And to think we worried about lead in our children’s toys. Now federal watchdogs, the Associated Press and Walmart officials are blowing the whistle on Chinese imports – specifically, toys and jewelry for children – that contain cadmium, a metal that is considerably more dangerous than lead. The soft metal is a potent carcinogen, and doctors say exposure can delay brain development in young children, cause their kidneys to leak protein and weaken their bones enough to snap.

So how much of the toxic stuff was in the toys? The Associated Press commission laboratory tests on 103 inexpensive charm bracelets, necklaces and other pieces of children’s jewelry, nearly all of which had been imported from China and were being sold at Walmart, Claire’s and a Dollar ‘N’ More store: 89 items were cadmium-free, but 12 contained enough cadmium that the metal constituted 10% of the toy’s weight. In one case, the trinket was 91% cadmium, in another 80%.

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