Most of us Moms wear jewelry, not necessarily fancy, diamond studded jewelry, just everyday jewelry that brightens up our look a bit. We aren’t surprised when our jewelry ends up in our kids’ mouths every once in a while. Most babies think necklaces make excellent teethers! But, what happens if that impromptu teether (ie necklace) contains chemicals that can harm our kids’ health?

HealthyStuff.org recently purchased inexpensive jewelry from popular retailers across the country like Target, Claire's, and Kohl's. More than half of the necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and other samples that we tested contained toxic chemicals like lead, cadmium, and mercury. You can view the results and details of the study here.

Toxic chemicals linked to health threats like cancer, infertility, and cognitive impairments don’t belong in our jewelry - or any consumer products for that matter. Children are particularly at risk because they are more susceptible to the toxic effects of chemicals and, like we know, often place things like jewelry into their mouths. Kids don’t have to swallow a piece of jewelry to be exposed. They can be exposed to low doses of lead, cadmium, or other chemicals just by mouthing or sucking. We shouldn’t have to worry about lead or cadmium in our jewelry. Jewelry shouldn’t be tainted by chemicals that can harm our families’ health. You can take action now by urging your Senators to co-sponsor the Safe Chemicals Act.

The Safe Chemicals Act would help to protect the health of our families and natural resources by better managing the thousands of chemicals on the marketplace. Toxic chemicals are all too commonly found in our homes, schools, and workplaces. We deserve to be better protected, contact your Senator today.