Advisory
2006-128
December 14, 2006
For immediate release
OTTAWA - Health Canada reminds parents and caregivers who may be purchasing children's jewellery over the holiday season to make sure that the jewellery does not contain dangerous and illegal levels of lead. Wearing jewellery items made of lead does not create any health risks, but serious lead poisoning can occur if children chew, suck or swallow jewellery or other items containing lead.
Children's jewellery items containing lead are not only dangerous, they can also be illegal. Under the Children's Jewellery Regulations, which came into effect on June 1, 2005, the import, advertisement or sale in Canada of jewellery intended for children under 15 years of age is permitted only if the jewellery contains no more than 600 mg/kg of total lead and no more than 90 mg/kg of migratable lead.
Pure lead is a heavy, soft, metal which is dark bluish-grey in colour and has a dull finish. Jewellery with a very high lead content may have a thicker body and may not have as delicate a shape or design as jewellery made from a stronger metal. Items with a high concentration of lead often leave a greyish mark when rubbed against a piece of white paper, but this is not always the case. Some components of a jewellery item may be made without lead, while other components of the same item may contain high levels of lead. It can be difficult to know just from looking at a piece of jewellery whether it contains lead, since many jewellery items have a protective or decorative coating or plating. The coatings do not protect from lead exposure; when the item is sucked or chewed, or undergoes normal wear and tear, the coating wears off and the underlying lead is exposed.
Lead builds up in the body, and medical research has shown that absorption of even very low levels of lead into the blood may have harmful health effects on the intellectual and behavioural development of infants and young children. Short-term exposure to high levels of lead can cause vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions, appetite loss, abdominal pain, constipation, fatigue, sleeplessness, irritability and headaches. Exposure to very high lead levels can result in coma and death. Although lead is most harmful to children, it also causes health problems in adults.
Lead is inexpensive and jewellery items made from it are generally low-end, novelty items. When buying children's costume jewellery, it is advisable to check with the retailer to make sure the jewellery does not contain lead. If the retailer cannot provide assurances that the item is lead-free, it is strongly advised not to buy the product.
Additional information on consumer safety during the holiday season is available through the following links:
children's sleepwear
holiday safety
toy safety
toys with small magnets
lead jewellery
For further information, consumers can contact the Health Canada Product Safety office nearest them, by calling 1-866-662-0666 toll-free, or e-mailing cps-spc@hc-sc.gc.ca (If contacting via e-mail, please indicate the province or territory from which you are corresponding).
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Media Inquiries:
Renée Bergeron
Health Canada
(613) 957-2988
Public Inquiries:
(613) 957-2991
1-866 225-0709
