to test or not to test

 

The ban on toys and other products containing levels of toxic substances was set to take effect on Feb 10th.  However, under pressure by manufacturers and retailers, the testing requirements have been delayed by Congress, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The stay allows manufacturers, which have been hit hard by the recession, to put off costly product testing for levels of lead, used to stabilize the plastic in products, and phthalates, which are chemicals used to soften plastic.  Under the new laws, lead was not allowed above 600 ppm and phthalates had to be less than 1000 ppm.  

Producers and sellers of the products were concerned that in this economy the added cost to comply with the requirements would have put them out of business.

Many consumer groups, however, think this was a poor decision on the part of our lawmakers.  Citing most recent testing done on products out of CVS pharmacies, in which at least one toy tested at 15 times higher than the allowable limits, “there should be something to back up a claim that the products are safe, but without testing and certification there’s no assurance,” said Charles Margulis, a spokesman for the Center for Environmental Health.

Ever since the ban was voted into law, both sides have been very vocal about the pros and cons of the new requirements.  The manufacturers and sellers have been arguing that much of the product already on the shelves would have to be recalled, which also causes concern for many environmental groups because of the potential illegal dumping of contaminated product.  However, the flip side is that children should not be exposed to such products, either.  

This is a debate that will effect our lawmakers for years to come.  Making the wrong decision will be sure to hurt one party in irreversible ways.

group asks to prevent illegal dumping of toys

 

Waste and pollution watchdog, EcoWaste Coalition, called on the Bureau of Customs to prevent entry of banned toys to the United States that could result in illegal dumping in this country, according to Business Mirror Online.

On February 10th a long awaited ban will be placed in children’s toys under the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act.  As a result, many fear that millions of non-compliant toys will be dumped illegally unless some preventative measures are taken.

The new definitions of unsafe toys include new levels on lead an phthalates.  Lead will now be restricted to 600ppm. Lead, a heavy metal, is known to be a neurotoxin that can cause damage to the central nervous system, particularly in children.  A new level of no more than 0.1% of three types of phthalates will also go into effect.  Phthalates are hormone mimickers and are used in the synthesis of plastics.  The new law also requires third party mandatory testing.

Aside the fact that many toys currently in the country will be dumped, there is also the fear that toys that do not meet the requirements will be brought in illegally through a black market trade and parents will be unaware of what they are purchasing.  EcoWaste is calling on all regulatory agencies to create policy that will prevent this from happening.

 

For more information on phthalates and other chemicals that effect children’s health, you may find more in the Golden Spiral section: HERE

bling is banned

Last week, research on children’s toys showed high levels of toxic material, such as lead.

In a similar study, on costume jewelry, lead content exceeded the allowable limits per Proposition 65. Five percent of the jewelry, from stores such asWal-Mart, Banana Republic, Lane Bryant and Express, were found with higher than acceptable limits.

According to Prop 65 the amount of lead in the coating of children’s jewelry must be limited to 600 parts per million, according to a state law that went into effect in September 2007.

Lead is known to cause cancer and reproductive problems, as well as mental and physical retardation.

A surface coating on a frog charm on a Wal-Mart brand child’s necklace contained 37 percent lead, or more than 600 times the legal limit. A Wal-Mart spokeswoman said the company directed stores in California to remove this item from shelves and blocked its sale at registers as it investigates further.

Once again, it seems as though our children are going to suffer from the result of limited compliance from manufacturers. The products being tested are heavily marketed to children as cheap accessories that update their clothes. There seems to be a lot of evidence recently that the chemicals and toxins allowed in products are hurting our male population, who knows what kind of impact we are going to see on females because of similar issues.

The article can be found HERE, via the San Francisco Chronicle

look before you buy

So, as we all know, the holiday season is upon us. This is the time of year when kids re-stock on all the latest and greatest toys. But, parents be warned. New data released today shows that many of the toys on the market are full of harmful chemicals.

One in every three of the more than 1,500 children’s toys tested in time for the holiday shopping season have been found to contain “medium” or “high” levels of chemicals of concern such as lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic.

This testing is part of an annual report with www.HealthyToys.org, The website allows searches by product name, brand, or toy type to see if certain toys have toxic chemicals.

Some examples of toxic levels are:

Forty-five products tested showed bromine at concentrations of 1,000 ppm or higher, indicating the use of brominated flame retardants – chemicals that may pose hazards to children’s health.

Arsenic was detected at levels greater than 100 ppm in 22 products, while 289 products contained detectable levels of arsenic.

Cadmium, a heavy metal, was found above 100 ppm in 30 products, while 38 of products contained detectable levels of cadmium.

If you are buying toys this holiday season, please go to the site and check to see if they are on the list.

won’t you be glad when I stop posting news like this?

It starts off really, really well:

Looking to bolster the fight against childhood lead poisoning, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last month approved a tough new rule aimed at clearing the nation’s air of the toxic metal. A key part of the initiative is a new network of monitors that will track lead emissions from factories.

But then… it takes a turn:

But the Bush administration quietly weakened that provision at the last minute by exempting dozens of polluters from scrutiny, federal documents show.

I have to be honest, I don’t even know how to write about this anymore. Scientists determined that even low levels of toxic metals in children lead to learning disabilities, aggression and even criminal behavior. So, they sought to lower acceptable levels in air. I am unclear, because I don’t know where the air is tested, but I imagine outside of factories that use lead in their processes.

The reason this is important is because the lead leaves the air, by falling to the ground and embedding itself in the soil. It stays there for years, while children play and dig and kick up all that contaminated soil and breath it in.

The new levels were about to be put into place and mandated before the Bush Administration stepped in and supported corporations instead of the people.

There is much more information in the article. I recommend reading it. The one thing it states is that it will take many, many months for the “new” EPA, under Obama, to be able to overturn this decision. You can find the article HERE.

HERE’S a link to lead poisoning on Wikipedia