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Lead found in women’s accessories - Center for Environmental Health

By Tiffany Hsu
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Dozens of vinyl and faux leather women’s products from major retailers contained high levels of lead, according to the Center for Environmental Health.

Testing by the group over the last six weeks found lead in handbags, purses and wallets from Bay Area outlets of chains such as Target, Macy’s, Wal-Mart, Kohl’s, Sears, JCPenney and Ross. Brands with lead traces included Nine West, Xhilaration and Rosetti.

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Just five of the 21 retailers visited by the Center for Environmental Health had safe products. The rest violate state standards for lead exposure under California’s Proposition 65 consumer protection law, the group said.

Some items had lead levels up to 90 times higher than the federal standard, which limits lead in paint to 600 ppm, the group said. Though lead was found in handbags of all colors, the group said it was most prevalent in yellow, green and orange colors.

--Tiffany Hsu

Money & Company
Tiffany Hsu

Tiffany Hsu is a former staff writer for the Los Angeles Times. Previously, she wrote about the California economy, fast food, restaurants, retail and alternative energy for the Business section. A Bay Area native, UC Berkeley graduate and eternal Nor-Cal fan, she once worked for the San Francisco Bay Guardian. She also did a stint at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, where she developed a passion for sweet tea. She still has faith that someday she’ll find two economists who agree.

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