Styles for Less? More like Styles with Lead!
Yes, once again, the Center for Environmental Health has discovered another retailer selling lead-tainted jewelry . Styles for Less, a “junior and misses retail store”, markets to young “tween” and teenage girls, who are particularly at risk from lead exposures, as are women of child-bearing age. Testing commissioned by CEH has found extremely high levels of lead in jewelry from Styles for Less stores. The tests on jewelry purchased in January found thirteen styles in violation of California’s strict limits on lead in jewelry.
Eleven of the thirteen pieces tested had metal components containing 69% or more lead. “There is no excuse for these numerous, exceedingly high lead violations in Styles for Less jewelry,” said Caroline Cox, Research Director at CEH.
The worst part: One piece had a component containing 78% lead and was labeled “lead-free”. Sheesh. Another case of outright dubious label claims? Not again.
78% lead is already extremely high, but in this batch of particularly nasty jewelry, seven pieces included components containing more than 80% lead, while one included a component with 92% lead!
That’s just ridiculous!
Lead exposure has not only been linked to infertility and health risks, but a recent study concluded that lead exposure during pregnancy could have “lasting and possibly permanent effects” on a child’s IQ.