Ban on unlabelled silver cleaners out

ARE your teeners one of those trendy guys glinting with silver accessories? If they are, beware.

According to some sources, silver accessories made shiny by cleaning solutions flooding the market now have alarmed authorities over reports of poisoning.

On this, the government has issued warnings against silvers being cleaned by silver cleaning solutions that are unlabelled and thus come from unregistered sources.

The culprit, silver cyanide, an active component in the cleaning compound has been detected with over the safe levels in these silver-cleaning products.

Cyanide is a chemical compound that can cause poisoning, especially when cyanide ions are dissolved in water, according to the wikipedia.

At this, the Departments of Health (DOH) and Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) have issued a ban on selling of unlabelled silver jewelry cleaning solution.

In a joint advisory dated September 24, both agencies issued a warning on buying unregistered and unlabelled silver jewelry cleaning solutions or agents proliferating in the market today.

The advisory states, "laboratory analysis of samples of silver cleaners solution show elevated levels of cyanide clearly posing imminent danger or even death to humans, particularly when accidentally or deliberately ingested."

Both agencies said these substances pose as threat to health and safety, thus they stress their strict prohibition and sale in the market.

The advisory also carries a warning to all commercial establishments such as jewelry shops and other retail outlets and ambulant vendors against selling or dispensing these silver cleaners.

By Presidential Decree 881, the law has empowered the secretary of the Department of Health to regulate the sale, labeling and distribution of hazardous substances.

The same decree defines hazardous substance as those which toxic, corrosive, irritant, strong sensitizer, flammable or combustible and that which causes substantial injury when ingested.

The public then is enjoined to report to the DOH any information leading to the apprehension of persons engaged in distributing these products. Any individual in possession of such banned substances may as well surrender them to the DOH for proper disposal, the advisory said.

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