Warnings issued over cadmium toys, jewelry

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U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar has sent a letter to Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller urging a hearing on the use of cadmium, a poisonous metal, in children’s jewelry and toys manufactured in China.

Klobuchar also sent a letter to Inez Tenenbaum, chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, asking for a prompt investigation into this issue.

“There’s no excuse. Toxic jewelry and toys need to be off our shores and out of our stores,” said Klobuchar. “As a parent, I am outraged to hear that a metal more dangerous than lead could be found in children’s products. Given the safety interests at stake, we need to conduct a full investigation into unsafe products from China and stop this once and for all.”

Recent news reports indicate that Chinese toy manufacturers are now substituting lead with cadmium, a known carcinogen, in toys and jewelry being sold throughout the United States.

Although there are currently no cadmium restrictions on toys and jewelry, cadmium is a poison and if ingested, can hinder brain development and cause other health problems.

Klobuchar, who serves on the Senate Commerce Committee, previously introduced a ban on lead in children’s toys – a provision that was included in the final Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act.

The federal lead ban was prompted by millions of recalls of toxic, lead-tainted toys, and the death of Jarnell Brown, a 4-year-old boy from Minnesota who died after swallowing a toy charm made almost entirely of lead.

Tags: news, klobuchar, cadmium, warning