Group warns against toxic Chinese charms
MANILA, Philippines — Ahead of the Chinese New Year celebration on Wednesday, toxics watchdog EcoWaste Coalition on Sunday cautioned the public against buying cheap New Year charms that were found to contain high levels of cadmium.
Citing the World Health Organization, the group warned that “cadmium exerts toxic effects on the kidneys as well as the skeletal and respiratory systems [and] is classified as a human carcinogen.”
EcoWaste raised this concern after it purchased 25 lucky charm bracelets adorned with pi yao figures for P35 to P95 each from retailers in Manila’s Quiapo district.
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The group found that in 18 of the bracelets, however, the pi yao component had levels of cadmium that exceeded 100,000 parts per million (ppm).
EcoWaste said this level of cadmium was “extremely high” and noted that the European Union restricts cadmium in jewelry to “not more than 0.01 percent (or 100 ppm) by weight of metal beads and other metal components.”
“In jewelry making, some manufacturers still use cadmium to add mass and weight to the item and make a lustrous finish,” EcoWaste said. —Gillian Villanueva
