Exclusive AP: toxic metal found in store chains & # 039; jewelry
Exclusive AP: toxic metal found in store chains & # 039; jewelry
According to the results of the recently published tests, jewels with toxic cadmium metal appear on the shelves of national retailers, such as Ross, Nordstrom Rack and Papaya.
The analysis conducted for the Center for Non-Profit Environmental Health revealed that some jewelry sold with women's dresses and shirts were almost pure cadmium, which can cause cancer and reproductive damage after prolonged exposure.
Consumer advocates had hoped that cadmium would have disappeared from the US jewelry market. UU Following the changes brought about by a 2010 investigation by The Associated Press in which it was discovered that Chinese manufacturers were using metal to make jewelry for children. The states that include California banned cadmium in children's jewelry, and tests conducted by the center found that the chemist had virtually disappeared from the jewelry for 2012.
However, there are no laws that address cadmium in adult jewelry, and last year the center decided to review those products. Laboratory tests found that 31 adult jewelry items purchased at retail stores had at least 40 percent cadmium, and most were more than 90 percent, according to results shared exclusively with AP.
California law does not allow more than 0.03 percent cadmium in children's jewelry. The precise Health The risk of the jewelery tested is not clear because the researchers did not evaluate whether small quantities were thrown when the jewelery is handled and used.
Over time, cadmium accumulates in the body and can damage the kidneys and bones. Most exposure occurs when small amounts are taken in or breathed in, usually through tobacco, which may contain cadmium. Researchers have also documented some absorption through skin contact, although the phenomenon is not well studied.
Michael Harbut, a practicing physician who as a university professor has investigated the carcinogenic properties of cadmium, observed that contact can trigger skin rashes, including psoriasis.
"Cadmium is bad," said Harbut, who teaches at the School of Human Medicine at Michigan State University. "If I had the option of carrying something with cadmium or carrying something without cadmium, I would take the product without cadmium."
The Oakland-based non-profit organization purchased all test samples in the San Francisco Bay Area this year or in the past. The extent to which contaminated jewelry is found in stores elsewhere is not clear, although a national retailer would not limit a product to a single region.
The center said that the problem should not be underestimated due to the limited market sample.
"If you're the person who buys and wears those gems, you really do not care if it's a common or weird problem," said Caroline Cox, the center's senior scientist. "You have a problem."
Brent Cleaveland, executive director of the Fashion Jewelry and Accessories Trade Association, said he does not think the test results suggest a bigger problem. Most retailers have a strict system to test and analyze what they sell, he said.
Most of the contaminated items were sold at Ross, which operates more than 1,400 stores in 38 states. A pendant on a necklace chain was 100 percent cadmium, according to the tests.
In a written statement, Ross said he is committed to protecting his clients and has "addressed this problem with our supplier." The retailer would not say if he removed suspicious jewelry from the stores.
The brands found with high levels of cadmium in Ross stores include Tacera and Vibe Sportswear.
Xinwei Xie, executive director of Trend Textile Inc., owner of Tacera, declined to comment when contacted by phone. Skate Group Inc., owner of Vibe Sportswear, did not respond to several requests for comments.
Papaya said he considers cadmium in his products a serious problem. Operates more than 100 points of sale throughout the country.
Steven Kim, a lawyer representing Papaya, said the company recalled the products where the contamination was found and stopped buying from the manufacturer in China.
"Our manufacturers are required to represent and guarantee that their products comply with legal compliance," Kim said. "The papaya is very strict and stops doing business with any manufacturer that does not comply."
Nordstrom spokeswoman Emily Sterken said the company is "contacting these suppliers to inform them of the situation and obtain more information about these items."
The Center for Environmental Health has long used California's law to force companies to reduce the levels of harmful materials in consumer products, including cadmium and lead in jewelry.
According to Proposition 65 of the state, companies must inform consumers about significant exposures to chemicals that cause cancer or other reproductive harm. The non-profit organization has resolved the Proposition 65 claims against 36 companies, including Gap Inc. and Target Corp., which agreed not to sell jewelry with more than 0.03 percent cadmium.
That limit for children's jewelry came into effect after the AP reported in 2010 that some Chinese jewelry makers were replacing lead with cadmium, whose use prevented Congress from following a series of imported product safety scandals.
The jewelry industry helped draft voluntary US standards. UU After the AP investigation, but the Consumer Product Safety Commission of EE. UU It did not impose any cadmium limit.
---
Associated Press writer Justin Pritchard contributed to this report.
.
.
SOURCE LINK ERESVIRAL.COM https://www.beviral.online
Comentarios
Publicar un comentario