GLYNN: Chinese-made jewelry can take deadly toll
Niagara Gazette, NY
Greater Niagara Newspapers
We’ve read a lot of reports about the Chinese-made toys that have been recalled because they may contain lead paint.
Just a week ago Mattel’s Fisher-Price division, which includes a facility in East Aurora, announced the worldwide recall of 1.5 million preschool toys featuring Dora the Explorer, Big Bird and Elmo, among other characters. Made in China, some 970,000 of those same toys were sold in the U.S. between May and August.
Aside from the obvious concern of countless parents, the lead alert extends far beyond the toy market.
Now we’re cautioned by the experts that dangerous levels of lead can also be found in children’s jewelry, trinkets and hundreds of other items regularly sold at the local dollar stores.
Why all the fuss over a little lead?
If some of the junk jewelry breaks — it often does — and a child swallows even a tiny piece, it could be fatal. A state pathologist at an Albany lab noted last week that if a child ingested only a small amount of lead, it could result in dramatic changes in a child’s nervous system or even a reduction in a few IQ points.
Currently state Sen. James S. Alesi, R-Rochester, and Assemblyman David Koon, D-Fairport, are sponsoring legislation that calls for more stringent control over the lead content of any jewelry sold in the Empire State.
Alesi cites a recent study of lead problems in the state that found jewelry bought at different discount stores contained more than 380,000 parts per million, more than 600 times the established limit. As the senator cautions, what falls into the hands of children can easily end up in their mouths.
“When put into the mouth, the lead can leech off into the blood stream and the medical damage done is horrible,†the lawmaker added.
Some observers contend that any such corrective action probably needs to be taken at the federal level, with legislation that would prevent China from exporting that kind of jewelry to the U.S.
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IN THE PARK: If you’ve ever wondered about the Great Gorge Route, the scenic railway that operated along the river between Niagara Falls and Lewiston, you’ll have a chance to hear the full story during a hike Aug. 31.
The regional parks interpretive office will sponsor the outing, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., starting at the Niagara Gorge Discovery Center.
The guide for the hike will talk about the early trolley days, with artifacts and photos displayed from that era.
If you’re interested, you should register by calling 745-7848.
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RIDING THE RAILS: Again this year, Amtrak is offering direct train service between Niagara Falls and the State Fair in Syracuse.
The fair which opens today continues through Sept. 3.
More information is available at the Amtrak passenger station, 27 Lockport Road, off Hyde Park Boulevard.
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OUT OF THE PAST: It was 50 years ago this week that President Eisenhower signed the Niagara Redevelopment Act, the initial step to building the $720-milliion Niagara Power Project.
Some 11,700 persons worked on the massive plant and related facilities that produced its first power in February 1961.
Contact reporter Don Glynn at 282-2311, Ext. 2246.
