Lead Jewelry for Children Found in California, Again

[GoFlyKiteNow]

Lead Jewelry for Children Found in California, Again

Rainbow Apparel of America, Inc. has made it onto a list of health violators by offering jewelry for children containing potentially deadly lead, for the fourth time in over a year.

California Attorney General Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown, Jr. issued a consumer alert warning last Wednesday and sent a ‘notice of violation’ to Rainbow Apparel.

"This jewelry represents a serious health hazard," Brown said in a statement, "and it is especially dangerous if a child gets a hold of it and puts it in his or her mouth. Some of these bangles are almost solid lead. The jewelry must be banished from retailers' shelves once and for all."

Just a day after the notice was issued, another Californian based jewelry producer voluntarily recalled some of their coin purses and jewelry meant for children. Daiso California LLC of Hayward found toxic levels of lead in surface paint on zippers in coin purses and clasps in jewelry.

The products sold by Daiso were manufactured in China, as were the Rainbow products, and also in Korea.

Even though Rainbow Apparel has issued requests to their vendors to comply with the health and safety standards of CEH for lead used in jewelry manufacturing, the problem keeps recurring. The amount of lead allowed in plated metal components is six percent.

 

[GoFlyKiteNow]

Victims of Toxic Chinese Sofas to Receive $30 Million Payout

LONDON—Hundreds of U.K. consumers who suffered severe burns from toxic sofas manufactured in China will receive a combined compensation payout of US$30 million.

The High Court in London approved a settlement for over 1,500 Britons, in what is believed to be the largest consumer group litigation in British history.

The case is the latest in a string of lawsuits for tainted products made in China.

The victims received skin burns and peeling from a chemical called DMF (dimethyl fumarate) that was found in the leather sofas manufactured by Chinese firms Linkwise and Eurosofa. The chemical was used to treat the sofas to prevent mold during their transit from China and subsequent storage.

Others suffered breathing problems and irritation of the eyes.

“Many suffered serious health problems, simply because of the new sofa they chose,” Richard Langton, a senior litigation partner at Russell Jones & Walker who led the group action, said in a statement. “At the start there was a real fear factor as nobody knew the cause.

The doctors took nine months to identify the chemical. Some people thought they had skin cancer or were dying.”

Yvonne Dalton from Bristol told the BBC that her sofa still gave her chemical burns one year after purchase. Dalton said she started having problems in April 2008, thinking she had an insect bite; by March 2009 she had been off work for two months.

Creams, lotions, antibiotics, steroids, and two biopsies later, the cause was found—her leather sofa that was made in China.

 

[GoFlyKiteNow]

Chinese Drywall Victims Awarded $2.6 Million
New Orleans Judge Fallon rules Chinese manufacturers negligent

A New Orleans judge awarded seven families more than $2.6 million in losses caused by toxic Chinese drywall in their homes Thursday.

Judge Eldon E. Fallon ruled against defendant Taishan Gypsum Co. Ltd., the Chinese manufacturer of the drywall.

“We’re very excited and very grateful for Judge Fallon for coming to a great conclusion,” said Lisa Orlando, one of the homeowners in the lawsuit.

But, there is no guarantee that the families will get the money, Orlando said. There is no recourse if the defendants refuse to pay. “We can’t do anything without the money,” she said from the home the family is now renting. Taishan Gypsum did not contest the lawsuit.
Feds Say Toxic Drywall Should Be Taken Out

The judgment comes less than a week after the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommended Chinese drywall-tainted homes be gutted.

The CPSC report called for removal of all possible drywall with issues, all fire safety alarm devices, all electronic components and wiring, and all gas-service piping, as well as the fire-suppression sprinkler systems.

Some Chinese-manufactured drywall types were found to emit significantly larger amounts of hydrogen sulfide, the chemical believed to cause corrosion, compared to other drywall.

Certain samples tested by investigators showed 100 times higher levels of hydrogen sulfide compared to the drywall manufactured outside of China that was tested.

 

[Teo Kok Eng]

The chinese are clearly lacking of any ethics.

Becareful of what you may find in a Ah Tiong hawker.

 

[manokie]

The chinese are clearly lacking of any ethics.

Becareful of what you may find in a Ah Tiong hawker.

Not every one is like that lah..

Sometimes there is sabotage involved too.. Also, billions of junk come out China each year.. it's hard to QC everything

 

[championplug]

The chinese are clearly lacking of any ethics.

Becareful of what you may find in a Ah Tiong hawker.

Chinese no ethics, then angmos sell opium to Chinese got ethics meh?

 

[Teo Kok Eng]

Not racial bashing...

Both chinese and angmoh started with no ethics..

With civilization, ang moh now adhere to ethics, Ah Tiongs unfortunately still have no ethics.

 

[Teo Kok Eng]

Not every one is like that lah..

Sometimes there is sabotage involved too.. Also, billions of junk come out China each year.. it's hard to QC everything

Agree. Not all like that. They need to change that image they portrayed.

 

[longbow]

Totally agree it is an issue. But lead in paint is hard to eradicate because of its widespread use in 3rd world countries. In another words, it is in their system and it is tough for them to meet 1st world standards. A good thing is that with mfg demanding high standards (recalls and lawsuits are very expensive) Chinese authorities are forced to improve paint standards. here is a recent article on lead paint. India exceed US lead levels by 100%, followed by Malaysia 72%, China 56% and Singapore 9%. So even products made in Singapore can be rejected in the US because of too much lead.

So if even Malaysia and Singapore cannot meet US standards, it will be challenging for China to do so given the size of the country. I am pretty sure that money talks and nothing speaks as loudly as a lost Walmart account.


Lead: Painting an Epidemic
Ron Chepesiuk Other Sections▼ The control of lead-based paint in residences has posed an ongoing public health challenge for decades. Now researchers have shown that several Asian countries are still selling paint with lead levels exceeding U.S. standards. The team warns in the September 2006 issue of Environmental Research that a worldwide ban on lead-based paint is needed to avoid perpetuating a global health epidemic. “By now, it is widely accepted around the world that lead should not be in paint,” says study head Scott Clark, a professor of environmental health at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.Lead expert Bruce Lanphear, a professor of environmental health at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, says, “We know that many countries still do not have regulations for the lead content of either new paint or paint in existing housing. [Further,] it is both costly and difficult to reduce exposure from lead-based paint after it has been applied.” The United States has set limits of 600 ppm for lead in new paint for residential use and less than 5,000 ppm for paint in existing housing; paint containing at least 5,000 ppm lead is considered to be “lead-based.”The effects of lead exposure depend on age (with children under 6 particularly vulnerable) and on whether the exposure is chronic or acute. In children, lead exposure can cause hyperactivity, anemia, brain damage, and mental retardation, while adults may suffer increased blood pressure, hearing and vision impairment, and nerve damage.Clark and colleagues analyzed 80 consumer paint samples of various colors and brands from stores in India, China, Malaysia, and Singapore to compare their lead content to U.S. standards. They applied a single layer of each paint to a wooden block, then transported the samples to the University of Cincinnati for analysis.The percentages of paint samples exceeding the U.S. lead limit for new paint were 100%, 72%, 56%, and 9% for India, Malaysia, China, and Singapore, respectively. The first three countries have no regulatory limits in place, whereas Singapore limits lead in new paint to 600 ppm. Clark says some multinational paint companies offered leaded paints in the countries without lead regulations at the same time that they sold lower-lead paint in Singapore. Noting that many U.S.-based paint manufacturers sell their products in Asia and have partners in the region, he says, “American companies need to promote U.S. environmental standards abroad and encourage their partners to lower the lead content in paint and other consumer products.”Stephen R. Sides, vice president for environmental health and international affairs with the Washington, DC–based National Paint and Coatings Association, says, “We are sharing the findings of Dr. Clark’s study with the U.S. paint industry to make it aware of the lead paint–related concerns and public health issues in Asia. Hopefully, U.S. paint companies will ensure that their products aren’t contributing to the problems.”

 

[championplug]

Not racial bashing...

Both chinese and angmoh started with no ethics..

With civilization, ang moh now adhere to ethics, Ah Tiongs unfortunately still have no ethics.

The last time I checked, Phillip Morris the world's largest tobacco company is still there. Lehman Bro bonds and Maddox made a lot of people broke or even commit suicide. People at the gulf of mexico is still suffering from the oil leak. People in Bhopal, India still haven't got their justice. Is this Angmo adhere to ethics?