Toxic metal in kids jewelry

Toxic metal commonly found in kids' jewelry
Jan. 10, 2010 01:51 PM
Associated Press

Cadmium is a soft, whitish metal that occurs naturally in soil. It'sperhaps best known as one half of rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries,but also is used in pigments, electroplating and plastic. Lab testing organized by The Associated Press shows that it also is presentin children's jewelry - sometimes at eye-popping levels exceeding 90percent of the item's total weight. Most people get a microscopic dose of the heavy metal just by breathing andeating. Plants, including tobacco, take up cadmium through their roots andpeople absorb it during digestion or inhalation. Without direct exposure,however, people usually don't experience its nasty side: cancer, kidneysthat leak vital protein, bones that spontaneously snap. Cadmium is particularly dangerous for children because growing bodiesreadily absorb substances, and cadmium accumulates in the kidneys for decades. "Just small amounts of chemicals may radically alter development," said Dr.Robert O. Wright, a professor at Harvard University's medical school andschool of public health. "I can't even fathom why anyone would allow foreven a small amount to be accessible." Recent research by Wright found that as cadmium exposure increased, kidswere more likely to report learning disabilities. Dr. Aimin Chen of the University of Cincinnati's medical school also hasstudied how cadmium affects young brains. While lead is the heavy metalmost associated with harming cognitive development, Chen has concluded thatcadmium lowers IQ even more than lead - though cadmium isn't harming theaverage American child because the typical exposure is not as large as lead. Scientists don't know how much cadmium it takes to kill a child. The onlychild's death attributed to cadmium that AP found was a nearly 3-year-oldboy from Toronto. According to a case study published in 1994, an autopsyshowed his brain had swollen; the researchers concluded his exposure camefrom items around his home such as paint pigments, batteries orcadmium-electroplated utensils.