Because many of the bargain toy/toy jewelry samples found to be
non-compliant (9 of 16, 56%, Table 1) were acid-digested to remove
only the outer coating (rather than the entire product), retail
store samples were only surveyed with XFS to assess CPSC compliance.
XFS, the industry standard for commercial testing, allows for
non-destructive (i.e., no acid digestion) and high-throughput
screening of products. Of the 46 products, only 7 (15%) were found
to contain unsafe levels of one or more of the three analytes
(Table 2) and were designated as ‘‘suspect’’ based on the use of a
single technique (XFS). As in the case of bargain products, children’s
jewelry at retail stores was the product of greatest concern
with 71% of the items deemed suspect. The overwhelming majority
of retail store regulatory violations (86%) were from arsenic. While
our study focused on arsenic, cadmium, and lead XFS detected noncompliant
levels (>60 mgkg1, F963-11) of mercury in 19 of 92
items total (20%), including 12 bargain products and 7 retail
products.
In comparing collective product analysis of bargain stores versus
retail stores, several key findings emerge. First, the rate of
non-compliant/suspect toys/toy jewelry from bargain stores
(57%) is nearly four times that of items purchased at large retail
stores (15%). This finding indicates that the type of store from
which these products are purchased may be a significant factor
in public exposure. Secondly, both store types showed similar patterns
in which of the three targeted metals products were found. Of
the non-compliant/suspect bargain store samples, 54% (14 of 26)
and 73% (19 of 26) were in violation of CPSC limitation for lead
and arsenic, respectively, whereas only 14% and 86% of suspect retail
items were high in lead and arsenic (SI, Fig. SM-4). The high arsenic
levels in both types of samples may be a symptom of the
attention lead contamination has received over the years compared
to lesser known toxins as well as new policies of retail chains
aimed at banning lead from children’s toys (Toys’’R’’Us, 2008; NBC
News, 2008). Lastly, it is evident from the results that jewelry
items, as opposed to toys, are much more likely to have metal concentrations
that exceed CSPC limits, and therefore represent a
greater threat to children who accidentally ingest them. Nearly
73% (24 of 33) of the total number of samples found to exceed limits
with one or more techniques, regardless of purchase origin,
were classified as children’s jewelry (SI, Fig. SM-5). Metallic-based
jewelry (16 of 24, 67%) was more problematic than plastic jewelry
(8 of 24, 33%), a result consistent with the Zagury/Guney (Zagury
and Guney, 2013) report on low cost metallic jewelry versus
Weidenhamer’s examination (Weidenhamer and Yost, 2008) of
low cost plastic jewelry (45% vs. 10% high in lead, respectively).
In the current study, analysis of only low cost (LC) items,
regardless of the place of purchase, resulted in a suspect/non-compliance
rate of 42% (29 of 69 LC items), a rate similar to previous
studies dedicated to LC items. If one examines only data for low
cost items, the discrepancy between retail and bargain is slightly
larger – a 57% non-compliant/suspect rate for bargain stores versus
a 13% rate at retail stores. A 2005 report by Maas and coworkers
studying lead content of inexpensive jewelry items, reported that
nearly 60% of the 285 items tested had unacceptable levels of the
metal (Maas et al., 2005). Weidenhamer et al. focused on lead analysis
in low cost, metallic jewelry (Weidenhamer and Clement,
2007), and later in low-cost plastic jewelry (Weidenhamer and
Yost, 2008), reported non-compliance rates of 42% and 9%, respectively.
A more recent study (2010) by Green, found only 4% of jewelry
exceeded the lead limit allowable by California law (Cox and
Green, 2010). Collective results of this and prior studies suggest a
trend toward lower rates of lead non-compliance in low cost, children’s
items. However, results from the current study, suggest that
price may not be as significant of a factor as the origin of purchase
(i.e., type of store). Out of the 7 suspect items from the retail stores,
there was a nearly even split between low cost (n = 3) and high
cost (n = 4) products. If XFS determined ‘‘suspect’’ samples are assumed
to actually be non-compliant, the difference between bargain
vs. retail stores, while slightly less pronounced, remains
significant (SI, Figs. SM-6 and SM-7).
The finding that low cost items from retail stores have a smaller
likelihood of unsafe arsenic, cadmium or lead content suggests, as
in other studies (Weidenhamer and Clement, 2007; Zagury and
Guney, 2013), that the selection of supplier may be critical. One
Because many of the bargain toy/toy jewelry samples found to benon-compliant (9 of 16, 56%, Table 1) were acid-digested to removeonly the outer coating (rather than the entire product), retailstore samples were only surveyed with XFS to assess CPSC compliance.XFS, the industry standard for commercial testing, allows fornon-destructive (i.e., no acid digestion) and high-throughputscreening of products. Of the 46 products, only 7 (15%) were foundto contain unsafe levels of one or more of the three analytes(Table 2) and were designated as ‘‘suspect’’ based on the use of asingle technique (XFS). As in the case of bargain products, children’sjewelry at retail stores was the product of greatest concernwith 71% of the items deemed suspect. The overwhelming majorityof retail store regulatory violations (86%) were from arsenic. Whileour study focused on arsenic, cadmium, and lead XFS detected noncompliantlevels (>60 mgkg1, F963-11) of mercury in 19 of 92items total (20%), including 12 bargain products and 7 retailproducts.In comparing collective product analysis of bargain stores versusretail stores, several key findings emerge. First, the rate ofnon-compliant/suspect toys/toy jewelry from bargain stores(57%) is nearly four times that of items purchased at large retailstores (15%). This finding indicates that the type of store fromwhich these products are purchased may be a significant factorin public exposure. Secondly, both store types showed similar patternsin which of the three targeted metals products were found. Ofthe non-compliant/suspect bargain store samples, 54% (14 of 26)and 73% (19 of 26) were in violation of CPSC limitation for leadand arsenic, respectively, whereas only 14% and 86% of suspect retailitems were high in lead and arsenic (SI, Fig. SM-4). The high arseniclevels in both types of samples may be a symptom of theattention lead contamination has received over the years comparedto lesser known toxins as well as new policies of retail chainsaimed at banning lead from children’s toys (Toys’’R’’Us, 2008; NBCNews, 2008). Lastly, it is evident from the results that jewelryitems, as opposed to toys, are much more likely to have metal concentrationsthat exceed CSPC limits, and therefore represent agreater threat to children who accidentally ingest them. Nearly73% (24 of 33) of the total number of samples found to exceed limitswith one or more techniques, regardless of purchase origin,were classified as children’s jewelry (SI, Fig. SM-5). Metallic-basedjewelry (16 of 24, 67%) was more problematic than plastic jewelry(8 of 24, 33%), a result consistent with the Zagury/Guney (Zaguryand Guney, 2013) report on low cost metallic jewelry versusWeidenhamer’s examination (Weidenhamer and Yost, 2008) oflow cost plastic jewelry (45% vs. 10% high in lead, respectively).In the current study, analysis of only low cost (LC) items,
regardless of the place of purchase, resulted in a suspect/non-compliance
rate of 42% (29 of 69 LC items), a rate similar to previous
studies dedicated to LC items. If one examines only data for low
cost items, the discrepancy between retail and bargain is slightly
larger – a 57% non-compliant/suspect rate for bargain stores versus
a 13% rate at retail stores. A 2005 report by Maas and coworkers
studying lead content of inexpensive jewelry items, reported that
nearly 60% of the 285 items tested had unacceptable levels of the
metal (Maas et al., 2005). Weidenhamer et al. focused on lead analysis
in low cost, metallic jewelry (Weidenhamer and Clement,
2007), and later in low-cost plastic jewelry (Weidenhamer and
Yost, 2008), reported non-compliance rates of 42% and 9%, respectively.
A more recent study (2010) by Green, found only 4% of jewelry
exceeded the lead limit allowable by California law (Cox and
Green, 2010). Collective results of this and prior studies suggest a
trend toward lower rates of lead non-compliance in low cost, children’s
items. However, results from the current study, suggest that
price may not be as significant of a factor as the origin of purchase
(i.e., type of store). Out of the 7 suspect items from the retail stores,
there was a nearly even split between low cost (n = 3) and high
cost (n = 4) products. If XFS determined ‘‘suspect’’ samples are assumed
to actually be non-compliant, the difference between bargain
vs. retail stores, while slightly less pronounced, remains
significant (SI, Figs. SM-6 and SM-7).
The finding that low cost items from retail stores have a smaller
likelihood of unsafe arsenic, cadmium or lead content suggests, as
in other studies (Weidenhamer and Clement, 2007; Zagury and
Guney, 2013), that the selection of supplier may be critical. One
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