(SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE)–Passing a store window display, you pause to admire a faux-leather purse whose bright-yellow hue would go perfectly with your outfit.
But along the bag’s strap or in the heart of the lining, lead may be lurking.
That’s what the Center for Environmental Health in Oakland discovered after a shopping spree at 21 major Bay Area retailers. Tests of 43 purses, bags and wallets found lead in levels exceeding limits set in a legal agreement.
Because the accessories are aimed at young women, many of whom are in the likeliest age bracket for pregnancy, they could present problems for mother and child alike, said Caroline Cox, research director at the Center for Environmental Health.
“The most sensitive time for a child to be exposed to lead is actually before they’re born, when they’re still inside their mom,” Cox said. “The way a child is exposed at that time is because of the lead exposure that the mom has.”
Read more about these deadly purses here.
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