Toxic Trinkets

(via Harvard's World Health News) An investigation by Florida's Tampa Tribune finds unsafe amounts of lead in inexpensive jewelry marketed to children.

"They're an irresistible buy: cheap children's jewelry and toy trinkets, lining the shelves of some of the nation's best-known retailers. And though consumers snap up these adorable items by the millions, retailers love them even more. They cost little to make overseas and can be highly profitable. But such trinkets are exposing America's children to potentially lethal levels of lead, a cheap bonding agent. The Tampa Tribune conducted an investigation of stores and federal regulations aimed at protecting consumers from such hazardous products. It found: One in three children's trinkets bought randomly in Bay area stores last month contained a level of lead considered a serious health risk to children younger than 6. Two pieces were purchased after in-house or national recalls of the toxic products had been issued, but items remained on local store shelves. Health officials, government regulators and retailers say there's no foolproof system to keep lead-tainted products out of stores, given inconsistent and lax quality controls at overseas factories. About 9 million pieces of children's jewelry have been recalled since 2006, but an understaffed and underfunded U.S. consumer regulatory agency has failed to fine a U.S. retailer or distributor for selling jewelry containing toxic levels. Blame the flood of potential danger on an expanding global marketplace."