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Canwest News Service
OTTAWA – Half of the children's jewelry items tested at the government's product safety laboratory last year were made of almost pure lead.
Health Canada oversaw the targeted testing of 67 suspicious pieces and identified 39 with illegal levels of lead. The results, summarized in an internal report released to Canwest News Service under Access to Information laws, show most items contained lead levels nowhere near the legal limit, set at 0.6 per cent or 600 part per million.
Twenty of the metallic pieces were made of almost pure lead, with levels ranging from 80 per cent lead to 95 per cent lead. These levels, comparable to lead-acid car batteries, were found in such things as an apple-shaped pendant and a key-shaped pendant with a heart.
The worst offender, a plastic wrist band with various metallic charms made of 95 per cent lead, was labelled lead-free, according to Health Canada.
Another 10 items had lead levels ranging from 60 to 79 per cent lead, including mood rings and a happy-face necklace. Two other items were made up of 19 per cent and 43 per cent lead.
The remaining seven pieces of jewelry had lead levels closer to the legal limit, according to the latest market survey.
Wearing jewelry made of lead is not a health risk, but lead poisoning can be fatal if children chew, suck or swallow it. In 2006, a Michigan boy died after ingesting a charm with parts found to be almost pure lead.
In a statement, Health Canada confirmed that it "took action" on the 39 items to ensure they were removed from sale in Canada. The federal government does not have the power to order mandatory recalls of consumer goods under current law, so companies must agree to pull products from the market.
The report does not itemize which country each product comes from but highlights "difficulties of maintaining quality control over imported products."
The problem is not limited to dollar or bargain stores, the report notes.
"Thirty-three per cent came from these discount stores, compared to 57 per cent from various other retail outlets. Ten per cent were tested at wholesalers or distributors.
The results represent a worse compliance rate than in 2006, the report states. In 2006, the highest lead level found in a children's metallic jewelry item was 87 per cent, compared to 92 per cent in 2007.
The results don't surprise Heather Clauzel. That's why the Langley, B.C. mother buys sterling silver jewelry for her five-year old daughter. And this Christmas, Clauzel opted to buy a jewelry making kit with glass beads instead of metallic charms for a seven-year old girl on her shopping list.
"I try to avoid it," Clauzel said of cheap metallic jewelry.
As a result of this compliance problem, coupled with "the large number of items in this product category and the potential for very high, even fatal levels of exposure," Health Canada has decided to step up testing of children's jewelry.
There is some good news, according to the report. While an "exact figure for marketplace compliance cannot be determined," inspectors in most regions of the country found it difficult to obtain appropriate items to sample. This suggests a "marketplace trend to discontinuing the sale of children's metallic jewelry items," the report concludes.
Canada toughened up regulations in April 2005, making it illegal to import or sell children's jewelry that contain more than 0.6 per cent lead.
This move followed overwhelming scientific evidence showing lead is very toxic, especially to children, even at very low levels.
