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Healthy Malden Offers Free Toy Testing

Healthy Malden

Prior to February Regulations, Many Toys Still Contain Chemicals Dangerous to Children

MALDEN—On Saturday, January 10th in the Healthy Malden offices at 239 Commercial Street, Healthy Malden will be offering a free testing of toys for a variety of chemicals of concern used in manufacturing. From 10:00am to 2:00pm, Healthy Malden has arranged to provide free to Malden residents a universally recognized method of measuring the elemental composition of materials on or near the surface of products. The screening technology - the portable X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyzer - identifies the atomic composition of a material in order to detect lead, cadmium, chlorine, arsenic, bromine, and mercury. These chemicals have been linked in animal and sometimes human studies to long-term health impacts such as birth defects, impaired learning, liver toxicity, and cancer.

The materials used in toys like plastics, paints, and fabrics are made up of chemicals, and may also contain added chemicals to impart specific properties such as rigidity, durability, flexibility, or flame resistance. When children put these products into their mouths, some of these chemicals may enter their bodies. Some of the substances, which are not always chemically bound to the products, may also be released directly onto skin, or into the air that children breathe. There may also be exposure through chemicals that collect in house dust.

Because children's bodies are growing and developing, they are more vulnerable to the effects of toxic chemicals. Even small amounts of a chemical can impact a child's ability to reach his or her full potential. Children are exposed to toxic chemicals from many sources in addition to toys, and the combination of these many exposures may cause harm. It is important to note that the rapid screening technology used cannot identify the presence and concentration of every chemical of concern.

The Ecology Center, a Michigan-based nonprofit organization, and partners across the country released the 2nd annual consumer guide to toxic chemicals in toys at http://www.healthytoys.org/.

Some findings are:

Lead is Still in Toys - HealthyToys.org found lead in 20% of all the products tested this year, including 54 products (3.5%) that exceed the current 600 ppm recall threshold for lead-based paint, and the soon-to-be national standard for all children's products. When children are exposed to lead, the developmental and nervous system consequences can be irreversible. The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended a level of 40 parts per million (ppm) of lead as the maximum that should be allowed in children's products.

It's Not Just China - HealthyToys.org has not found a consistent correlation between the country of manufacture and the presence of toxic chemicals in toys. 21% of toys from China and 16% of those from all other countries had detectable levels of lead in 2008. 17 toys manufactured in the U.S. were sampled and 35% of those had detectable levels of lead. Two toys had levels above 600 ppm. Among the highest lead levels detected in HealthyToys.org (190,943 ppm) was in a Halloween Pumpkin Pin made in the USA.

It's Not Just Lead - HealthyToys.org found a significant number of toys containing cadmium, mercury, arsenic, and bromine. 2.9% (45 products) had bromine at concentrations of 1,000 ppm or higher. This indicates the likely use of brominated flame retardants -- chemicals that may pose hazards to children’s health. Other toxic chemicals found in toys include arsenic, cadmium, and mercury. Arsenic was detected at levels greater than 100 ppm in 22 or 1.4% of products; 289 (18.9%) of products contained detectable levels of arsenic. Cadmium was found above 100ppm in 30 (1.9%) of products; 38 (2.4%) of products contained detectable levels of cadmium. Mercury was found above 100 ppm in 14 (1%) of products; 62 (4.2%) of products contained detectable levels of mercury.

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC / Vinyl) - HealthyToys.org identified products made with PVC plastic by measuring their chlorine content. PVC is a problematic plastic because it creates major environmental health hazards in its manufacture and disposal and may contain additives, including phthalates, that may pose hazards. 27% of toys (excluding jewelry) tested this year by HealthyToys.org were made with PVC.

Jewelry - Jewelry remains the most contaminated product category tested. Children's jewelry is five-times more likely to contain lead above 600 ppm than other products. 15% of jewelry samples (compared to 3% of other products) had lead levels above 600 ppm. Overall, jewelry is twice as likely to contain detectable levels of lead as other products. Numerous Hannah Montana brand jewelry items tested high for lead. HealthyToys.org recommends that consumers avoid low cost children's jewelry.

The Good News – The good news is that 62% (954) of the products tested contain LOW levels of chemicals of concern, including 324 of these products which contained NO chemicals of concern. These products look and feel no different than other children's products on the shelf. These findings show that manufacturers can and should make toys free of unnecessary toxic chemicals.

Beginning in February, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act will adopt levels for antimony, arsenic, cadmium, mercury, lead, chromium as a mandatory standard, but toys from this past holiday are not subject to these regulations.
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