TOXIC Cadmium found in Chinese-made toys

Facts on Cadmium:

• Cadmium is low cost.
• Cadmium is shiny and strong
• Cadmium is malleable at low temperatures.

That makes it the perfect raw material for inexpensive jewelry pendants, charms, and other similar items for kids. Right?? Only...

• Cadmium is more toxic than lead.
• Cadmium can contribute to cancer, weak bones, ill-functioning kidneys & learning disabilities.
• Cadmium can be breathed in or absorbed by sucking or biting on something with high-cadmium levels...not just by swallowing something with cadmium.
• Cadmium was found at levels at as high 91% in children's jewelry charms in a recent Associated Press investigation!!

Sounds bad, eh? It gets worse!! According to the AP, "a patchwork of federal consumer protection regulations does nothing to keep these nuggets of cadmium from U.S. store shelves. If the products were painted toys, they would face a recall. If there were industrial garbage, they could qualify as hazardous waste. But because there are no cadmium restrictions on jewelry, such items were sold legally."

WHAT?? These charms & pendants would qualify as HAZARDOUS WASTE, yet it is legal to sell these shiny toxic nuggets as baubles targeted to children???

In an article in today's Star-Tribune, the AP reports that Chinese manufacturers brazenly admit that they are just making what their clients want. That if distributors/consumers want low-cost goods, then Chinese manufacturers will use low-cost raw materials, regardless of the health risks or even existing export regulations, since they know that enforcement is somewhere between lax and nonexistent!

And what's even more scary to me is that the AP reported that "many Chinese manufacturers combine hazardous batches with others that comply with regulations in the destination market." Which means that the likelihood of a spot-check or random sample to identify toxic jewelry is almost nil.

So, what are we to do as consumers and parents?

• Contact our elected officials to make sure they know about the issue and put stiff regulations into effect...and provide the resources for enforcement, as well as penalties for US companies who knowingly import these 'toxic nuggets.' UPDATE: Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) just released a draft of a bill to ban cadmium. Contact Sens. Al Franken & Amy Klobuchar and urge them to sign on as co-sponsors.
  
• Until that...I am going to avoid ANYTHING made in China that could potentially be licked, breathed in, swallowed, etc... Clearly, just because it is on store shelves does not mean it is safe. Besides, most of that cheap stuff is not recyclable nor compostable, and the negative environmental impacts of its manufacture, shipping, and disposal are not palatable anyway. Yes, that may mean just throwing away treats from birthday party goodie bags, but hey...it's worth it.

Other ideas? Suggestions? Advice? Make a comment and share with all of us!