Kids' Jewelry Recalled Due to Cadmium

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the recall of children's jewelry due to high levels of cadmium, highlighting concerns about safety standards in consumer products, particularly those manufactured in China. Participants express various opinions on the implications of cadmium use and the adequacy of current safety measures.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express disbelief at the high levels of cadmium found in children's jewelry, citing specific lab tests that revealed significant cadmium content in multiple items.
  • Concerns are raised about the potential for substituting cadmium with safer alternatives, with one participant suggesting that cadmium could be repurposed for use in batteries.
  • There is skepticism regarding the effectiveness of safety standards and testing methods, with one participant arguing that any detectable level of cadmium could lead to a product being deemed a failure, which they find unreasonable.
  • Participants reference broader issues of product safety in China, drawing parallels to past incidents involving contaminated food products.
  • One participant humorously critiques the scientific understanding of politicians, suggesting that they should be better informed about scientific principles.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the adequacy of safety standards or the implications of cadmium use in products. Multiple competing views are presented regarding the safety of children's jewelry and the effectiveness of current regulations.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the lack of clarity on the specific safety standards being discussed, the potential for varying interpretations of what constitutes a "detectable level" of cadmium, and the implications of using sensitive testing methods.

Chi Meson
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Jewelry for kids!

Guess where it was made?
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/29/health/AP-US-Cadmium-Jewelry.html
AP said:
Federal consumer safety regulators on Friday announced the recall of ''The Princess and The Frog'' pendants because of high levels of the toxic metal cadmium, an unprecedented action that reflects concerns of an emerging threat in children's products.
 
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You think that they could substitute zinc and use the cadmium for NiCad batteries, but NO! Next, we'll find out that objects that need massive components (like toy gyroscopes) will contain depleted Uranium. Until there is a standard for consumer protection that addresses that (and testing to detect it), don't put it past the Chinese capitalists. The Chinese are STILL being exposed to dairy products adulterated with melamine, years after the initial problems came to light.
 
This is unbelievable:
As part of the AP's original investigation, lab tests conducted on 103 pieces of low-priced children's jewelry found 12 items with cadmium content above 10 percent of the total weight. One item consisted of 91 percent cadmium by weight.
 
The freaking Chinese cadmium probably had too may impurities in it to be used in batteries.
 
''Any detectable levels of cadmium will be deemed a product failure,'' wrote Manuel G. Grace, Disney Co.'s senior vice president for product integrity.

That's idiotic. Using methods sensitive enough you will probably detect all elements in everything.

Somehow that reminds me the story of a politician that was shown wastewater treatment plant and one of chemists on site told him "We start with highly caustic water and we bring pH down to 7". "Why can't you bring it down to zero?"
 
Borek said:
That's idiotic. Using methods sensitive enough you will probably detect all elements in everything.

Somehow that reminds me the story of a politician that was shown wastewater treatment plant and one of chemists on site told him "We start with highly caustic water and we bring pH down to 7". "Why can't you bring it down to zero?"


yeah, politicians should have to pass a litmus test on scientific knowledge