Chinese manufacturers lose the blame game
- Source: Global Times
- [23:13 January 21 2010]
- Comments
By Jericho McCune
Chinese manufacturers are making headlines again, this time for making children's jewelry using a healthy dose of cadmium.
Cadmium is a heavy metal well known for its carcinogenic effects, and is especially dangerous to children because it can slow brain development in the very young.
It's so dangerous that the US Center of Disease Control and Prevention ranks it at No.7 in a list of the 275 most hazardous substances.
An Associated Press investigative report shows that of more than 100 pieces of jewelry tested, 12 percent contained at least 10 percent cadmium with some reaching 80 or even 90 percent.
This is troubling because children don't need to ingest the metal to be exposed; simply sucking repeatedly on it can prove dangerous.
Reaction to the report was swift. Investigations were launched by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Connecticut Attorney General's office. Retail giants Wal-Mart and Claire's Boutique immediately pulled the o. ending merchandise from their shelves. And news agencies all over the globe picked up the story and broadcast it for the world to hear. "China's At It Again – Protect Your Children!"
This is anything but new. For years news outlets and public figures have been slamming Chinese manufacturers for lackluster guidelines, loose policies and a lack of discriminating foresight. The question that isn't being asked, however, is whether all of the blame should be placed squarely on the shoulders of Chinese factories.
Cadmium is a bright, shiny metal that's very easy to work with. This makes it great for bright, shiny trinkets that are very easy to like. Also, the metal is extremely cheap. Bright, shiny and cheap; what more can you ask for when you want to make something for children to wear?
In China, cadmium has been used for years to manufacture costume jewelry and trinkets. Until recently, most of those products have been contained to the mainland market. Foreign manufacturers opted for alternative materials to be used.
