Lead in drinking glasses to be probed by Fed officials

Lead in drinking glasses to be probed by Fed officials

Samples of drinking glasses with possible dangerous levels of lead have been gathered by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to determine their safety for consumers. The glasses are painted with cartoon and film characters and were targeted more for children than adults, federal officials say. The importer of the said glasses from China, the Warner Bros. Studios shop in Burbank, California, denied that the products were intended for kids even as they featured Wonder Woman, Superman, and Wizard of Oz characters. But they said they are recalling the products voluntarily. The studio’s website has been selling the glasses with other kids’ items like lunchboxes with superhero designs. More than 160,000 glasses have been pulled out of the market since the investigation began.

The probe was prompted by a report by the Associated Press this weekend saying that colored drinking glasses were found to have dangerous levels of lead and cadmium, another toxic chemical. A laboratory test commissioned by the news agency revealed the large amounts.  The CPSC said that their investigation now covers all glasses “that have decorations that children would be attracted to,” said spokesperson Scott Wolfson.

Health officials fear that the toxic chemicals may be transferred to the hands of children who frequently place their hands and fingers into their mouth. When ingested even in small amounts, the metals may have adverse effects on kids’ health. But the main concern for now is not how quick the chemicals like cadmium and lead are released, but rather if the amount found in the drinking glasses exceeded standard limits.

Posted by Melanie Mendoza on Wednesday November 24 2010, 5:38 AM EST. Ref: Associated Press. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, Shopping. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0