Studies by UNC, Others Find Lead in Jewelry

If you’re planning to purchase jewelry this holiday season, beware.

Claire’s, J.C. Penney, K-Mart, Lane Bryant, Nordstrom, Sears, Target and Wal-Mart are among the stores selling jewelry tainted with dangerous levels of lead, according to lab tests commissioned by the Center for Environmental Health (CEH) in Oakland, Calif. Lead can affect brain development and is especially harmful to fetuses, infants and young children.

CEH also reports that a new study from the University of North Carolina has found dangerous levels of lead in the majority of jewelry tested, and it warns that children can be harmed by skin contact with the items. The study will be published in the March issue of the Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology.

“During this shopping season, parents should not have to worry that jewelry will make their kids sick,” said CEH Executive Director Michael Green. CEH filed lawsuits against the retailers for selling lead-tainted jewelry in June after notifying the companies about the problem last year.

Following the CEH lawsuits, vending-machine suppliers ordered the largest product recall in U.S. history, removing 150 million pieces of potentially lead-tainted jewelry from gumball machines nationwide. But the retailers have refused to take similar action.

Some of the items testing high for lead include brands such as J. C. Penney’s Worthington line, K-Mart’s Juststyle, Sears’ Apostrophe and Mainframe, and Target’s Xhilaration.

For more details, visit the CEH’s Web site.