How many people have ever heard of cadmium? If you haven’t, know that it’s highly toxic, especially for kids.
Photo by BulletproofBlog.
Cadmium is a cheap heavy metal used for a number of purposes including as part of creating paint colors applied to children’s toys and play jewelry.
The dangerous health effects from acute and chronic exposure to cadmium in both people and animals.
These findings though seem of little consequence to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which is suggesting that manufacturers be allowed to increase the allowable levels cadmium in children’s toys and play jewelry.
The labor department finds that a one-time exposure to a large amount of cadmium can result in flu-like symptoms such as weakness, fever, headaches, chills, sweating and muscular pain. Acute pulmonary edema usually develops within 24 hours and reaches a maximum by three days.
With luck and a good immune system, if death from asphyxia doesn’t occur, symptoms may resolve within a week, according to the department.
Chronic exposure to high levels of cadmium can have other costs. The labor department finds that:
The most serious consequences of chronic cadmium poisoning is cancer (lung and prostate). The first observed chronic effect is generally kidney damage. Cadmium is also believed to cause pulmonary emphysema and bone diseases (osteomalcia and osteoporosis).
The latter has been observed in Japan, where residents were exposed to cadmium in rice crops irrigated with cadmium-contaminated water. Cadmium may also cause anemia, teeth discoloration, and loss of [sense of] smell.
The concern has been widespread. In February 2010, cadmium was found in an entire line of Wal-Mart exclusive Miley Cyrus jewelry, discovered in an investigation by the Associated Press. Pressure forced Wal-Mart to stop selling the jewelry, but it took until June 2010.
Also in June 2010, McDonald’s voluntarily recalled more than 12 million collectable “Shrek Forever After 3D” drinking glasses because of concerns over cadmium levels in the paints used on the glasses.
Recalled McDonald’s collectable “Shrek” glasses. Photo courtesy of Christian Science Monitor.
Despite public concerns and findings from the labor department, the CPSC sent a report to the American Society for Testing and Materials suggesting that it would be acceptable to have toys and play jewelry containing about three times the cadmium levels currently allowable today.
The Toy Industry Association said in a recent industry statement that:
The level was raised from 0.03 micrograms per day for every kilogram of a child’s body weight to 0.1 micrograms per kilogram per day.
Under the CPSC’s newly proposed cadmium limits, several of the 14 children’s jewelry items tested by the Associated Press as part of its investigation in January [of last year] would have passed the CPSC’s proposed test. Similarly, the 12 million “Shrek” glasses pulled by McDonald’s last spring would not be deemed unsafe [today].
It could be speculated that the toy industry, which is the only one that has something to gain from relaxing the cadmium regulations, had something to do with the suggested changes.
Last April, representatives of the Toy Industry Association, the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association, the Fashion Jewelry Trade Association, and the American Apparel and Footwear Association meet with technical staff of the CPSC to provide updates on their uses of cadmium and other heavy metals.
The Toy Industry Association has also recently formed a “task group” to examine whether further updates to the U.S. toy safety system are needed. Participants in the task group include: Wal-Mart, TRU, Target, and Disney.
When profits and children’s safety clash, which wins when industry leaders are in charge of the decision making process?
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