"Half of Kids Jewelry Tested Contains Pure Lead: Health Canada"

"OTTAWA -- Half of the children's jewelry items tested at the government's product safety laboratory last year were made of almost pure lead.

Health Canada oversaw the targeted testing of 67 suspicious pieces and identified 39 with illegal levels of lead. The results, summarized in an internal report released to Canwest News Service under Access to Information laws, show most items contained lead levels nowhere near the legal limit, set at 0.6 per cent or 600 part per million.

Twenty of the metallic pieces were made of almost pure lead, with levels ranging from 80 per cent lead to 95 per cent lead. These levels, comparable to lead-acid car batteries, were found in such things as an apple-shaped pendant and a key-shaped pendant with a heart.

The worst offender, a plastic wrist band with various metallic charms made of 95 per cent lead, was labelled lead-free, according to Health Canada."

Canwest News Service had the story December 22, 2009.