Page 28 - aruba-today-20181013

A28 SCIENCE
Saturday 13 OctOber 2018

AP Exclusive: Tests show toxin in chain stores’ jewelry

were sold at Ross, which
operates more than 1,400
stores in 38 states. One
pendant from a necklace
chain was 100 percent
cadmium, according to
the testing.
In a written statement, Ross
said it is committed to pro-
tecting its customers and
has “addressed this issue
with our supplier.” The re-
tailer would not say wheth-
er it pulled suspect jewelry
from stores.
The brands found with high
cadmium levels in Ross
stores include Tacera and
Vibe Sportswear.
Xinwei Xie, chief executive
officer at Trend Textile Inc.,
which owns Tacera, de-
clined to comment when
reached by phone. The
Skate Group Inc., which
owns Vibe Sportswear, did
not respond to multiple re-
quests for comment.
Steven Kim, an attorney
representing Papaya, said
the company has recalled
This Sept. 20, 2018, photo provided by the Center for Environmental Health (CEH) in Oakland, Calif., shows jewelry items loaded with the products where con-
the toxic metal cadmium they bought from the shelves of national retailers, at the center in Oakland. tamination was found and
Associated Press stopped buying from the
By ARIEL TU vestigation that found Chi- elry. The precise health risk cadmium in it, I would take manufacturer in China.
Associated Press nese manufacturers were from the tested jewelry is the product without cad- “Our manufacturers are
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jew- using the metal to make unclear because research- mium.” required to represent and
elry with the toxic metal kids’ jewelry. States includ- ers did not assess whether The Oakland-based non- warrant that their products
cadmium is showing up ing California outlawed small amounts shed when profit bought all the test are in legal compliance,”
on the shelves of national cadmium in children’s the jewelry is handled and samples in the San Fran- Kim said. “Papaya is very
retailers including Ross, jewelry, and testing by the worn. cisco Bay Area this year or strict and stops doing busi-
Nordstrom Rack and Pa- center found the chemical Over time, cadmium ac- last. The extent to which ness with any manufacturer
paya, according to newly had virtually disappeared cumulates in the body and contaminated jewelry is in which fails to comply.”
released test results. from jewelry by 2012. can damage the kidneys stores elsewhere isn’t clear, Nordstrom spokeswom-
Analysis done for the non- No laws address cadmium and bones. Most exposure though a national retailer an Emily Sterken said the
profit Center for Environ- in adult jewelry, however, happens by ingesting small would not typically limit a company is “reaching out
mental Health revealed and last year the center amounts or by breathing product to just one region. to these vendors to make
some jewelry sold with decided to check those it, most commonly through The center said the prob- them aware of the situation
women’s dresses and shirts products. Lab testing found tobacco, which can con- lem should not be under- and get more information
was nearly pure cadmium, 31 adult jewelry items pur- tain cadmium. Research- estimated because of the on these items.”
which can cause cancer chased from retail stores ers also have documented limited market sampling. The Center for Environmen-
and reproductive harm af- were at least 40 percent some absorption through “If you’re the person that tal Health has long used
ter prolonged exposure. cadmium, and most were skin contact, though the buys and is wearing that California law to force
Consumer advocates were more than 90 percent, ac- phenomenon is not well- jewelry, you don’t really companies to reduce lev-
hopeful cadmium had dis- cording to results shared studied. care whether it’s a com- els of harmful materials in
appeared from the U.S. exclusively with the AP. Michael Harbut, a prac- mon problem or a rare consumer products, includ-
jewelry market following California’s law allows no ticing doctor who as a problem,” said Caroline ing cadmium and lead in
changes prompted by a more than 0.03 percent university professor has Cox, senior scientist at the jewelry. Under the state’s
2010 Associated Press in- cadmium in children’s jew- researched cadmium’s center. “You have a prob- Proposition 65, businesses
cancer-causing properties, lem.” must inform consumers
noted that contact can Brent Cleaveland, execu- about significant exposures
trigger skin rashes including tive director of the Fashion to chemicals that cause
psoriasis. Jewelry and Accessories cancer or other reproduc-
“Cadmium is bad,” said Trade Association, said he tive harm. The nonprofit
Harbut, who teaches at does not believe the test has settled Proposition 65
Michigan State University’s results suggest a larger claims against 36 compa-
College of Human Medi- problem. Most major retail- nies, including Gap Inc.
cine. “Given a choice be- ers have a stringent system and Target Corp., which
tween wearing something for testing and analyzing agreed to not sell jewelry
with cadmium in it, or what they sell, he said. with more than 0.03 per-
wearing something without Most of the tainted items cent cadmium.q