Recall: Earring Sets Sold in Fla. Wal-Marts Contain Lead

The Orlando Sentinel ^ | July 17, 2007 | The Associated Press

[Buffalo Head]

In addition, most copper alloys (like brass) as well as steel used as raw material for machining small parts have lead in the alloy to improve their machining characteristics.

Are you familiar with fine crystal and laboratory-medical test tubes made from leaded glass? Yes, there is lead in those items! The fact that a given item has a constituent of lead in it's makeup has little bearing on it's hazard potential to humans.

[BearCub]

How many folks on this thread know that most tin cans seams are soldered together with a lead-tin compound?

"Tin" cans for use with food products do not use solder that contains lead.

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

Where are the lawsuits BTW? If this were an American company the proverbial Poop would be hitting the fan.

NPR actually did a story on this very subject this morning, regarding the tainted pet food lawsuits. The short answer is that just proving that a Chinese company with no facilities on US soil and no assets in US banks is under the jurisdiction of US courts is a high, though not insurmountable obstacle. Then there's the fact that lawsuits tend to go after deep pockets, which a rinky dink, Walmart-supplying cheap jewelry factory in China isn't likely to have.

[tutstar]

btttt

[N. Theknow]

The heck with major retailers, find me ANY regular retailer not selling products made in China.

My automobilically gifted Son-in-law changed the front wheel bearings on my Jeep last weekend.

While I was helping, aka staying out of the way, I was reading the box the new wheel bearings came in, "Made in China."

They did not come from Wally World, but a local auto parts store.

[Old_Mil]

About 220 Sleeping Beauty crown and Cinderella star earring sets, manufactured in China by Uncas Manufacturing Co., because the recalled metal earring sets contain high levels of lead, which is toxic if ingested by young children.......

There have actually been several instances where kids have been poisoned by ingesting small chinese toys with lead, and this is a pervasive problem in China as evidenced by the medical literature: As lead intoxication in children significantly decreases in the United States, there may be a lessening awareness of the threat of lead. It is imperative that pediatricians know that children adopted from China are at risk for lead intoxication and that they should be screened during their initial health assessments.

In general, no parent should buy a child a toy that was made in China.

[Old Professer]

Children will eat earrings no matter what you do.

[Gabz]

They did not come from Wally World, but a local auto parts store.

Point taken :)

[mysterio]

But the important part is that they’re ten cents cheaper.

[Xenalyte]

Little girls don’t need to EAT earrings.

[Buffalo Head]

I’ve been away from the can business for awhile. In the 1970’s the soldering alloy was 98% lead and 2% tin, a special alloy developed by the American Can Company during WWII to conserve our small supply of tin.

[Hydroshock]

Little girls don’t need to wear earrings.

Agreed, but I have seen newborn baby girls with their ears pierced here in TX>

[Hydroshock]

I call them The Great Walmart of China.

[Madame Dufarge]

I’m no more happy with the Chinacrap import than anyone else, but this constant attack on WalMart over it is really annoying the crapola out of me.

It's just about reached full-flow psychosis level, hasn't it? Amazing.

My daughter had her ears pierced in WM this past Saturday

OMG!!!

The end of life as we know it!!

[Ignatz]

the fist peircing closed up.

Wow. What an unfortunate typo.
You misspelled "piercing".

[stevio]

I went to two independent bicycle dealers looking for a bike for my boy. Trek, Giant, and I forget the other major brand, all made in China.

[Spruce]

I could be mistaken, but wasn’t one of Wal-Mart’s earliest marketing campaigns based on the fact that they were selling ONLY products made in the USA?

[Mad_as_heck]

I went to two independent bicycle dealers looking for a bike for my boy. Trek, Giant, and I forget the other major brand, all made in China.

The bikes sold at Wal-Mart are main in China but don't worry: They are "designed in the US." For now anyway....

I think a big part of the problem is that most businesses in the US wouldn't think manufacturing something like bikes was sexy or glamorous enough. They want to be involved in get rich quick dotcoms and such like.

There is a lot of money to be made doing things that won't get you on the cover of FastCompany magazine. We need to wise up.

[BearCub]

I’ve been away from the can business for awhile. In the 1970’s the soldering alloy was 98% lead and 2% tin, a special alloy developed by the American Can Company during WWII to conserve our small supply of tin.

I've never been in it, but I do recall hearing that they got rid of the lead.

[Gabz]

Wow. What an unfortunate typo. You misspelled "piercing".

Apparentlly so did my friend Peirce.