Toxic levels of a hormone-disrupting chemical is lurking in some rings sold on Amazon, an investigation revealed today.
Tests on jewellery by the Office for Product Safety and Standards found Dishowme butterfly rings contained high levels of cadmium.
The product, manufactured China, is described as ‘silver-coloured butterfly rings sold in a clear plastic bag’ and marketed at ‘women and girls’.
Exposure to the metal cadmium can cause damage the hormones, kidneys and bones.
Over the past decade, it has also been linked to infertility, cancer and impaired development.
Government agency, the Office for Product Safety and Standards, warned that the jewellery posed a ‘serious chemical risk’ to people and must be removed online.
Amazon has now pulled the rings from its website.
A spokesperson for the Office for Product Safety and Standards said: ‘This product presents a serious chemical risk as the cadmium content was found to be greater than the maximum permissible limit.
‘Cadmium is harmful to human health as it accumulates in the body, may cause cancer and can damage organs.’
Trading bosses added that the necessary ‘corrective action’ was ‘removal of the listing by the online marketplace Amazon’.
Uses of the metal cadmium are declining and are now heavily restricted in Europe because of the health risks it poses.
It is mainly used in low levels in the production of nickel-cadmium batteries, some plastic products such as PVC and as a colorant in ceramic, glass and art paints.
It’s also present in certain foods, including some vegetables, potatoes, chocolate, shellfish, and seaweed, which absorb it from the soil.
But cadmium levels in UK food are managed by ‘Maximum Permitted Levels’ set by the Food Standards Agency.
According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), breathing air with high levels of cadmium can cause shortness of breath, chest pain, a metallic taste in the mouth, cough and flu-like symptoms, which may occur some hours after the exposure.
‘In severe cases, exposure can lead to extensive fluid loss, lung damage, multiple organ failure and death,’ the health body warns.
But levels of cadmium in the environment are typically not high enough to cause these effects, it cautions.
Ingesting cadmium can cause irritation to the digestive tract, triggering diarrhoea and nausea, while ingesting large amounts could result in a build-up of fluid in the lungs and swelling of the face.
‘Exposure to cadmium for a long period of time may result in damage to the bones and kidneys and may cause cancer,’ the UKHSA warns.
Responding to the withdrawal of the Dishowme butterfly rings from Amazon, a spokesperson for the online marketplace said: ‘We require all products offered in our store to comply with applicable laws, regulations and Amazon policies.
‘We continuously monitor our store and we develop innovative tools to prevent unsafe products from being listed.
‘We take action to maintain a safe selection for our customers, including removing noncompliant products, and outreach to sellers, manufacturers, and government agencies for additional information, when appropriate.
‘The product in question has been removed.’
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