Quezon City. Toxics watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition reminds online shoppers to avoid unregistered silver jewellery cleaners (SJCs) as these products may contain chemical ingredients that are toxic to humans and marine life.
Based on the group’s monitoring today, third-party online sellers continue to offer unregistered SJCs for sale, including Silver Sparkle, which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned in 2016 after it tested positive for cyanide, a fast-acting deadly poison that is highly toxic to humans and aquatic animals.
According to the FDA, “Cyanide is a highly toxic chemical that can be inhaled, absorbed through the skin, or ingested (accidentally or intentionally), even at low doses/concentrations”. It warns that “exposure to cyanide may cause any of the following signs and symptoms within minutes – dizziness, headache, nausea and vomiting, rapid breathing, rapid heart rate, agitation and weakness, or may lead to, among other things, respiratory failure, loss of consciousness, and possibly death”.
The EcoWaste Coalition therefore advises consumers to follow the safety tips provided by the FDA in Advisory No. 2016-088:
Avoid purchasing SJCs without instructions for use in English and/or Filipino dialects.Carefully read the product label, which should contain the following information:
1.Name and place of business of the manufacturer, packer, distributor or seller;
2.The common or usual name of the chemical(s) used.
3.The signal word “POISON” and the skull and crossbones symbol for any highly toxic substance.
4.Signal word “DANGER” for substances that are extremely flammable, corrosive or highly toxic.
5.Signal word “WARNING” or “CAUTION” for all other hazardous substances.
6.Word(s) describing the hazard(s) such as “FLAMMABLE”, “VAPOUR HARMFUL”, “CAUSES BURNS” and “HARMFUL OR FATAL IF SWALLOWED”.
7.Precautionary statements such as “do not swallow”, “do not breathe dust (or vapour)”, “avoid contact with eyes and prolonged skin contact” and “use only in a well-ventilated area”.
8.Handling and storage instructions such as “keep away from heat” and “keep out of the reach of children”.
9.First aid treatment supplemented by the statement “call a doctor immediately”.
To protect consumers, the EcoWaste Coalition urged online shopping platforms to remove product listings for cyanide-containing Silver Sparkle and to require SJC sellers to obtain a “no cyanide content” certificate from their suppliers, which should also be properly posted for shoppers’ information.
FDA Advisory No. 2021-0879 reaffirms the ban on the manufacture, distribution, importation and sale of cyanide-containing SJCs, as well as the ban on their promotion and sale in online marketplaces. “Always verify that a product is registered with the FDA by using the FDA Verification Portal (https://verification.fda.gov.ph/Home.php),” the agency said. Earlier in 2010, the Department of Health and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources issued a joint advisory banning SJCs containing cyanide and other toxic substances.
Aside from the banned Silver Sparkle, the EcoWaste Coalition found numerous listings for SJCs that were not registered with the FDA, including products shipped from China to the Philippines.
