NEWS    RECALLS    COMPLAINT FORM    SCAM ALERTS   RESOURCES  
Small Claims Guide   Class Actions   Lemon Laws   FAQ   Newsletters  
Share


Complain about a product or service

Automotive    Education    Employment    Electronics    Family    Finance    Health    Homeowners    Insurance    Pets    Shopping    Travel     Print This     Email This    



NEWS   Latest |  Archives |  Auto |  Cells, etc. |  Computers |  Financial |  Health |  Homeowners |  Parents |  Privacy |  Scams |  Seniors |  Travel

Lead, Arsenic Found in Popular Toys

Hannah Montana card pack, Circo baby shoes had high lead levels





By Truman Lewis
ConsumerAffairs.com

December 6, 2007


Mattel Settles Suits Over Dangerous Toys
Target To Pay $600,000 For Violating Lead Paint Ban
Tougher Safety Requirements For Children's Products Now In Effect
Toys 'R' Us Launches Unsafe Baby Products Awareness Program
New Safety Agency Chief Pledges Greater Openness
Obama Names New Consumer Product Safety Chair, Boosts Budget
Toymaker Fined $1.1 Million For Consumer Violations
Maryland Stores Stop Selling Toys With Lead Paint
Toymakers, Craftspeople Up In Arms Over New Safety Law
Thrift Stores Protest Ban on Lead Toys
Target Launches In-Store Recall System
Do's and Don'ts of Holiday Decorating
New Jersey Finds Recalled Toys in Four Stores
Mattel Agrees to Lower Lead Paint Levels in Toys
Consumers Cautioned About Dangerous Toys
Soon-To-Be-Banned Plastic Toys Flooding the Market
Safety Agency Warns of Safety Hazards in Cribs
---
More Consumer Safety News
Recall Notices

A coalition of nonprofit groups has released the results of their testing of 1,200 popular children's toys for toxic chemicals. The groups' Web site, www.HealthyToys.org, is intended to give parents and other gift-givers a way to learn how each product rates in terms of potentially harmful content.

Seventeen percent of the tested toys had lead levels above 600 parts per million, the federal recall limit. The testing detected more than 6,700 ppm in Dollar Store animal figurines; 3,056 ppm in a Hannah Montana Pop Star Card Pack; and 1,700 ppm lead in a pair of Circo baby shoes.

"The government is not testing for toxic chemicals in toys, and too many manufacturers are not self-regulating, so we created the nation's first toy database to help inform and empower consumers," said Tracey Easthope, director of the Ecology Center's Environmental Health Project.

The good news is that safe toys are possible, the groups said: 28% of the products tested did not contain any lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury or PVC, including many made in China.

Examples of healthier toys include: Amazing Animals Hippo by Fisher-Price (made in China); Caterpillar Grasping Toy by Melissa and Doug (made in Vietnam); and B.R. Bruin Stacking Cups (made in China).

The site asks users to submit their full name, email address, state of residence and Zip code in order to access the lists of tested toys. although users can apparently opt out of providing that information. An error message said the database was down when ConsumerAffairs.com tried to review the list several times throughout the day.

Easthope said the Web site is part of a campaign intended to put pressure on government regulators.

"Ultimately consumers need to compel the federal government and toy manufacturers to eliminate dangerous chemicals from toys," Easthope said.

"Toxic chemicals have no place in children's toys, period," said Ted Schettler, MD, Science Director at the Science and Environmental Health Network. "Even low-level toxic chemical exposures can have lifelong impacts. Getting toxic chemicals out of children's toys is a moral and medical imperative."

Lead and other toxins are associated with reproductive problems, developmental and learning disabilities, hormone problems and cancer. Babies and young children are the most vulnerable since their brains and bodies are still developing and because they frequently put toys in their mouths, Easthope said.

Besides lead, the center tested for polyvinyl chloride, cadmium, arsenic and other chemicals including mercury, bromine, chromium, tin and antimony..



Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.

Share

Follow us on Twitter.

FREE CONSUMER NEWSLETTERS

The Daily Consumer
Afternoons M-F

Sign up now!


Consumer News & Alerts
Every Sunday

Sign up now!





CONSUMER NEWS

SAFETY RECALLS

Back to the top |

Advertisement


Custom Search
AUTOMOTIVE
• Dealers
• Manufacturers
• Service
• Extended Warranties
• Lemon Laws
• Recalls
• Tires
• Transporters

FAMILY
• Aging
• Children, Parenting
• Recalls
• Dating
• Education
• Entertainment
• Pets
• Weddings
FINANCE
• Annuities
• Banks
• Credit Cards
• Debt Collection
• Debt Counseling
• Insurance
• Investing
• Loans
• Mortgages
• Payday Loans
• Student Loans
• Tax Prep

HEALTH
• Doctors
• Drugs, Pharmacies
• Health Clubs
• Hearing Care
• Hospitals
• Nursing Homes
• Nutrition, Diets
• Vision Care
• Weight Loss
HOUSE & HOME
• Appliances
• Cookware
• Furniture
• Home Improvements
• Lawn & Garden
• Movers
• Pools & Spas
• Realtors, Rental Agents
• Recalls
• Utilities

ELECTRONICS
• Cable TV/DBS
• Cameras
• Cell Phones
• Computers
• Home Electronics
• Internet Access
• Local Phone Service
• Long Distance
• VoIP
SHOPPING
• In-Home
• Online
• Retail Stores
• Sporting Goods
• Supermarkets
• Telemarketers

TRAVEL
• Airlines
• Bus Lines
• Car Rental
• Cruises
• Hotels
• Travel Agents
• Trains

RESOURCES
• Class Actions
• Complaint Form
• Small Claims Guide
• Lemon Laws
CONSUMER NEWS
• Latest News
• Automotive
• Telecom
• Financial
• Health
• Homeowners
• Scams
• Seniors
• Travel
• More ...

RECALLS
• Automotive
• Children's Products
• Drugs
• Food
• Household Products
• Sporting Goods

ABOUT US
• FAQ
• Privacy Policy
• Advertise With Us
• Newsroom
• Syndication
• Terms of Use

Terms of Use Your use of this site constitutes acceptance of the Terms of Use

Advertisements on this site are placed and controlled by outside advertising networks. ConsumerAffairs.com does not evaluate or endorse the products and services advertised. See the FAQ for more information.

Company Response Welcome If complaints about your company appear on our site, we welcome your response. Please see the Response Form for more information.

For more information, see the FAQ and privacy policy. The information on this Web site is general in nature and is not intended as a substitute for competent legal advice.  ConsumerAffairs.com Inc. makes no representation as to the accuracy of the information herein provided and assumes no liability for any damages or loss arising from the use thereof. 

Copyright © 2003-2009 ConsumerAffairs.com Inc.  All Rights Reserved.    The contents of this site may not be republished, reprinted, rewritten or recirculated without written permission.