According to the United States Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration, here’s the low-down on something called cadmium: “Cadmium is an extremely toxic metal commonly found in industrial workplaces, particularly where any ore is being processed or smelted. Due to its low permissible exposure limit (PEL), overexposures may occur even in situations where trace quantities of cadmium are found in the parent ore or smelter dust. Cadmium is used extensively in electroplating, although the nature of the operation does not generally lead to overexposures. Several deaths from acute exposure have occurred among welders who have unsuspectingly welded on cadmium-containing alloys or worked with silver solders. Cadmium is also found in some industrial paints and may represent a hazard when sprayed.”
So what do we use the stuff for?
We make children’s jewelry out of it.
That’s right.
Now, according to the Associated Press, American firms are voluntarily working to “limit the toxic metal cadmium in children’s trinkets — and, in the process, has helped write what amounts to new federal regulations of its products.
“The rules join a patchwork of mandatory limits that already deter use of the heavy metal, which over time can cause cancer and other diseases, though there have been no documented deaths or serious injuries. While the voluntary standards don’t trump stricter limits from states and legal settlements, they do create a consensus national standard that jewelry manufacturers and importers endorse.”
Here’s a shocking suggestion: How about we limit it to zero?
This isn’t involving the manufacture of surgical instruments that are saving lives. It’s trinket jewelry.
Make the stuff out of plastic, for crying out loud, or soup bones or glass beads, but not out of a material that is dangerous to children’s health.
“Several states have passed laws to deal with cadmium over the past year. Like the states, the private sector is helping fill a void left by the lack of clear federal limits,” the AP noted.
Look, we all want the federal government to get out of the way on lots of stuff, but it appears the work is already done on this one. We know the material is dangerous, We know it shouldn’t be used for children’s products. We need to just take action.
It’s great that our American firms are taking up the slack on this one, but, really, isn’t there ANYONE working for the federal government who could have used a week or so to just cut the stuff off?
— Chuck Smith