Thread: Beware what toys you are buying this Xmas

It is amazing what they are putting in our children's toys and getting away with it, America is also so a culprit....investigate and beware what you are giving your children and grandchildren to play with this Xmas, you could be poisoning them.


For Consumer Questions:
734-663-2400 x 105

For Press Questions:
Glenn Turner, 917-817-3396
Shayna Samuels, 718-541-4785

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wed. Dec. 3, 2008

One in Three Children's Toys Tested by www.HealthyToys.org Found to have Significant Levels of Toxic Chemicals Including Lead, Flame Retardants, and Arsenic
Some Products on Shelves this Holiday Season Will be Illegal to Sell in February
Environmental Health Groups Hold Toy Testing Events Nationwide and Urge Manufacturers and Gov't to Phase Out Most Harmful Chemicals Immediately
(Ann Arbor, MI -- December 3, 200 - The Ecology Center, a Michigan-based nonprofit organization, and partners across the country today released the 2nd annual consumer guide to toxic chemicals in toys at www.HealthyToys.org. Researchers tested over 1,500 popular children's toys for lead, cadmium, arsenic, PVC and other harmful chemicals in time for this year's holiday shopping season. One in three toys tested were found to contain "medium" or "high" levels of chemicals of concern.

Lead was detected in 20% of the toys tested this year. In fact, lead levels in some of the products were well above the 600 parts-per-million (ppm) federal recall standard used for lead paint, and will exceed the U.S. legal limit in February, according to the new Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) regulations. Levels of lead in many toys were significantly above the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended ceiling of 40 ppm of lead in children's products. Children's jewelry remains the most contaminated product category, maintaining its spot at the top of HealthyToys.org’s "worst" list.

The CPSC regulations, which go into effect in February 2009, would make certain products on the shelf this holiday season illegal to sell two months from now. Experts insist that these new regulations, while a good first step, do not go nearly far enough to protect our children.

"There is simply no place for toxic chemicals in children's toys," said Ecology Center’s Jeff Gearhart, who led the research. "Our hope is that by empowering consumers with this information, manufacturers and lawmakers will feel the pressure to start phasing out the most harmful substances immediately, and to change the nation’s laws to protect children from highly toxic chemicals."

In addition to allowing parents to search by product name, brand, or toy type to see if certain toys have toxic chemicals, the newly-redesigned site also allows visitors to create a personalized holiday wish list that can be sent to family and friends, and a blog-friendly widget to quickly search the toy ratings.

Researchers tested for chemicals that have been associated with reproductive problems, developmental and learning disabilities, hormone problems and cancer; and for those that have been identified by regulatory agencies as problematic. Babies and young children are the most vulnerable populations because their brains and bodies are still developing, and because they frequently put toys into their mouths. The testing was conducted with a screening technology - the portable X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyzer - that identifies the elemental composition of materials on or near the surface of products.

Highlights from the HealthyToys.org 2008 findings:

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, and 21% (324) of all products contain 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.
HealthyToys.org provides electronic messages visitors can send to urge federal and state government and toy manufacturers to phase out toxic chemicals from toys immediately and reform our laws to protect children.

With millions of toys on the market, HealthyToys.org could not test them all. However visitors to the website can nominate other products to be tested. The most commonly requested items will be tested each week leading up to the Holidays.

# # #

*** ATTENTION JOURNALISTS: B-Roll, hi-resolution photos and worst toy lists are available at http://www.HealthyToys.org/press.resources.php To arrange one-on-one interviews with experts please call Glenn Turner at 917-817-3396 or Shayna Samuels at 718-541-4785. A su solicitud, este informe de prensa esta disponible en español. El B-roll incluye a entrevistas en español.***

HealthyToys.org is a project of the Ecology Center – a Michigan-based nonprofit environmental organization that works at the local, state, and national levels for clean production, healthy communities, environmental justice, and a sustainable future.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Coming December 3rd — HealthyToys.org 2008 Toy Ratings
*** ATTENTION JOURNALISTS: Pre-release toy results, B-Roll, hi-resolution photos and best / worst lists will be available starting November 19th, 2008. **

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE until 12:01 a.m. EST, Wed. Dec. 3, 2008
CONTACT: Shayna Samuels, 718-541-4785; Glenn Turner 917-817-3396

Second Annual Consumer Guide to Toxic Chemicals in Toys to be Released for 2008 Holiday Shopping Season

Leading Environmental Health Groups Tested More than 1,500 Toys for Lead, PVC, Cadmium, and Other Harmful Chemicals - Results to be Released on Wednesday, December 3 at www.HealthyToys.org

Groups Call for Fundamental Overhaul of Toxic Product Laws

In response to the overwhelming demand for information about toxic chemicals in toys, the Michigan-based Ecology Center is releasing their second annual guide to help parents make informed decisions this holiday season. In addition to listing the toxic chemicals found in some children's toys, the newly redesigned site - www.HealthyToys.org -- will contain features such as a personalized holiday wish list that can be sent to family and friends, and a blog-friendly widget to quickly search for toy ratings. The Ecology Center and allied organizations tested over 1,500 of this year's most popular toys.

"This site was so popular last year that we realized parents are hungry for more information about the chemicals used to make their children's toys," said the Ecology Center's Jeff Gearhart, who spearheaded this project. "With consumers paying more attention, toy manufacturers are being forced to respond." At www.HealthyToys.org parents are able to easily check how products rank from highest to lowest in terms of lead, cadmium and other chemicals that are associated with developmental and learning disabilities, hormone problems and cancer. Toys made with PVC, or polyvinyl chloride, were also tested because they often contain phthalates and other hazardous chemical additives. Babies and young children are the most vulnerable to toxic chemicals since their brains and bodies are still developing and because they commonly put toys into their mouths.

Last year the massive public attention to the issue of toxic chemicals in children's toys prompted Congress to overhaul the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) and restrict lead and phthalates in toys beginning in early 2009. "While these reforms are a step in the right direction, they do not go nearly far enough," said Gearhart. "When it comes to protecting the health of our children, we shouldn't take any chances."

To sample the toys experts used a portable X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyzer that identifies the elemental composition of materials. This accurate device has been used by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to screen packaging; the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to screen food; National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for planetary exploration; and many State and County Health Departments to screen for residential lead paint.

In conjunction with the national release of HealthyToys.org media events will be taking place in several states around the country on Wednesday Dec. 3 including New York, Washington, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Minnesota, California, Michigan and Oregon. Please visit http://www.healthytoys.org/press.events.php for detailed information about events in each state.
http://www.healthytoys.org/press.releases.php

Thanks for posting this SOSAD. I saw something a friend considered buying and I'm going to advise them not to because of the high levels of Mercury.

People have got to Stop Buying Crap from China!

Dixie

Thanks SOSAD. This is a great site. I will pass it on as well.

Your welcome to you all...I try to buy American as much as possible but according to this you can't trust that anymore either.

Just don't know what I am going to buy that 1 year old great grand baby...maybe an American made wooden train, have a feeling shopping for him is going to be tough