The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) should be rewritten to restrict the use of hazardous chemicals in low-cost children’s and adult jewelry, states the Ecology Center. The center, along with the Michigan Network for Children’s Environmental Health, has just released a report on the testing of 99 pieces of jewelry from 14 different retailers, including major companies, with outlets in Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, and Vermont.
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Download NowAccording to the reported results, 57 percent of the products tested had a high level of one or more hazardous substances.
“Four products contained over 10 percent cadmium, a known carcinogen,” state the groups. “Fifty percent contained lead, with over half of these containing more than 300 parts per million of lead in one or more components, exceeding the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) limit for lead in children’s products.”
The CPSC was required by the Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act to issue regulations to limit the presence of lead in jewelry intended for children. But the groups report that in 2010, CPSC declined to regulate cadmium in children’s products and instead supported an industry-developed voluntary standard. In the absence of federal requirements, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington have moved to regulate cadmium.