It looks like we're on another heavy metal ride with Chinese-made children's toys.
Barred from using lead in children's jewelry because of its toxicity, some Chinese manufacturers have been substituting the more dangerous heavy metal cadmium in sparkling charm bracelets and shiny pendants being sold throughout the United States, an Associated Press investigation shows.Many of the poisonous toys were found on Walmart shelves. So much for that company's Toy Safety Net inspection program announced a year and a half ago.
...A patchwork of federal consumer protection regulations does nothing to keep these nuggets of cadmium from U.S. store shelves. If the products were painted toys, they would face a recall. If they were industrial garbage, they could qualify as hazardous waste. But since there are no cadmium restrictions on jewelry, such items are sold legally.
Congress needs to close this loophole immediately.
