walmart pulls suspected poison jewelry - the jewelry store

On Monday, federal and state regulators opened up a new front in a campaign to stop China from importing poison, with Wal-Mart investigating high levels of cadmium in children's jewelry, at the same time, Wal-Mart removed many suspicious items from store shelves.
A day after The Associated Press recorded the pollution incident in a survey report, senior U. S.
Consumer safety regulators have warned Asian manufacturers not to replace lead in children's hanging bracelets and pendants with other toxins.
Regulators and lawmakers responded quickly to the AP report, which found that some Chinese manufacturers have been using cadmium, sometimes very high.
In 2008, Congress imposed restrictions on lead in these products, but the harm of cadmium was even greater.
Melissa Hill, Wal-Mart spokeswomanWal-Mart Stores Ltd.
It said the AP findings were "disturbing ".
She said that as the world's largest retailer, the company has a special responsibility to "act quickly" and we are doing so.
CBS News polls show controversial police footage showing protesters and lawmakers in Hong Kong expressing anger at imported products. Sen.
Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat, said he was reviewing laws regulating such substances to decide whether repairs were needed.
"Parents are angry to learn that certain jewelry manufacturers overseas think they can quickly pull a piece of jewelry at the expense of the safety of our children," Democratic Senator said . ".
Mark Pryor, Arkansas, has been supporting stricter rules for children's products.
As we all know, cadmium can cause cancer. it is a soft, white metal that naturally exists in the soil.
This is probably half of the most famous charged nickel.
Cd batteries are also used in pigments, plating and plastics.
Cadmium is attractive to Chinese manufacturers because it is cheap and easy to use.
But recent research has shown that, like lead, it can hinder very young brain development.
In a recorded speech scheduled for Tuesday in Hong Kong, the US presidentS.
The Consumer Product Safety Committee urges other countries to ensure that manufacturers do not replace lead with cadmium, antimony or tin in children's products.
"All of us should be committed to maintaining the dangerous or toxic levels of heavy metals. . .
"Toys and children's products," Inez Tenenbaum said in a note at an international toy safety conference . ".
Tenenbaum pointed out the CD with special vigilance and said: "Voluntary efforts will only make us go further.
The committee immediately said it would investigate the findings of the Associated Press and promised to "take action to protect children's safety as soon as possible ".
Richard Blumenthal, Attorney General of Connecticut, also said on Monday that his office will investigate the content of cadmium in some products, especially clothing jewelry.
Blumenthal will not say if he is looking into a particular merchant.
We are interested in any retail store that sells jewelry that may contain cadmium, instead of "picking out any store," he said ".
Senator of New YorkJames S.
Alexi said he would make legislation to ban the sale of cadmium in jewelry in the state.
"We have to take immediate action to keep these contaminated jewelry out of the hands of children and reduce their exposure to toxic substances," said Republican Alesi . ".
103 low-content laboratory tests were performed on AP
Price for children's jewelry such as charm bracelets and pendants all over the country.
Almost all of them are imported from China.
The cadmium content of 12 items is calculated at least 10% by weight.
One has an amazing 91% and the other has more than 80%.
The government has no restrictions on cadmium in jewelry.
Children can be exposed by sucking or biting this jewelry.
But most people will not experience the worst effects without direct contact: cancer, kidneys that leak important proteins, and bones that spontaneously break.
The worrying result is a bracelet charm test sold at Wal-Mart Stores, jewelry chain Claire's and another $ N store.
Princess and frog also detected a large amount of cadmium in the movie. Theme pendantEighty-
Nine items are free of cadmium. U. S. -
S. -based trading groups and distributors and sellers of cadmium-containing jewelry say their products meet safety standards.
Cadmium is regulated in painted toys, but not in jewelry.
CD specialist in Beijing office of Asian Metals Co. , Ltd.
According to a market research and consulting firm, the product of cadmium is usually targeted at the domestic market in China.
"This is just the latest example of the country's need for a stronger consumer safety law, especially for products made and sold for children, said the representative: "This again shows why products from China should be subject to additional scrutiny. ". Rosa L.
Connecticut Democrat DeLauro
"Between children's jewelry, contaminated milk and contaminated pet food, China has a long history of producing unsafe products, the United StatesS.
We should continue to be vigilant about all products imported from China.
"A 2008 law limits lead in children's products and makes factories scrambling to find alternatives.
At about the same time, the price of cadmium has dropped, in part because of nickel
The CD battery is rapidly being replaced by an updated design.
In her speech, Tenenbaum praised the manufacturer for giving up the lead in the product to a large extent.
Tests running for AP found few clues.
The jewelry test was conducted by Jeff weiddenhammer, a chemistry professor at Ashland University, Ohio, who has provided the government with results over the past few years, showing the high among the products that were later recalled
His test of the Associated Press children's jewelry also showed that some items are prone to come off of cadmium, which has heightened concerns about exposure to children.
"Obviously, there should be some care for toxic metals like cadmium to make sure that there won't be high levels of items that end up falling into the hands of the children," said Weidenhamer.
"There's nothing you can say for sure about this metal.
"It's poison," said Bruce.
Fowler, American expert and toxicologist in cadmiumS.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Of the agency's top 275 priority lists of the most harmful substances in the environment, cadmium ranks first7. If the cadmium-
Industrial waste, which is loaded with jewelry, can be identified as hazardous waste.
However, since there are no restrictions on cadmium in jewelry, these items are legally sold.
Although the federal government has handled sporadic complaints for at least two years, it has never recalled any of its cadmium items.
CPSC cited "upward trend" in the report of cadmium-containing products ". Private-
Industry testing confirmed this.
According to the requirements of the Associated Press, two laboratories each year analyze more than thousands of children's products and check their data.
Both said they found more than 300 cadmium in a project.
Current federal restrictions on lead
Increase from around 0.
5% of the tests were about 2 in 2007.
2% test in 2009.
However, Sheila.
Miller, a lawyer at the Fashion Jewelry Trade Association, said members did not notice a "broad alternative" to cadmium ".
Now jewelry manufacturers often choose zinc, a safer alternative, she says.
Some child advocates were not assured.
"If they replace another chemical with one chemical. . .
They need to have some indication that it's a safe thing to do in a product that a child is going to use, "said Nancy Cowles, director of dangerous children in Chicago --
Non-profit organizations that advocate the safety of children's products.
"We already know it's unsafe for cadmium.