Baltimore City Health Department Identify Children's Jewelry With High Lead Levels

BALTIMORE (WJZ) –Baltimore City Health Department has issued a violation notice to two businesses prohibiting the sale of children's jewelry that were identified with high levels of lead.

In one of the cases, the amount of lead was 2,000 times the permissible level.

Strawberry earrings sold at the Young World Store on 2401 Liberty Heights Avenue and gold Hello Kitty earrings sold at Grand Beauty & Outlet on 5403 Reisterstown Road are now banned.

"These products sell for just a few dollars but they are hardly a bargain. The costs of lead poisoning can last a lifetime," said Commissioner of Health Dr. Oxiris Barbot. "The lead content in these two products is off the charts, making them a significant danger to small children."

These products may not be offered for retail sale in Baltimore City.

Lead is especially toxic to the brains of young children.  Exposure to even low doses of lead has been linked to lower IQ scores, school failure, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and deficits in vocabulary, fine motor skills, reaction time and hand-eye coordination, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Excess lead levels in children can severely impair development and can even cause death.