Well, China is at it again. Seems that a bunch of jewelry they have distributed around the world, and to the US is contaminated. This time, it is cadmium, which can cause all manner of mental defect and can cause cancer.

A day after The Associated Press documented the contamination in an investigative report, the top U.S. consumer safety regulator warned Asian manufacturers not to substitute other toxins for lead in children’s charm bracelets and pendants.

Regulators and lawmakers reacted swiftly to the AP report, which found that some Chinese manufacturers have been using cadmium, sometimes at extraordinarily high levels. Congress clamped down on lead in those products in 2008, but cadmium is even more harmful.

Melissa Hill, a spokeswoman for Wal-Mart Stores Inc., called the AP findings “troubling.” She said the company, which is the world’s largest retailer, had a special responsibility “to take swift action, and we are doing so.”

Members of Congress voiced anger about the imports. Sen. Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat, said he’s reviewing the law that regulates such substances to decide if a fix is needed.

“Parents will be outraged to learn certain jewelry makers overseas thought they could pull a fast one at the expense of our kids’ safety,” said Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor of Arkansas, who has championed stronger rules for children’s products.

Cadmium, which is known to cause cancer, is a soft, whitish metal that occurs naturally in soil. It’s perhaps best known as half of rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries, but also is used in pigments, electroplating and plastic.