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Cadmium is a soft, whitish metal that, if ingested over time, can damage the kidneys and bones; a large-enough single dose can kill. Cadmium also causes cancer, and some research suggests it can stunt the development of young brains. Tween -- which in the settlement denied any wrongdoing but will pay the state, the center, and its lawyers a total of $45,000
-- issued a statement in response to questions posed by AP: "As a company, we are committed to working to ensure the well-being of our customers, and continue to work to ensure all of our products meet or exceed safety standards." Meanwhile, the head of a trade group representing the jewelry industry said to expect a new, voluntary standard for cadmium limits in jewelry intended for children 12 and under by the summer. Under that standard, jewelry suppliers would screen items with an X-ray gun that estimates levels of various metals and any piece that registered more than 0.03 percent cadmium would be sent to a lab for more rigorous testing, according to Brent Cleaveland, executive director of the Fashion Jewelry and Accessories Trade Association. The further testing would gauge how much cadmium escapes from the jewelry
-- as opposed to how much it contains -- by simulating what would happen either if a child licks or swallows the jewelry and it is digested for 24 hours. Jewelry that failed acceptable exposure standards published by CPSC last fall would be in violation. Those standards still have to be decided by members of committees at the private-sector organization ASTM International, which sets voluntary industry safety standards for everything from medical products to toys. That process should be wrapped up by July, said Cleaveland, who heads the ASTM subcommittee devising the standard.
[Associated
Press;
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