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.