The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a notice in the Federal Register that it will write regulations to limit cadmium content in children’s jewelry if the industry does not take steps to remove the metal from its products by Dec. 16, Bloomberg reported. The agency also granted a petition from four consumer groups requesting that cadmium be banned unless ASTM International acts in the next three months to determine a safe level for consumer products.
Target, Gap, and Saks Fifth Avenue are among 26 major retailers that have reached a settlement under California’sProposition 65 to eliminate all but trace amounts ofcadmium from jewelry and other accessories, The Associated Press reported on Wednesday. The settlement comes months before the state’s new limit on the amount of of the metal in consumer products goes into effect. Last year, the Center for Environmental Health filed notices under Proposition 65, and a lawsuit, after reports revealed that some commonly sold bracelets and pendants contained more than 90 percent cadmium.