Local News in Brief : Cancer Alert for Jewelry
Some custom-made costume jewelry fashioned from old watch faces and dials could contain low levels of cancer-causing radiation, Los Angeles County health officials warned Tuesday.
“Even low levels of radiation can increase the probability of skin dermatitis or cancer, and that is what we are concerned about,” said Joe Karvus, head of occupational health and radiation management for the county.
Such custom-made jewelry, made from old watch faces and dials containing radium, has been sold in various shops in the area, officials said. The jewelry includes earrings, pendants, bracelets and pins.
Those who think they may have purchased such pieces are urged not to wear them and to contact local health officials.
Karvus said radium-plated timepieces, whose faces glow in the dark, became popular during World War II, when they were used on ships and planes operating in blacked-out areas.
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