Wazzup Pilipinas!?
(Watchdog group finds cadmium in some lucky charm bracelets)
13 February 2026, Quezon City. As many citizens go to Binondo, Manila, and other Chinatowns across the country to buy tikoy (glutinous rice cake) and other Chinese New Year favorites, the EcoWaste Coalition reminded consumers to watch out for lucky charm bracelets with toxic metallic components.
The watchdog group on waste and pollution issued the timely reminder as luck seekers look for items to activate good luck, health, and fortune to usher in the Year of the Fire Horse, which is associated with immense energy, passion, and burning drive for success.
To show the health risks of some luck activators, the group purchased 22 bracelets sold for P35 to P150 each from sellers in Binondo, Quiapo, and Santa Cruz districts, and screened them for heavy metals, cadmium in particular, using an X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyzer.
While no chemicals of concern were detected on the beads, the Pi Yao (aka Pi Xiu) and other metallic components, including a unicorn (a mythical animal resembling a horse), of the bracelets were found laden with high levels of cadmium.
Of the 22 lucky charm bracelets purchased and analyzed, nine were found to contain Pi Yao and other auspicious symbols with cadmium levels exceeding 100 ppm, the European Union’s limit for cadmium in jewelry.
Of these nine bracelets, seven had metallic components with cadmium above 100,000 ppm. The other two had cadmium levels of 2,170 ppm and 4,257 ppm.
The presence of cadmium in the nine bracelets indicates that some jewelry manufacturers use this highly toxic metal to add mass and weight to the product and make a lustrous finish. On the other hand, the absence of cadmium in the 13 bracelets shows that it can be replaced with non-toxic materials.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has listed cadmium among the 10 chemicals or groups of chemicals of major public health concern. It has recommended the “elimination of use of cadmium in products such as toys, jewelry, and plastics” as one of the interventions to reduce cadmium releases and occupational and environmental exposure.
According to the WHO, “cadmium exerts toxic effects on the kidneys as well as the skeletal and respiratory systems (and) is classified as a human carcinogen.”
While swallowing jewelry poses the highest risk of cadmium exposure, chronic exposure may occur through habitual oral contact. Children can absorb the metal by chewing, sucking, or mouthing these items. Because children under six frequently put objects (and their hands) in their mouths, they are at a higher risk.
To address this threat to public health, the EcoWaste Coalition called for a comprehensive review of existing regulations to fix the loopholes that allow high-cadmium jewelry to enter the local market.
Since ordinary consumers cannot visually distinguish safe metallic components from those containing cadmium, the group pushed for mandatory labeling that details chemical ingredients and potential health or ecological risks.
These actions, the EcoWaste Coalition said, will help advance the Filipino people's right to health, as guaranteed by the Constitution, as well as promote the Global Framework on Chemicals - For a Planet Free of Harm from Chemicals and Waste," which aims "to prevent or, where prevention is not feasible, minimize harm from chemicals and waste to protect the environment and human health, including that of vulnerable groups and workers."
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
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