Article
Buyer beware: Inexpensive, high cadmium jewelry can pose severe health risks
Science of the Total Environment
(2020)
Abstract
The use of cadmium to produce inexpensive jewelry has recently been documented. Governments have adopted varying standards, with US states focused on either total cadmium content or extractable cadmium from children's jewelry, while the European Union has adopted a limit of 100 mg/kg cadmium for all jewelry. This study evaluated 80 items purchased at a discount jewelry store. The objective was to determine prevalence of cadmium in this jewelry, the amount of cadmium released by simulated mouthing or ingestion, and to confirm previous reports that damage to jewelry can increase cadmium release. Finally, a modified toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) assessed the potential for jewelry to release cadmium after disposal. Thirty-two (40%) items showed detectable cadmium by X-ray fluorescence. Nine high‑cadmium pendants and rings with cadmium content ranging from 31.3 to 89.2 …
Keywords
- Cadium,
- Bioaccessibility,
- Jewelry
Disciplines
Publication Date
2020
DOI
10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142926
Citation Information
Maria S Kern, Mallorie L Boron and Jeffrey D Weidenhamer. "Buyer beware: Inexpensive, high cadmium jewelry can pose severe health risks" Science of the Total Environment (2020) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/jeffrey_weidenhamer/32/