Did you know that holiday favorite toys and children’s gifts including the Hannah Montana Pop Star Card Game, the Tyrell Katz vinyl backpack, Squeeze Fish and My Little Sunshine Mirror were found to have high toxic chemical levels?
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. HealthyToys.org reports that a large number of toys have high levels of lead, arsenic and other toxic chemicals and known carcinogens.
But aren’t there regulations against this to protect our children?
Apparently not.
No government agency is adequately assuring that children’s products do not contain harmful chemicals. Nor does any agency require labeling or disclosure to inform consumers about the chemical components of children’s products. HealthyToys.org was launched to address the failures of our current system to regulate chemicals in products.
HealthyToys.org tested over 1,200 children’s products and more than 3,000 components of those products. Currently, the U.S. government and U.S. toy manufacturers are not providing this data to consumers. The testing is not necessarily representative of all of the toys on the market. In addition, the presence of a chemical in a product does not necessarily mean there is exposure.
HealthyToys.org the found the following:
Lead in products is widespread. Lead is used in a significant percentage of children’s toys: Lead was detected in 35% of the 1,268 products tested.
Other dangerous chemicals were found in toys. Of those toys tested for other chemicals, cadmium was found at levels greater than 100 ppm in 2.9% of products or 22 of 764 total products tested for cadmium . Arsenic was detected at levels greater than 100 ppm in 2.2% of products or 17 of 764 total products tested for arsenic. Mercury was found above 100 ppm in .7% of products or five toys of 764 tested.
More toys, research and finding can be found at the web site. Check it out and keep your children safe.
Source: HealthyToys.org
To Your Healthy and Happy Holidays!
Mark Idzik
babies cadmium children childrens products healthytoys.org lead toddlers toxins toys
