CEH Finds Jewelry Sold by 2 Retailers Violates California Law
On June 13, 2011, the Center for Environmental Health announced that independent testing it commissioned found dozens of pieces of lead-tainted jewelry sold this spring by Burlington Coat Factory stores and Styles for Less stores.
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Jewelry Components Contain Lead Levels Ranging from 36-93%
The California Attorney General has sent legal notices of violation of California’s jewelry law to Burlington for 23 lead-tainted items and to Styles for Less for seven items.
The jewelry violations from the two stores were found in testing of items purchased since April. One Burlington item contained a clasp that was 36% lead; the other 22 items had components testing between 52% and 88% lead. The Burlington jewelry was purchased at Bay Area, Central Valley and Los Angeles area stores. The 7 items of Styles jewelry, purchased at Bay Area stores, included components that tested at between 56% and 93% lead.
(CEH states that both Burlington and Styles have previously been notified for lead-tainted jewelry violations. In 2010, CEH found six items in violation of the lead jewelry law at Burlington stores. Between 2009-10, CEH found ten items in violation of the law at Styles for Less. See ITT's Online Archives or 02/18/11 and 11/30/10 news, 11021808 and 10113031, for BP summaries of February 2011 and November 2010 CEH's findings of high levels of lead in jewelry from Styles for Less stores.
CEH also notes that in 2010, it repeatedly found high levels of lead in jewelry from Rainbow stores. In testing of much of the store’s jewelry this year, CEH has not found any jewelry with high levels of lead. See ITT's Online Archives or 07/02/10 news, 10070216, for BP summary of CEH's finding of extremely high levels of lead in jewelry purchased from Rainbow in May 2010.)
(Press release dated 06/13/11)