Cadmium in Kids’ Jewelry: 3 Ways to Stay Safe

The certified lead testing professional are mostly certified because they do lead paint inspections, and the HUD requires certification to participate in that program. A number of them aren't familiar with testing for lead or cadmium in children's toys and jewelry, and may not even have the right equipment. For example, there is an XRF analyzer used for screening for lead in paint that doesn't have a consumer product settings and cannot be used for metal or plastic substrates and won't test for cadmium. If the professional doesn't sound like he or she is familiar with consumer products, then you might want to ask a lab or a consultant that does CPSIA testing. For example, I do XRF testing for Prop 65 and CPSIA and can test for lead and cadmium. I do it by mail or in person, and it may make sense if you have a favorite piece or jewelry. If the jewelry isn't that important, then you may want to get rid of the item instead of testing it.

The best advice for now is don't buy your kids cheap metal jewelry.

Jennifer Taggart

www.thesmartmama.com

Jennifer Taggart, The Smart Mama of CA 5:11PM January 14, 2010