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Just as people are cautioned to check the labels of grocery
products before buying, they are now being told to check toy labels as well. After
the notable 2007 recall of Mattel products containing lead paint, toy recalls
have appeared in the news regularly. Since then, the United States government
has adopted a few new regulatory measures regarding the use of toxic substances
in toys and other children's products.
While it's estimated that approximately 80,000 chemicals are
used in toy manufacturing, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
only regulates 14 chemicals found in toys: eight heavy metals and six
phthalates that are commonly used to soften plastic. The phthalates in
particular have been linked to reproductive and developmental abnormalities in
animals. Although these chemicals have been restricted since 2008, many people
may still contain these products in their homes.
According to a recent article in The Los Angeles Times,
things to look out for when buying toys include:
- Costume jewelry that contains cadmium, a common substitute
for lead paint.
- Products containing polyvinyl chloride (PVC), as they are
more likely to contain harmful additives than other plastics.
- Toys with packaging contains a "3" with a "V" underneath, as
they contain a vinyl plasticizer.
- Anything containing "azo dyes," as they can form
cancer-causing compounds when inhaled or absorbed through skin.
Do you think the CPSC needs to do a better job regulating
chemicals used to manufacture toys and other consumer goods? Are there any
other chemicals that should be avoided?
Source: The
Los Angeles Times
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Re: Check Labels to Avoid Toxic Toys
