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Cadmium
Cadmium Directive
REACH Annex XVII (Formerly known as 91/338/EEC)
Cadmium
Q.1 What is cadmium?
Cadmium is a soft, malleable, bluish-white metal with a low melting point that occurs as a minor component in zinc ores. Therefore, cadmium is produced mainly as a by-product from the refining of zinc ores.
Q.2 What is cadmium used for?
Cadmium has been used in pigments, corrosion resistant plating on steel and as a stabilizer in plastics. Due to a variety of regulations, cadmium is no longer used in these applications. Three-quarters of cadmium usage today is in nickel-cadmium batteries. It is suspected that manufacturers have started to replace lead, which is highly restricted in children’s products, with cadmium. Cadmium is a low cost metal, easy to work with, and has similar characteristics to lead.
Q.3 Why is cadmium a chemical of concern?
Cadmium is a highly toxic substance, exposure to which can produce a wide range of health effects. Cadmium can replace zinc in the body and can bind strongly to certain biological systems, making it difficult to remove. It can build up in the kidneys and cause kidney damage. It is also been found to cause several types of cancer.
Q.4 Is cadmium more hazardous in children than adults?
Both adults and children can suffer from the effects of cadmium poisoning. Babies and young children are more susceptible to cadmium poisoning than adults because they often put their hands or other objects in their mouths. Exploring their environment by mouthing objects is a developmental behavior which they outgrow somewhere between 24-36 months. Cadmium can enter the body when they put their hands or other objects in their mouths.
Q.5 Is cadmium regulated for children’s products or jewelry?
Cadmium is not regulated for the total amount found in the metal substrates for children’s products or jewelry.
US
Under the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), ASTM F963 has become mandatory. Cadmium is regulated as one of the heavy metals tested under ASTM F963 for coatings on children’s toys. Under this requirement, the coatings are tested as soluble or extractable cadmium and not total content.
California regulates cadmium through their Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, more popularly referred to as Proposition 65 or Prop 65 (California Health and Safety Code. Section 25249.6, et seq.). Through specific settlements, cadmium is regulated in food and beverage use ceramic and glassware, artist paints and surface coatings on specific consumer products.
EU
Under the REACH requirements, total cadmium is limited in plastics, pigments and paints. Cadmium is also regulated under EN 71 part 3 as extractable cadmium in modeling clay and in paints, coatings, and substrates in toys.
Canada
Similar to ASTM F963, Canada regulates cadmium under their Hazardous Substances Act (CHPA) and limits the amount of extractable cadmium in coatings on toys.
Q.6 What is the difference between total and soluble cadmium?
Total cadmium – this provides the total amount of cadmium in a sample.
Soluble cadmium – this provides the amount of cadmium that can be extracted out of a sample typically using a dilute hydrochloric acid solution similar to stomach acid. ASTM F963, CHPA and EN-71 part 3 define methods for determining the soluble cadmium. Depending on the type of material, the soluble cadmium can be much lower than the total amount of cadmium actually present.
Q.7 Has there been any regulatory activity since the Associated Press released the results of their study?
Several states, including New York and Mississippi, have proposed laws regulating cadmium in children’s jewelry at specific limits. The US House of Representatives has also proposed a bill that would consider any piece of children’s jewelry containing cadmium, barium, or antimony as a banned hazardous substance under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA).
Q.8 Can XRF be used to test for the presence of cadmium?
As an x-ray received in a hospital goes through the skin and to the bone, similarly, XRF reads both the surface coating and base substrate material. XRF analysis has some limitations when used for screening:
Some handheld XRF models have more interferences when used to screen metal substrates. Due to these limitations, wet chemistry testing is recommended. The CPSC has stated that XRF screening can be used for non-metal substrates.
If the surface coating contains cadmium and the substrate does not – the XRF will pick up the cadmium in the surface coating and show a false positive for cadmium in the substrate material.
If the surface coating does not contain cadmium and the substrate contains cadmium – depending on the thickness of the coating, a dilution effect can occur resulting in a lower value for cadmium in the substrate.
Q.9 Where will I Find Cadmium in My Products?
Cadmium compounds are commonly used as pigmentation in the plastics industry. Pigments based on cadmium compounds are usually yellow or orange. Look for cadmium in buttons, belt buckles, fashion jewellery and other plastic garment and accessory components.
Cadmium compounds are also used as stabilisers in PU and PVC coatings. Look for cadmium in PU or PVC coated fabrics, coated leather, fashion handbags and purses, etc.
Q. 10 Why is Cadmium a Problem?
Cadmium is toxic to health by inhalation or ingestion. Cadmium compounds can cause lung, liver and kidney damage. It accumulates in plants via effluent and waste water discharged from production plants or via the soil from products disposed of through landfill.
Q.11 What does the EU Directive Require?
Cadmium is restricted for used in mixture and articles produced from synthetic organic polymers (plastic material). Limit should not exceed 0.01% by weight of the plastic material.
Cadmium is restricted for used in painted articles. Limit should not exceed 0.1% weight of paint on the painted article.
Cadmium is restricted for used in jewellery including metal beads and other metal components for jewellery making; metal parts of jewellery and imitation jewellery articles and hair accessories, such as bracelets, necklaces and rings, piercing jewellery, wrist-watches and wrist-wear, brooches and cufflinks. Limit should not exceed 0.01% by weight of the metal.
Q.12 How do I Test?
In the absence of an official test method, the following European standard is applied:
EN 1122:2001 “Plastics - Determination of cadmium. Wet Decomposition Method”, using either:
- Method A - A mixture of sulphuric acid, nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide; or
- Method B - A mixture of sulphuric acid and hydrogen peroxide.
REACH Annex XVII (Formerly known as 91/338/EEC)
Cadmium
Q.1 What is cadmium?
Cadmium is a soft, malleable, bluish-white metal with a low melting point that occurs as a minor component in zinc ores. Therefore, cadmium is produced mainly as a by-product from the refining of zinc ores.
Q.2 What is cadmium used for?
Cadmium has been used in pigments, corrosion resistant plating on steel and as a stabilizer in plastics. Due to a variety of regulations, cadmium is no longer used in these applications. Three-quarters of cadmium usage today is in nickel-cadmium batteries. It is suspected that manufacturers have started to replace lead, which is highly restricted in children’s products, with cadmium. Cadmium is a low cost metal, easy to work with, and has similar characteristics to lead.
Q.3 Why is cadmium a chemical of concern?
Cadmium is a highly toxic substance, exposure to which can produce a wide range of health effects. Cadmium can replace zinc in the body and can bind strongly to certain biological systems, making it difficult to remove. It can build up in the kidneys and cause kidney damage. It is also been found to cause several types of cancer.
Q.4 Is cadmium more hazardous in children than adults?
Both adults and children can suffer from the effects of cadmium poisoning. Babies and young children are more susceptible to cadmium poisoning than adults because they often put their hands or other objects in their mouths. Exploring their environment by mouthing objects is a developmental behavior which they outgrow somewhere between 24-36 months. Cadmium can enter the body when they put their hands or other objects in their mouths.
Q.5 Is cadmium regulated for children’s products or jewelry?
Cadmium is not regulated for the total amount found in the metal substrates for children’s products or jewelry.
US
Under the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), ASTM F963 has become mandatory. Cadmium is regulated as one of the heavy metals tested under ASTM F963 for coatings on children’s toys. Under this requirement, the coatings are tested as soluble or extractable cadmium and not total content.
California regulates cadmium through their Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, more popularly referred to as Proposition 65 or Prop 65 (California Health and Safety Code. Section 25249.6, et seq.). Through specific settlements, cadmium is regulated in food and beverage use ceramic and glassware, artist paints and surface coatings on specific consumer products.
EU
Under the REACH requirements, total cadmium is limited in plastics, pigments and paints. Cadmium is also regulated under EN 71 part 3 as extractable cadmium in modeling clay and in paints, coatings, and substrates in toys.
Canada
Similar to ASTM F963, Canada regulates cadmium under their Hazardous Substances Act (CHPA) and limits the amount of extractable cadmium in coatings on toys.
Q.6 What is the difference between total and soluble cadmium?
Total cadmium – this provides the total amount of cadmium in a sample.
Soluble cadmium – this provides the amount of cadmium that can be extracted out of a sample typically using a dilute hydrochloric acid solution similar to stomach acid. ASTM F963, CHPA and EN-71 part 3 define methods for determining the soluble cadmium. Depending on the type of material, the soluble cadmium can be much lower than the total amount of cadmium actually present.
Q.7 Has there been any regulatory activity since the Associated Press released the results of their study?
Several states, including New York and Mississippi, have proposed laws regulating cadmium in children’s jewelry at specific limits. The US House of Representatives has also proposed a bill that would consider any piece of children’s jewelry containing cadmium, barium, or antimony as a banned hazardous substance under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA).
Q.8 Can XRF be used to test for the presence of cadmium?
As an x-ray received in a hospital goes through the skin and to the bone, similarly, XRF reads both the surface coating and base substrate material. XRF analysis has some limitations when used for screening:
Some handheld XRF models have more interferences when used to screen metal substrates. Due to these limitations, wet chemistry testing is recommended. The CPSC has stated that XRF screening can be used for non-metal substrates.
If the surface coating contains cadmium and the substrate does not – the XRF will pick up the cadmium in the surface coating and show a false positive for cadmium in the substrate material.
If the surface coating does not contain cadmium and the substrate contains cadmium – depending on the thickness of the coating, a dilution effect can occur resulting in a lower value for cadmium in the substrate.
Q.9 Where will I Find Cadmium in My Products?
Cadmium compounds are commonly used as pigmentation in the plastics industry. Pigments based on cadmium compounds are usually yellow or orange. Look for cadmium in buttons, belt buckles, fashion jewellery and other plastic garment and accessory components.
Cadmium compounds are also used as stabilisers in PU and PVC coatings. Look for cadmium in PU or PVC coated fabrics, coated leather, fashion handbags and purses, etc.
Q. 10 Why is Cadmium a Problem?
Cadmium is toxic to health by inhalation or ingestion. Cadmium compounds can cause lung, liver and kidney damage. It accumulates in plants via effluent and waste water discharged from production plants or via the soil from products disposed of through landfill.
Q.11 What does the EU Directive Require?
Cadmium is restricted for used in mixture and articles produced from synthetic organic polymers (plastic material). Limit should not exceed 0.01% by weight of the plastic material.
Cadmium is restricted for used in painted articles. Limit should not exceed 0.1% weight of paint on the painted article.
Cadmium is restricted for used in jewellery including metal beads and other metal components for jewellery making; metal parts of jewellery and imitation jewellery articles and hair accessories, such as bracelets, necklaces and rings, piercing jewellery, wrist-watches and wrist-wear, brooches and cufflinks. Limit should not exceed 0.01% by weight of the metal.
Q.12 How do I Test?
In the absence of an official test method, the following European standard is applied:
EN 1122:2001 “Plastics - Determination of cadmium. Wet Decomposition Method”, using either:
- Method A - A mixture of sulphuric acid, nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide; or
- Method B - A mixture of sulphuric acid and hydrogen peroxide.
