Feds Investigating Dangerous Cadmium In Children's Jewelry

(Savannah) "It's pretty and the kids like it, and it's not very expensive so you're not breaking the bank buying it." Children's costume jewelry is the last thing Mary Christy Macdonald wants to be worried about. "I have 3 girls so they love jewelry especially my second one, and we do go to the Dollar Store a lot and buy a lot of jewelry. We also go to Walmart and Target when having a birthday party especially a princess party and you want to go each girl gets their own trinkets." Little girls like Lori Kate are crazy about this stuff. It's a big hit in this home for playing dress up and for parties. "This is one of my older daughter's presents that she got from Claire's." An Associated Press investigation of children's jewelry made in china reveals unsafe levels of cadmium.
It's a toxic metal used by Chinese as a substitute for lead. Disturbing news to parents like Mary Christy…"What does worry me from this report is if they put it in their mouth." Now the consumer product safety commission is investigating. "I think it's a reflection of what's happened since we've let the toy manufacturers go over and have child labor in China." Mary Christy says her kids are her pride and joy and their safety matters. From now on she'll be doing her homework before buying what looks perfectly safe. "I will probably try to find out what the ingredients are and I might even act so far as to ah you know write my congressman because the Government should be protecting us." Some of the most toxic items are bracelet charms sold at Walmart, Claire's Jewelry Franchise, and Disney's "The Princess and The Frog" movie-themed pendants. We can't tell just by looking at these items if they are contaminated with cadmium. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission regulates children's jewelry and toys. Scott Wolfson tells News 3 The CPSC takes this to be a very serious matter….We want parents to take information about cadmium and consider the serious nature of lead violations in past to make the best decisions to keep their kids safe.

Here’s a statement sent to WSAV from Walmart…"We know our customers are concerned about product safety, particularly as it relates to children's products, and so are we. We will immediately remove from sale those items identified in recent media reports regarding cadmium while our own investigation is being completed, and until more is known. The findings in this report are troubling and as the world's largest retailer we have a responsibility to take swift action and we're doing so. Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our customers and associates. We will actively participate in the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s investigation, along with suppliers and industry associations, to provide any assistance as they determine what the standards should be."
http://www.cpsc.gov/onsafety/