 2004).
• Acute toxicity from ingestion of high levels of cadmium can result in abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and death (Gilbert 2004)."

The European Union has restricts the use of cadmium in toys, and California and Washington have some restrictions as well. The U.S. has some new standards for cadmium (from the 2008 CPSC reform act), but they don't apply to jewelry.  Great.  

The CPSC, since hearing of this testing and article, have launched an investigation about cadmium use in products.  They've received numerous complaints about it in various products, including toys.  I've noticed cadmium in many of the toys reviewed over at healthystuff.org.  

In the AP article, the companies selling toxic jewerly to our children can honesty say they have met all the regulatory standards for safety (for lead and phthalates), and they do in the article.  

The problem is, their the products they are selling are still toxic to our children.  How is it okay for companies to say they are meeting regulatory standards, but to use an known equally toxic chemical in a product for our children and make money from it?

Some of the jewelry tested has so much cadmium that they would be treated as hazardous waste, if they were the result of manufacturing.  Read the article to see the different kinds types of jewelry (from Claire's, Walmart, Dollar N More Store) that contained between 82 and 91 percent cadmium.  

Tired Parents Action Steps:

• Avoid buying any jewelry from coin operated machines, Walmart, Claire's or Dollar Stores (I say this with serious empathy for parents of pre-teen girls who love this stuff).
• Advocate for national standards to eliminate cadmium in all products (I'll post here any actions steps I come across).  
• Tell your friends about this.  No child should be exposed to a cancer causing toxic metal.  
• Be careful with play jewelry that you don't know where it came from.
• If your child has jewelry from these stores, it could contain lead or cadmium.  Take it away, or if your child is older, explain why she shouldn't put the jewelry anywhere near her mouth.  

Here's a quote I couldn't agree more with, from the AP article, reported by ABC news:

"It comes down to the following: Cadmium causes cancer. How much cadmium do you want your child eating?" said Michael R. Harbut, a doctor who has treated adult victims of cadmium poisoning and is director of the environmental cancer program at the Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit. "In my view, the answer should be none."