Editor’s Note
**Editor’s Note:** This article reports on the recall of a costume bracelet sold in Italy due to high lead levels, raising broader questions about safety standards in low-cost accessories.
A Pandora-style costume bracelet made in China has been recalled due to high lead content. The Italian Ministry of Health ordered the withdrawal of bracelets sold in a Chinese shop in Perugia because of elevated levels of lead, a toxic heavy metal.
Tatiana Maselli
30 September 2019
The Italian Ministry of Health has ordered the withdrawal of a batch of bracelets sold in a Chinese shop in Perugia due to high lead content.
Is this an isolated case, or can low-cost costume jewelry be dangerous to health? According to an investigation, the Perugia case is not isolated, and buying made-in-China jewelry could pose serious health risks.
The Ministry of Health ordered the withdrawal of a batch of bracelets in silver-colored metal with a heart-shaped pendant, copying the Pandora style, sold in Chinese bazaars.
The unbranded bracelets were made in China and sold for 3 euros each in a shop in Perugia, Risparmia Mondo di Zhang Wei.
The bracelets were withdrawn because, following product inspections, a lead content well above legal limits was found: the bracelets contained 0.65% lead, against the limit of 0.05%.
Lead is a heavy metal harmful to human health, as it has acute and chronic toxicity, the latter due to its accumulation in the body. Lead is particularly dangerous as a neurotoxin and harmful to fetal health in pregnant women.
The Ministry therefore ordered the ban on sale, withdrawal, and recall of these bracelets to avoid health risks. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated case; on the contrary, buying low-cost costume jewelry can have serious consequences for our health.
An investigation published some time ago by Professional Jeweller had already raised the alarm about low-cost bijoux sold not only in Chinese shops but also at markets and stalls.
In most cases, this is very poor quality costume jewelry produced in Far Eastern countries without respecting limits on heavy metals and other potentially harmful substances.
Professional Jeweller released data on heavy metal tests conducted by London authorities on 30 costume jewelry necklaces sold in cheap shops and on London market stalls: 19 of the necklaces examined did not comply with European regulations on lead, cadmium, and nickel and contained levels of these metals above legal limits.
Nickel is the metal that most frequently causes allergies in the population, as it is released from objects containing it, causing contact dermatitis that results in itching, redness, and skin peeling.
Lead and cadmium are toxic metals whose exposure can lead to serious damage to numerous organs including the liver, kidneys, and lungs, as well as progressive neurological degeneration, muscle system damage, and the onset of tumors.
The risks associated with lead and cadmium exposure are greater for workers who produce them, as they inhale vapors of these metals during processing.
Those who produce, import, and sell these non-compliant products cause harm to those who strive to offer products that respect the law, and above all, seriously endanger the health of workers in production factories and consumers.
Buying low-cost jewelry at stalls and in Chinese, Indian, or Pakistani shops may seem advantageous because it saves money in the short term, but the price to pay for health could be very high.
Also read:
– Nickel Allergy: Useful tips to limit contact and allergic reactions
– Arsenic, cadmium, and lead in fruit juices: Brands promoted and failed in the USA
– Cadmium in fertilizers: The carcinogenic heavy metal that damages the environment
Tatiana Maselli
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