Yesterday, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Chairman Inez Tenenbaum advised parents to take metal jewelry away from “children who will swallow, suck or chew on it” and that parents should “not allow young children to be given or to play with cheap metal jewelry, especially when they are unsupervised”.
This guidance follows a very recent Associated Press investigation showing cadmium in a piece of children’s jewelry at 91% its weight and in some other pieces of children’s jewelry at more than 80% their weight. You can also read about the story on the CBC.
Cadmium is a heavy metal known to cause lung and prostate cancer. It is also toxic to the gastrointestinal tract, the kidneys, and the respiratory, cardiovascular, and hormonal systems. Unfortunately for parents, there is no easy way to tell whether something contains harmful levels of cadmium or other hazardous metals such a lead. For this reason, watch for recalls listed on the U.S. CPSC website and the Health Canada website.
Click here to read the U.S. CPSC guidance directly.
Janelle WitzelToxic Nation Coordinator
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