By Sarah Doll, National Director for Safer States.

With no action yet from Congress, state legislatures continue to work to protect citizens.

The past couple years have seen unprecedented changes in the toxic chemicals landscape across the United States. In the past nine years, over 80 chemical safety laws have been passed with an overwhelming margin of bi-partisan support in statehouses across the country.

But this is not a time to rest on our laurels. Across the country, families still come into contact with unregulated toxic chemicals. Every day, we are exposed to hundreds of different chemicals in our home and at our work—chemicals like formaldehyde and chlorinated Tris which are known carcinogens, and bisphenol-a (BPA) which contributes to health problems with reproductive development.

None of these chemicals are effectively regulated by the federal government: it is a widely held myth that manufacturers even have to prove a chemical's safety before introducing it into products we buy. They don't have to, and they won't often even disclose which chemicals make up their products. Instead, they hide behind the claim that the information is proprietary.

The hope for federal regulation is still that—just a hope; the law overseeing toxic chemical regulation is over 30 years old, and its overhaul is being buffeted by strong opposition from the industry trade association which is backed by billions of dollars of influence. So while Congress tries to figure out how to change the rules on the federal level, it is up to the states to fill the gap in protection.

The Safer States coalition, made up of groups of environmental advocates, physicians, nurses, parents, and concerned citizens, stands in support of laws and policies which will lighten the toxic chemical burden that our families, loved ones and community carry.

The fact that we have been able to consistently pass important laws during troubling economic times is encouraging. While much of the chemical industry would have us believe that such laws are anti-business and anti-profit, many other organizations see the writing on the wall: The way that chemicals get into everyday household goods and then into our homes is unsafe and dangerous.

Persistent, bioaccumulative toxics, commonly known as PBTs, are a group of toxic chemicals that are joined together by some common features. Common PBTs in our lives include mercury, DDT, cadmium, lead, and several groups of chemicals including PCBs, toxic flame retardants (PBDEs) and dioxins. While these chemicals have many different uses in our lives, and different effects on our health, they are joined together by the following facts:

1. PBTs are persistent. These chemicals are often used in manufacturing because of the exact features that cause great, great trouble in our environment: they don't break down, and they stay in the environment for a very long time. PCBs, for instance, are man-made mixtures of chlorinated compounds that are used in manufacturing because they are non-flammable, have a high boiling point, and are insoluble in water: all features that make them very difficult to dispose of.
2. PBTs are bioaccumulative. Once these chemicals are ingested by living creatures, they build up in fatty tissue, and move up the food chain as they are consumed by bigger creatures, eventually making their way into our diets.
3. PBTs are toxic. These chemicals have been associated with all manner of health effects: mercury affects the nervous system of developing fetuses, chronic exposure to DDT affects the liver and kidneys among other parts of the body, cadmium has been labeled by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a probable carcinogen, lead exposure in adults results in neurological effects like seizures, PCBs pose a cancer risk, PBDEs have been found to be endocrine disruptors, and dioxins cause reproductive and developmental problems.

In January, legislators and environmental health advocates in thirty states and Washington, DC announced that they will be introducing bills during their states' 2011 legislative sessions that will protect children and families from harmful toxic chemicals.

The proposed policies run the gamut from comprehensive laws that will promote safer alternatives to toxic chemicals to those that will outlaw specific toxic chemicals including cadmium, bisphenol-A (BPA), and toxic flame retardants. Public support is behind more stringent toxic chemicals laws, and legislators are hearing the message. A study released in November 2010 in conjunction with Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families shows that 18 states have passed 71 chemical safety laws in the last eight years by an overwhelming, bipartisan margin.

Sarah Doll, National Coordinator for Safer States, a network of diverse environmental health coalitions and organizations in states around the country, is looking forward to legislative action in 2011. "This is going to be an exciting year. States are poised to further protect people across the nation from the harms of toxic chemicals."

In response to continued public concern over the presence of dangerous chemicals in common household products, coupled with Congressional inaction on the matter, on Wednesday, January 19, legislators and advocates in thirty states across the country and the District of Columbia will announce legislation aimed at protecting children and families from harmful chemicals.

Despite well-funded opposition from the chemical industry, 18 state legislatures have already passed 71 chemical safety laws in the last eight years by an overwhelming, bipartisan margin – with more to come this year.

The holiday season upon us, and it's time to buy presents for families and friends. While we do that, we should take a few extra steps to be sure that the toys that we're giving to our children are as safe and non-toxic as possible.

This holiday, here are our top toy buying tips for keeping children safe.

1. Avoid inexpensive children's jewelry unless you trust the manufacturer or source.

This year, we have seen several recalls of cheap children's jewelry due to high levels of cadmium. Cadmium is an extremely toxic chemical that builds up in our systems and can have long-term adverse consequences.

Originally published at Washington Toxics Coalition.

Remember the Fall of 2007 when Thomas, Elmo, Dora, and over 20 million toys were pulled from toy store shelves because they contained high levels of lead? Parents and other concerned consumers were left wondering: what other harmful chemicals are hiding in toy boxes? Fortunately, thanks to new rules proposed in Washington state, we’re about to find out.

Last week, the Washington State Department of Ecology proposed new rules to require makers of children’s products to reveal whether they use chemicals harmful to children in their products. The rules are required by the Children’s Safe Products Act of 2008, a law passed by the Washington state legislature in response to the lead recalls of 2007.

We all know that children's toys should be checked for toxic chemicals, and many studies have done so, prompting removal of harmful chemicals and recalls of harmful products. Now a new study from the Ecology Center is focusing on home improvement products like flooring and wallpaper.

What chemicals are we exposing our families to in our homes?

The report found:

- 5% of all flooring samples had detectable levels of lead. Products with the highest percent of lead included vinyl sheet flooring and vinyl tile flooring.

Cadmium is an extremely toxic metal that is used in batteries, industrial paints, metal coatings and as a stabilizer for plastics. It is mainly produced as a byproduct of smelting and refining of zinc concentrates.

You may have heard of cadmium in the news in the past six months, after an Associated Press (AP) report in January found high levels of cadmium in inexpensive children's jewelry products.

This was alarming because children often put things like jewelry in their mouths, which introduces cadmium directly into their bodies, increasing health risks for kidney problems, bone issues, immune system suppression and cancer.

last updated: December 20, 2011

Cadmium is an extremely toxic metal that is used in batteries, industrial paints, metal coatings and as a stabilizer for plastics. It is mainly produced as a byproduct of smelting and refining of zinc concentrates.

Cadmium exposure comes from these products, from tobacco smoke, and from the burning of fossil fuels and municipal waste. It contaminates groundwater and builds up in food (fish, meat and plants). The US Department of Labor recognizes cadmium as a hazard to workers and cites severe health effects including cancer, pulmonary emphysema, and bone disease from chronic exposure to cadmium.

High levels of cadmium are found in inexpensive children's toys, jewelry and painted products. Since children often put these products in their mouth, and their systems are particularly vulnerable to toxic chemical exposure, this is of grave concern to health advocates.

If not lead, cadmium: Playing toxic metal Whack-A-Mole

Cadmium is a metal that has been around commercially since the end of the 19th century, but it is of increasing concern to parents. Prior to cadmium, parents were concerned about lead in toys, which was disallowed from consumer products for children in 2009. This law came about after lead was connected with developmental issues, delayed growth and hearing loss in children. Lead is a persistent, bioaccumulative toxin (PBT) which means that it persists in the environment for a long period of time, and builds up in our systems.

So lead was outlawed, but cadmium—which has just as many health issues in household products, inexpensive jewelry and toys—became of increasing concern. This frustrated parents and consumers, as the piece-meal method of banning chemicals in the United States means that harmful chemicals still remain in these items. If chemicals were vetted before being put into children's toys (and ultimately their mouths), then we wouldn't be playing whack-a-mole with the chemicals in our homes.

"Congress passed a major consumer product safety overhaul in 2008, following a series of recalls of Chinese-made goods. That law barred the use of lead in products for children under 12; in response, some Chinese jewelry manufacturers have turned to cadmium ... Cadmium is attractive to Chinese manufacturers because it is cheap and easy to work with. But, like lead, it can hinder brain development in the very young, recent research shows."

- Associated Press, January 2010.

Health Concerns

"There's nothing positive that you can say about this metal. It's a poison."

- Bruce A Fowler, toxicologist, as told to the NY Daily News.

Male Reproductive System. Cadmium is an endocrine disruptor which means that it can affect male virility, cause genital deformities, and contribute to reproductive problems in men.

Kidneys. Adults exposed to cadmium as children may be more susceptible to renal toxicity than people only exposed as adults.

Bones. Bones are a sensitive target of cadmium toxicity, and bone disease may occur. Studies suggest that the elderly and children may be especially to bone damage from cadmium exposure. People, especially children, are more vulnerable if their diet is low in calcium and iron. Cadmium effects calcium metabolism and can result in bone loss. This condition has been referred to as "Itai-Itai" disease, which means "Ouch-Ouch" in Japanese and reflects the bone pain associated with cadmium effects on calcium.

Immune system suppression. When cadmium enters the body through the mouth, it suppresses immuno-response of rats.

Cancer. The EPA considers cadmium to be a probable human carcinogen.

"I would highly encourage all of you to ensure that toy manufacturers and children's product manufacturers in your country are not substituting cadmium, antimony, barium, in place of lead ... All of us should be committed to keeping hazardous or toxic levels of heavy metals out of ... toys and children's products."

- Inez Tenenbaum, chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission to an audience of manufacturers, exporters and regulators.

Products that contain Cadmium

Children's metal jewelry. As you can see from the recalls (below) for children's jewelry, many items have recently been found to have toxic levels of cadmium. Of particular concern is the fact that children put jewelry in their mouths and the cadmium enters their systems. From the chairman of the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC): "I have a message for parents, grandparents and caregivers: Do not allow young children to be given or to play with cheap metal jewelry, especially when they are unsupervised."

Tobacco smoke. Tobacco plants concentrate cadmium in the leaves and smokers absorb cadmium through the lungs from tobacco smoke. Cadmium levels in the blood and breast milk of smokers is much higher than in non-smokers.

Artificial phosphate fertilizers. Crop fertilizers may contain cadmium which is then taken up by vegetables and fruits grown on that land. Food is the principal means of cadmium exposure for non-smokers.

Rechargeable batteries. Many rechargeable batteries are primarily cadmium, which is why they need to be disposed of recycled correctly and not thrown away or burned.

Electronics such as laptop computers and cell phones. There are toxic levels of cadmium in such electronics, which means that they should be disposed of properly. Dumping electronics and batteries into the landfills means that the cadmium leaches into groundwater and ends up in our food.

Food supply - animals. Shellfish, an important source of food for humans and other animals, concentrate cadmium. Like humans, shellfish are adversely affected by cadmium exposure.

Because cadmium is a cumulative toxin and has a very long half-time in the body, exposures to children in even low amounts may have long-term adverse consequences.

- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 2008.

Major Studies & News Stories

September 2011. The Center for Environmental Health (CEH) came to a legal agreement with twenty-six major jewelry retailers and suppliers—including Saks Incorporated, Target, The Gap (including Old Navy and Banana Republic) and Forever 21—to set strict limits on cadmium in jewelry by December 31, 2011.

July 2010. Associated Press reports that another 137,000 cadmium-laden pieces of jewelry are recalled from two stores popular with teenage girls.

June 2010. 66,200 "happy bracelets" and 2,200 rings that were made by company SmileMakers and handed out in medical offices are recalled due to high levels of cadmium.

May 2010. Wal-Mart pulls an entire line of Miley Cyrus-branded necklaces and bracelets due to high levels of cadmium, saying "We are removing all of the jewelry from sale while we investigate its compliance with our children's jewelry standard."

May 2010. In cooperation with federal regulators, Claire's Boutiques recalls 19,000 "Best Friends" charm bracelets that are targeted at children and teens.

June 2010. Cadmium is found in "Shrek" decorated glasses being sold at McDonald's. McDonald's recalls 12 million glasses in cooperation with federal regulators.

March 2010. US regulators ask parents to throw away "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" charms that may have been purchased from dollar-stores between 2006 and 2009, as they have high levels of cadmium. The January Associated Press reports found 12 children's items with cadmium content above 10$ of the total weight. The recalled Rudolph charms were 91% cadmium.

January 2010. Associated Press reports that high levels of cadmium are found in children's costume jewelry from China. As a result, federal regulators recall some children's jewelry products, and Wal-Mart pulls three items from its shelves. This recall marks the first time any consumer product is recalled in the US due to cadmium.

Additional Resources

Our latest stories on cadmium.
Guide for Parents: The Dangers of Heavy Metals in Children's Products. US Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Consumer Reports
Healthy Child, Healthy World.
Toxicological profile for cadmium, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 2008.
Cadmium fact sheet, USGS (PDF)

In a dramatic moment last week, the California State Assembly passed a bill which would ban Bisphenol-A (BPA) from food and drink containers intended for children 3 and younger. The bill, which did not have enough votes earlier in the week, was passed by a 43-31 margin and will now move to the Senate for amendments to be approved. It will then go to Governor Schwarzenegger's desk.

BPA bans have been passed into law in six states: Connecticut, Washington, Maryland, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Vermont.

But the laws that are now pending — in New York and California — may be the tipping point which makes the chemical industry remove BPA from children's products for good.