Cadmium in Children's Jewelry

I've been digging into Cadmium and whether it's found in products intended for use by children. I'm particularly interested in children's products because kids are more vulnerable to chemical toxicities than are adults.

Anyway, Cadmium has reportedly been found in cheap jewelry sold by retailers like Claire's, Wal-Mart, and Target. Here's a link to a CBS story re Claire's, Wal-Mart, and Cadmium jewelry. Here's a link to TheSmartMama.com's investigation re Target.

Rather than characterizing what I've found about the nasty characteristics of Cadmium, here are a few links: Scorecard's summary; National Toxicology Program substance profile; International Agency for Research on Cancer.

And, by the way, human exposure can be via the dermal route. See e.g., Godt, et al., “The toxicity of cadmium and resulting hazards for human health”,Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology 2006, 1:22.

Rule on Lead Safety

The New York Times reported yesterday that the EPA is now on track to implement a regulation requiring the construction industry to help prevent lead poisoning in children. Congress reportedly passed the legislation in 1992, but it took a lawsuit by environmental and public interest groups to pressure EPA to issue the rule. Click here to read the article.