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Background Many developing countries either lack or have weakly enforced regulations on imported goods. A high percentage of low-cost jewelry items in Nigeria are imported from abroad. There is concern about the levels of heavy metals present in these products. Objectives The present study examined the levels of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr) and nickel (Ni) in inexpensive jewelry purchased from retail wholesale shops in Ibadan metropolis, southwestern Nigeria. Methods One hundred (100) assorted jewelry items were digested in dilute nitric acid solution followed by atomic absorption spectrophotometric analysis. Results Out of the total number of jewelry items analyzed, 12% of them had Pb concentrations above European Union (EU) safety limits. Also, 63%, 42% and 62% of items had Cd, Cr and Ni average concentrations above their EU limits. Notably, 3%, 27% and 8% of the items had Pb, Cd and Cr concentrations over 103 times above their EU limits Overall, Cd showed the highest average level in rings (256,952 mg/kg) followed by bracelets (60,627 mg/kg) and earrings (54,388 mg/kg). All metals in solid bangles were within their EU guidelines. Conclusions Given the significant deleterious impacts of these metals on human health, low-cost jewelry poses a serious potential threat to users' health. Policies to guarantee the safety of low-cost jewelry items must be established and enforced. Competing Interests The authors declare no competing financial interests.

We explored acquired immunity resulting from vaccination in 3 to 7-year-old children, chronically exposed to multiple heavy metals and metalloids, in an e-waste recycling area (Guiyu, China). Child blood levels of ten heavy metals and metalloids, including lead (Pb), arsenic (As), mercury (Hg), chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and selenium (Se), and seven vaccine antibodies (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis B, Japanese encephalitis, polio, measles) were measured. The exposed group had higher levels of blood Pb, Mn, Cu, Zn and Cr compared to the reference group (P 10 mu g/dL) and high blood Cu and Zn (upper median value of each group) to be inversely associated with seven antibody titers. Antibody titers increased with age, BMI, high blood Mn (>15 mu g/L), and high blood Cd and Ni (upper median value of each group). Results suggest multiple heavy metal and metalloid exposure, especially to Pb, Zn and Cu, may be a risk factor inhibiting the development of child immunity, resulting in decreased child antibody levels against vaccines. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The composition of the surface layer of 13 low-cost jewelry samples with a high Cd content was analyzed using an energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (ED XRF). The analyzed jewels were obtained in cooperation with the Czech Environmental Inspectorate. The jewels were leached in two types of artificial sweat (acidic and alkaline) for 7 days. Twenty microliters of the resulting solution was subsequently placed on a paper carrier and analyzed by an LIBS (Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectrometry) spectrometer after drying. The Cd content in the jewelry surface layer detected by using ED XRF ranged from 13.4% to 44.6% (weight per weight—w/w). The samples were subsequently leached in artificial alkaline, and the acidic sweat and leachates were analyzed using laser-induced breakdown spectrometry (LIBS). The amount of released Cd into alkaline sweat ranged from 24.0 to 370 µg Cd per week, respectively 3.23–61.7 µg/cm2/week. The amount of released Cd into acidic sweat ranged from 16.4 to 1517 µg Cd per week, respectively 3.53–253 µg/cm2/week. The limit of Cd for dermal exposure is not unequivocally determined in the countries of the EU (European Union) or in the U.S. Based on the US EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) approach used to establish the reference dose (RfD) for Cd contained in food and information about the bioavailability of Cd after dermal exposure, we assessed our own value of dermal RfD. The value was compared with the theoretical amount of Cd, which can be absorbed into the organism from jewelry in contact with the skin. The calculation was based on the amount of Cd that was released into acidic and alkaline sweat. The highest amount of Cd was released into acidic sweat, which represents 0.1% of dermal RfD and into alkaline sweat, 0.5% of dermal RfD. These results indicate that the analyzed jewelry contains Cd over the limit for composition of jewelry available within the territory of the EU. The determined amount of Cd in analyzed jewelry does not, however, pose a threat in terms of non-carcinogenic toxic effects.

This study aimed to determine cadmium in low-cost jewelry from China. In the qualitative test the sulfide was used as precipitating agent. Due to the strong interference of copper in qualitative analysis, this element was removed by chemical reaction or electrolysis. This removal was of paramount importance for the qualitative analysis of Cd2+. Quantification of Cd2+ was performed by means of atomic absorption spectrometry. The concentration of Cd was ~ 30% (w/w) in one of the pieces. It is noteworthy that in a small universe of low-cost jewelry analyzed (four samples), such a high cadmium content found in one of them leads us to think that jewelry containing Cd are widespread among citizens. This work can be useful to approach the case study method for teaching Analytical Chemistry at the undergraduate level.