dangerous chemicals in 28 lucky charms and accessories, including a Chi Lin
(Dragon Horse) amulet that is supposedly “the bearer of fortune gift – the gift
of a baby.”
With only a few days left before the Chinese New Year, the EcoWaste Coalition’s
Task Force Chemical Safety revealed that toxic metals such as chromium, lead,
cadmium, mercury, arsenic, and antimony were detected in 28 out of 30 samples
after subjecting them to chemical analysis using an X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF)
device.
Of the 30 samples, 60% (18 out of 30) were detected positive for chromium, 43%
(13 out of 30) for lead, 30% (9 out of 30) for arsenic, 20% (6 out of 30) for
antimony, 13% (4 out of 30) for cadmium, and 10% (3 out of 30) for mercury.
The samples were purchased on January 31, 2013 from shops and vendors in
Manila’s Binondo District, also known as Chinatown, the center of various
activities ushering in the beginning of another Chinese lunar year – the Year
of the Water Snake.
Among the samples tested were amulets, animal figurines, baguas,
bracelets, hanging decor, iconic figurines such as Buddha and Confucius, urns,
and other fortune enhancers and good health activators.
“Lucky charms which are believed to produce a positive influence over a
person’s good health and fortune should not contain hazardous substances that
bring adverse health effects,” said Aileen Lucero of the EcoWaste Coalition’s
Project Protect.
Lucero called attention to a yellow-gold Chi Lin amulet intended for childless
couples that registered with the highest level of lead at 47,400 parts per
million (ppm), way beyond the 100 ppm limit for toys and children’s articles
under the US Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008.
“Lead is extremely toxic and can be passed
from a mother to her unborn child. Too
much lead in a mother’s body increases the risk of miscarriage or stillbirth , premature
birth and low weight birth and may cause the child to have behavioral or
learning difficulties. This makes the
use of lead in a ‘baby boom’ amulet bizarre and unacceptable,” she explained.
1. A yellow-gold Chi Lin amulet had 47, 400 ppm of lead and 1,350 ppm of
chromium.
2. A door decor with red and yellow beads registered the highest amounts of
cadmium and antimony with 15,200 ppm and 3,357 ppm.
3. A yellow and green Confucius figurine with a red base had 8,801 ppm of lead,
5,359 ppm of chromium, 1,069 ppm of arsenic, and 12 ppm of mercury.
4. One of the three baguas registered 4,399 ppm of lead, 2,212 ppm of chromium,
531 ppm of arsenic, and 31 ppm of mercury – the highest among all samples.
5. Six of the nine snake lucky charms tested positive for chromium ranging from
103 ppm to 972 ppm.
6. Four out of five bracelets tested positive for multiple toxic metals. A
yellow-gold bracelet registered 9,092 ppm of cadmium, 1,906 ppm antimony, 502
ppm chromium, and 426 ppm arsenic. Another yellow bracelet registered 10,300
ppm of cadmium and 2,095 ppm of antimony. Another bracelet registered 2,702 ppm
of cadmium, 823 ppm of arsenic, 596 ppm of antimony, 319 ppm of chromium, and
8.7 ppm of mercury. Lastly, a lion bracelet registered 1,381 ppm of antimony,
225 ppm of lead, 106 ppm of chromium, and 46 ppm of arsenic.
Arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury are included in the World Health
Organization’s list of “Ten Chemicals of Major Public Health Concern” and are
likewise categorized, along with chromium, in the “Priority Chemicals List” of
the Philippines.
According to the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), “lead is a
heavy metal that is toxic at very low exposure levels and has acute and chronic
effects on human health,” as “it is a multi-organ system toxicant that can
cause neurological, cardiovascular, renal, gastrointestinal, haematological and
reproductive effects.”
On the other hand, UNEP categorized cadmium as a “non-essential and toxic
element for humans mainly affecting kidneys and the skeleton.”
UNEP added that cadmium “is also a carcinogen by inhalation and is
accumulated in bone and may serve as a source of exposure later in life.”
“Toxic chemicals have no room in auspicious materials that Filipinos find in
Chinatown in anticipation of good luck and as defense against misfortune.
Manufacturers should get rid of toxic ingredients in their raw materials and
look for safer alternatives, and disclose full chemical information on product
labels,” she pointed out.
“Toxic-free products are health-benefitting to the workforces who create them,
to the consuming public who patronize them, and to the waste personnel and
recyclers whose daily exposure to a mixture of chemicals takes its toll on
their wellbeing,” she added.
The EcoWaste Coalition is a national network of more than 150 public interest
groups pursuing sustainable and just solutions to waste, climate change and
chemical issues towards the envisioned Zero Waste 2020 goal.
References:
http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/tips/pregnant.htm
http://www.who.int/ipcs/assessment/public_health/chemicals_phc/en/index.html