The 2008 HeatlyToys.org report from the Ecology Center was released yesterday and while there has been progress many toys still contain chemicals of concern. Most disappointing to me is that no one escaped without a product or two falling into the medium or high category. I am, however, especially pleased to see that they have antimony on the radar. Antimony is a catalyst for polyester and #1 plastic. There have been studies that show antimony to leach in to water, but the focus has not yet gone to polyester toys which are chewed and sucked on by infants. Antimony is a known to cause eye, skin, and lung irritation, lung disease, heart problems, diarrhea, liver and kidney damage, and fertility problems; the verdict is still out as to whether it is a carcinogen or if it causes birth defects. The Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry (ASTDR).
And to complicate things even further is the Consumer Product Safety Commission Reform Act which is a much needed upgrade; however, it does not start to go into effect until February 2009. So many products that will not meet the more stringent standards will be on the shelves through this holiday season. Additionally, it bans several phthalates from use in products for children under 12 but there are many products that are not intended for children under 12 but to which they are exposed. Even more crazy is that that phthalates are not required to be listed in the ingredients and are often in the ubiquitous “fragrance” listed on everything from air freshener to shampoo to face powder to laundry detergent. The most common places in which you will find phthalates are air fresheners, perfume, skin care products, cosmetics, dryer sheets, and anything that lists “fragrance”.
We will make sure to keep you informed so that you can make safe purchases for your children. Below you will find some additional resources to keep you more connected.
Trouble in Toyland 23rd Annual Report
