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Health risks Costume jewelry often with high lead content
Cheap costume jewelery is often burdened with health-endangering heavy metals. The Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) points in a recent report to the findings of lead and cadmium above the applicable limits. Experts urge manufacturers to do more "to avoid health risks".
Cheap fashion jewelery articles in the sights of the monitoring authorities
Last year, the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) pointed out that more and more nickel is being processed into costume jewelery. Many people are allergic to this metal. Upon contact with nickel, they develop a so-called contact eczema, which appears as an itchy rash. Now cheap fashion jewelery articles again came under the surveillance of the surveillance authorities.
The Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) warns of high lead and cadmium content in costume jewelery. The heavy metals can endanger your health. (Image: stefan_weis / fotolia.com) High lead and cadmium content
The BVL warns of high lead and cadmium content in costume jewelery. This is partly above the applicable limits. According to a press release from the Federal Office: "After several individual finds of inexpensive costume jewelery with increased lead and cadmium levels, the product group was increasingly inspected in 2015 by official surveillance."
Completely made of lead
Twenty-two samples (12 percent) of the 262 samples taken by the inspectors had lead levels above the current maximum level of 500 mg / kg. In one examined chain, the two snap hooks were even made entirely of lead.
According to the report, the cadmium content exceeded the limit of 100 mg / kg for 26 samples (ten percent).
Longer-term uptake of heavy metals
According to health experts, long-term intake of high levels of heavy metals can lead to serious illnesses. Lead can cause serious damage to the nervous system, blood and kidneys. Lead poisoning can also result in fertility problems. And cadmium can damage kidneys and bones.
Manufacturers need to do more to avoid health risks
This year's chairwoman of the LAV, Juliane Becker, said: "The results of official monitoring of consumer goods show that cheap costume jewelery is often problematic. The danger arises above all when the jewelry, e.g. a ring or pendant, can be swallowed. Then serious, even deadly poisonings are possible. "
And BVL President Helmut Tschiersky stated: "The manufacturers and importers of costume jewelry clearly have to do more to avoid health risks."
Harmful substances in food
The BVL also pointed to harmful substances in food. As part of nationwide monitoring, herbal foods are regularly examined for residues of pesticides and pesticides. "In 2015, the herbs rosemary, dill, oregano and chives were included for the first time," writes the Office.
It turned out that many of these herbs were contaminated with pesticides.
In its report on food safety, the BVL reports: "Pesticide residues have been detected to varying degrees in all foodstuffs of plant origin examined."
Aluminum in herbs
"The highest levels of samples with residues above the legal maximum levels were found in the herbs rosemary (9.0%), dill (7.6%) and oregano (6.5%)," it continues.
For the herbs oregano, chives, dill and rosemary relatively high aluminum contents were also determined. "An explanation for the high aluminum content of these herbs could be an aluminum enrichment from the soils of the growing areas," say the experts.
Poison for the nervous system
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommends that you do not take in more than one milligram (mg) of aluminum per kilogram of body weight. According to the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), many people swallow enough aluminum in their food alone that the weekly tolerated amount is already exhausted.
But humans not only absorb aluminum through their food, but also through cosmetic products, such as aluminum deodorants.
An increased uptake of aluminum has long been associated with the development of diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's disease, although the data is not yet clear. According to experts, Alu is poison for the nervous system, fertility and unborn life. (Ad)