Oakland, CA-The Center for Environmental Health (CEH) announced today it has reached the first legally binding nationwide agreement to limit cadmium in children's and adult jewelry with Tween Brands, a division of Dress Barn that operates 890 "Justice" retail outlets geared to young girls. The settlement sets a strict standard limiting cadmium to trace levels in both children's and adult jewelry sold at Justice stores.

“We applaud Tween Brands for leading the industry in adopting this health protective standard for their jewelry customers,” said CEH Executive Director Michael Green. “The company responsibly recalled its cadmium-containing jewelry and went beyond California law in agreeing to instruct its suppliers to provide Tween with reformulated jewelry on a nationwide basis. We expect other companies to follow suit, for the sake of their customers’ health.”

CEH launched the first legal challenge on cadmium in jewelry in February 2010. At that time, CEH found children’s jewelry at a Justice store with a component containing over 2,300 times more cadmium than the 0.03% level agreed to in today’s settlement. Last summer, Tween Brands investigated its inventory and ordered a nationwide consumer recall of their cadmium-containing jewelry.

CEH has found high levels of cadmium in jewelry sold by 40 other retailers, including Wal-Mart, Saks Fifth Avenue, Claire's, Old Navy, Aeropostale, CVS, Styles for Less, and others (full list below). The nonprofit has ongoing legal challenges against these companies, alleging that the cadmium in their jewelry violates California consumer protection laws.

Cadmium is a heavy metal that can cause cancer, genetic damage, and kidney damage. A study published just this month found that children who mouth on or swallow cadmium-tainted jewelry can be exposed to as much as 100 times the maximum exposure limit. Also, a 2006 study concluded that exposure in children "should be limited as much as possible" to prevent direct health problems and problems later in their lives. A recent review of cadmium's potential for reproductive harm concluded that the chemical "has the potential to affect reproduction at every stage of the reproductive process." People can be exposed to cadmium if they touch, suck on or accidentally swallow metal pieces, and studies show the toxin can stay in our bodies for more than two decades.

CEH’s 2006 legal settlement with more than 100 jewelry companies eliminated health threats to children and adults from lead in jewelry, and formed the basis of California’s tough jewelry law, but news reports last year suggested that some jewelry makers were substituting the toxic metal cadmium for lead in their products. CEH investigations and testing last year confirmed high levels of cadmium in some jewelry sold by major retailers.

The cadmium standards in today’s settlement with Tween Brands go fully into effect on December 31, 2011. In addition to the reformulation agreement, Tween Brands agreed to pay $45,000 (after a $5,000 credit for their nationwide consumer recall of cadmium-containing jewelry), which includes payments to the State of California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, payments to help fund CEH's ongoing work to educate and protect Californians from cadmium in jewelry and other toxic health hazards, and payments to help defer CEH's legal expenses.

CEH has a fourteen-year track record of protecting communities from the health impacts of toxic pollution and has previously uncovered lead and other toxic health threats to children from wood playground structures, toys, vinyl baby bibs and lunchboxes, imported candies, children's medicines, and many other products. CEH also works with major industries and leaders in green business to promote healthier alternatives to toxic products and practices.Earlier this year the San Francisco Business Times bestowed its annual "Green Champion" award to CEH for its work to improve health and the environment in the Bay Area and beyond.

For information on the recent study on cadmium in children's jewelry, see http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/574001/?sc=c6237

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