Ban cadmium from children's jewelry: U.S. senator

Reports of high cadmium content in children's jewelry imported from China have prompted a senior U.S. senator to press for legislation that would ban the toxic heavy metal from those products and toys.

Democratic Senator Charles E. Schumer was to present details of his proposal Wednesday. It is the first specific legislative fix promised by a member of Congress following an Associated Press investigation that documented high levels of cadmium in jewelry bought at major chain stores in the United States.

Several of the chains wherethe news agencypurchased the jewelryhave numerous outlets in Canada, including Wal-Mart and Claire's. Health Canada is conducting its own investigation, including sampling and testing children's jewelry for cadmium levels.

Cadmium can hinder brain development in young children, according to recent research, and is known to cause cancer.

Lab tests conducted for the The Associated Press on 103 pieces of low-priced children's jewelry found 12 items with cadmium content above 10 per cent of the total weight. Some were as much as 90 per cent cadmium.

"There is enough evidence about how dangerous this metal is that we must take action immediately so no more children are put in harm's way," Schumer said. "It's time to get this toxic metal out of children's jewelry and toys and keep it out."

Other members of Congress have suggested that legislation might be necessary.

Congress passed a major consumer product safety overhaul in 2008, following a series of recalls of Chinese-made goods. That law barred the use of lead in products for children under 12; in response, some Chinese jewelry manufacturers have turned to cadmium.

While the Consumer Product Safety Commission has the power to go after items with high cadmium content under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act, the agency has never pursued an enforcement action against a product based on that authority.

Several major retailers have not waited for guidance from government. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. pulled from store shelves several items cited in AP's report, including a charm bracelet and The Princess and The Frog pendants. On Tuesday, the jewelry and accessories store Claire's said it would stop selling a Best Friends charm bracelet.

Chinese agency to examine findings

Meanwhile, an official with China's product safety agency toldThe Associated Pressit would examine the findings on cadmium contamination.

"We just heard about this, and we will investigate," said Wang Xin, a director general for the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.

Officials from two Chinese government-affiliated trade associations the China Toy Association and the Gems and Jewelry Trade Association of China said they had not received any instructions from Beijing to look into cadmium in children's jewelry.

"As far as we know, the big Chinese companies made technological innovation a few years ago, and lead, nickel and cadmium levels all met standards," said Shi Hongyue, secretary general of Gems and Jewelry Trade Association. "We have over 1,000 member companies and we are still looking into the case."

An employee for the China Toy Association, who only gave her surname Qin, said the group hadn't received complaints from "toy-quality inspection departments of other countries."