With the holidays approaching, officials are warning parents that they've found unsafe levels of lead in children's jewelry at retail outlets across the state.
The items include a pendant from a gumball machine at a Church's Fried Chicken in Oakland that authorities said was nearly solid lead.
Tests showed it had a lead content of 368,000 parts per million. A new state law limits lead content in metallic material in children's jewelry to 600 parts per million.
One-third of the more than 125 pieces of jewelry tested so far by the California Department of Toxic Substances Control had excessive levels of lead. Authorities say lead in jewelry is particularly dangerous, because it often breaks and children tend to chew on it.
They include:
_ A necklace and bracelet set at Marshalls store in Roseville, near Sacramento, that had more than 280,000 parts per million.
_ A cross necklace at Wishing Well Enterprises in Roseville that had 184,000 parts per million.
_ A necklace with a pink crystal heart at Macy's in Glendale that had 47,500 parts per million.
_ And a "Molly'N Me" necklace at Jeffrey's Toys in San Francisco that had 36,000 parts per million.
State officials have ordered the stores — which also include the Universal Studio Store, Dollar Tree in Rancho Cordova and Gap Kids stores in Glendale and Roseville — to take the lead-tainted items off their shelves.
State officials said the stores are cooperating. Officials said they do not know if any of the lead-tainted items have been subject to previous recalls by stores.
The state has notified the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission of its findings.
Source: sfgate
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