More laws are being passed regulating
the amount of cadmium in children’s jewelry, according to Manufacturing Jewelers and Suppliers of America (MJSA).
California legislators recently
introduced a bill that would ban cadmium in children’s jewelry. Connecticut, Minnesota, and Illinois already
have similar laws on the books.
If California governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger signs the bill, the law would prohibit the manufacturing,
shipping, and sale of children’s jewelry or any of the jewelry’s components
containing more than 0.03 percent (300 ppm) of cadmium as determined by a total
weight test. The law would take effect Jan. 1, 2012.
Illinois passed a law in late July
regulating the use of cadmium in children’s products. Both Connecticut and
Minnesota passed cadmium laws in May.
On the federal level, Congresswoman
Jackie Speier (D-CA) has introduced the Toxic Metals
Protection Act (H.R. 5920). The act sets limits on four toxic heavy
metals (antimony, barium, cadmium and chromium) for the surface area of
products intended for use by children (12 years or
younger). The bill appears to follow the solubility testing method defined in the
ASTM International Safety Specification on Toy Safety, but leaves it to the
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to finalize a standard.
MJSA is currently participating in a voluntary
group to produce a new Children’s Jewelry Safety Standard, which will address
the use of all heavy metals (including cadmium) in children’s jewelry, as well
as other potential hazards.
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