The Associated Press reports the U.S. jewelry industry will limit the amount of the toxic metal cadmium in children’s jewelry trinkets sold in this country in new rules set last week. The rules were established by the ASTM International organization, which develops standards for industry and testing labs. The limits are voluntary and follow at least one year of cadmium-related recalls of about 300,000 items of children’s jewelry.
Fair Warning reports this is part of a movement to push back on tough anti-cadmium laws that some states have approved. Cadmium is a known carcinogen and can be released in alarmingly high levels if a child puts the jewelry or their hands in their mouth. Much of the cadmium-containing jewelry is made in China.
The new standard approved by ASTM International would limit cadmium in items to no more than 0.03 percent. That limit was part of a legal settlement reached between the Target and Gap retail chain stores and the Oakland-based Center for Environmental Health.
Some states have a lower cap standard for cadmium and are resisting the business-backed standard but the U.S. jewelry industry says the stricter rules create chaos from importers and manufacturers. Since the new rules are voluntary they do not trump state limits but the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission will use them to decide whether to pursue future recalls.
States with cadmium laws are California, Maryland, Connecticut, Minnesota and Illinois. Florida, New York and Massachusetts have pending legislation.
A product that is defective and causes injury can not only be the subject of a recall but of a product liability lawsuit for its defective design, manufacture or for failure to warn consumers of the dangers. Farah & Farah’s product liability attorneys in Jacksonville are experienced in handling these sometimes complex cases. Call us with any questions at 1-800-533-3555 and we’ll offer you a complimentary consultation.
