New Delhi:
Barbie and Hannah Montana are household names, with millions of children hooked onto them. Girls of all age groups, especially pre-teens and adolescents, emulate them and their style. So their accessories, like jewellery, have become very popular.
Among these, pink bracelets, bright orange bangles, fancy rings and chains go off the shelf very fast. Made of plastic and metals, they are not only attractive but also come cheap. And parents rarely stop to wonder what these jewellery pieces actually contain or the danger the chemicals pose to the health of their children.
An NGO, Toxic Links, did a study on 54 such trinkets and found lead in them, which is listed on top of the World Health Organisation's (WHO) list of hazardous toxins.
While rings had the highest lead content since the heavy metal is used to make the metal malleable, bracelets came a close second.
"We found 67 per cent of these samples that we collected had high levels of lead which is 90ppm that is above the standards. These are very high levels and it shows that junk jewellery have high content of lead. Even the smaller ones have lead contents. It's scary because children play with them, sometimes they even put it inside their mouths. These jewellery were even rejected abroad. From trade as well as from children perspective it must be looked into," said Ravi Agarwal, Director, Toxic link.
Lead is used in the paint to make it more durable and long lasting. It also makes the jewellery bright and eye catching. But continuous exposure to it can reduce a child's IQ, cause kidney damage and gastric problems. The risk is high among the younger children since they chew, bite or lick these products ingesting lead, which then enters their bloodstream.
But the government remains indifferent.
"The government is sitting on it for too long. We put up this issue in 2006. Internationally, lead was removed for the first time from paints in 1935; globally different countries have removed from paints. It is certainly a case to look into. The companies here in India are adding lead into paints and it's a serious issue to look into," said Agarwal.
In the US and Europe there are stringent laws on the use of lead. Companies can face punitive action in case lead is found above permissible limits. But in India, which offers a huge market for toys and junk jewellery, there are no standards at all, putting at stake the health of millions of children.
Among these, pink bracelets, bright orange bangles, fancy rings and chains go off the shelf very fast. Made of plastic and metals, they are not only attractive but also come cheap. And parents rarely stop to wonder what these jewellery pieces actually contain or the danger the chemicals pose to the health of their children.
An NGO, Toxic Links, did a study on 54 such trinkets and found lead in them, which is listed on top of the World Health Organisation's (WHO) list of hazardous toxins.
While rings had the highest lead content since the heavy metal is used to make the metal malleable, bracelets came a close second.
"We found 67 per cent of these samples that we collected had high levels of lead which is 90ppm that is above the standards. These are very high levels and it shows that junk jewellery have high content of lead. Even the smaller ones have lead contents. It's scary because children play with them, sometimes they even put it inside their mouths. These jewellery were even rejected abroad. From trade as well as from children perspective it must be looked into," said Ravi Agarwal, Director, Toxic link.
Lead is used in the paint to make it more durable and long lasting. It also makes the jewellery bright and eye catching. But continuous exposure to it can reduce a child's IQ, cause kidney damage and gastric problems. The risk is high among the younger children since they chew, bite or lick these products ingesting lead, which then enters their bloodstream.
But the government remains indifferent.
"The government is sitting on it for too long. We put up this issue in 2006. Internationally, lead was removed for the first time from paints in 1935; globally different countries have removed from paints. It is certainly a case to look into. The companies here in India are adding lead into paints and it's a serious issue to look into," said Agarwal.
In the US and Europe there are stringent laws on the use of lead. Companies can face punitive action in case lead is found above permissible limits. But in India, which offers a huge market for toys and junk jewellery, there are no standards at all, putting at stake the health of millions of children.
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