Cheap jewellery can be toxic!

HEALTH FLASH

Experts have detected alarming levels of harmful chemicals in the composition of low-priced jewellery items targeted at youngsters, which may have dangerous health implications. A non-profit environmental safety organisation found lead, cadmium, chromium, mercury and arsenic among other highly toxic chemicals, in jewellery items. The health issues linked to these substances in past tests on animals and humans comprise acute allergies, birth defects, impaired learning, liver toxicity and cancer. 

    Of the 99 pieces tested Using X-ray fluorescence, 25 per cent contained levels of lead which exceeded the limit of lead permitted in the manufacturing of children's products. "It ends up in the jewellery because it's cheap, it's easy to melt, it makes nice heavy pieces of jewellery and in fact we've found in a lot of the pieces we've tested that are 95 per cent lead by weight, that the alloy composition is almost identical to what you'd find in lead acid car batteries," the report said. 
    Additionally, 10 per cent of the items contained known carcinogen cadmium, most likely because there have been no restrictions on its use. The biggest concern is that children put the necklace pendants and rings in their mouths, chipping and wearing away the thin protective coating. Over time, the levels of cadmium or lead to which a child could be exposed this way is quite dangerous.

BEWARE! Junk items contain harmful chemicals