Imitation Jewelry Has High Lead Content

Imitation jewelry, which looks pretty attractive, contains high levels of lead, which may cause health issues. This is the finding contained in a report by an NGO Toxic Link.

"It is quite likely that most of the lead content is coming from paints and pigments being used to colour the jewelry," Prashant Rajankar, senior programme officer and member of investigating team told India Today.

The report also says that if the jewelry is taken into mouth even inadvertently, it can cause lead poisoning. The researchers tested 54 random pieces of jewelry picked up from Janpath, Lajpat Nagar, and Sadar Bazaar in Delhi.

They found that the lead levels in the jewelry pieces were between 12.68ppm (parts per million) and 856,346.9ppm.Majority of the pieces had lead levels well above the accepted standard levels.

Toxic Link now plans to write to the Ministry of Health and brief them about the findings.




Source: Medindia