The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has requested that the industry set voluntary limits for the presence of cadmium in children’s toys and jewelry. Following months of testing by agency scientists that indicated it is dangerous for children to ingest small amounts of cadmium, the CPSC has urged ASTM International to update its safety rules for cadmium in toys and children’s jewelry. The CPSC stated that if those limits were insufficient, it would set mandatory standards. Children can safely ingest 0.1 micrograms per kilogram a day for extended periods and 11 micrograms per day at once, according to the CPSC. The CPSC is suggesting a test to measure cadmium contained in an item by dissolving it in acid for 24 hours.

Source: Bloomberg