cadmium

More drop-side cribs, this time 82,000 of them from Pottery Barn Kids, are being recalled. If you own any drop-side crib from Pottery Barn Kids, you should stop using it immediately. [LA Times]

90,000 lbs. of frozen chicken nuggets from Perdue Farms are being recalled for being packaged with bits of blue plastic. They are sold at Wal-Mart stores nationwide. [CBS News]

44,900 baby “Karino” pacifiers recalled as choking hazards. [Business Week]

137,000 metal necklaces, bracelets, and earrings are being recalled for cadmium, the poisonous substance that causes kidney and liver damage. They are sold under the brand Justice. [CPSC]

The latest recalls from the Consumer Product Safety Commission include 66,200 charm bracelets and 2,200 rings that contain high levels of cadmium. As we’ve said in the past, cadmium is the seventh most hazardous substance in the environment, with long-term exposure being linked to kidney and liver damage. How did cadmium get in these bracelets? That’s still under investigation. The bracelets and rings were given out at doctor and dentists offices nationwide from June 2005 to last March. They are pictured to the right.

Also, the CPSC recalled fireworks under the name Super Lightning Rockets, distributed by a company called Big Fireworks, for being “overloaded with explosives.” About 4,700 units are circulating. So add “avoiding Super Lightning Rockets” to our list of fireworks safety tips.

From the Wall Street Journal and the Los Angeles Times.