USA New laws emerging on toxic metals
Attleboro Falls, Mass.USA —Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America (MJSA) is alerting its members about new state and federal laws that are being passed addressing the use of toxic metals in children's products, including jewelry.
In late August, California lawmakers passed legislation banning the use of cadmium in children's jewelry, according to MJSA. If signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the bill would prohibit the manufacturing, shipping and sale of children's jewelry or any of the jewelry's components containing more than 0.03 percent (300 ppm) of cadmium as determined by a total weight test. The law would take effect on Jan. 1, 2012, and California would join Connecticut, Minnesota and Illinois as states that have enacted bans on cadmium in children's jewelry.
Illinois passed its cadmium law in late July and it mandates a limit of 75 ppm as determined by solubility testing for heavy metals as defined in the ASTM International Safety Specification on Toy Safety (ASTM Standard F-963). That law will take effect on July 1, 2011. Connecticut and Minnesota passed their laws in late May. Connecticut set a level of 75 ppm based on total weight content, while Minnesota mandates 75 ppm based on ASTM Standard F-963.
In California and Minnesota, "children's products" are defined as those intended for children 6 years old and younger, while in Illinois and Connecticut, the age limit is 12 and under.
On the federal level, U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) introduced a third bill on toxic metals in children's products, the Toxic Metals Protection Act (H.R. 5920). The act limits the amount of four toxic heavy metals (antimony, barium, cadmium and chromium) on the surface area of products intended for use by those 12 and under. The law appears to follow ASTM Standard F-963 but allows the Consumer Product Safety Commission to finalize the standard.
According to the alert, MJSA, the trade association for jewelry makers, jewelry designers and jewelry related suppliers, is participating in an ASTM voluntary group to produce a new standard for safety in children's jewelry. The MJSA continues to monitor cadmium legislation on the state and federal level and shares its research and viewpoint with officials on both levels.
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