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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

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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..

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