That they’d run this story: The shocking truth about toys
You would never give your baby a lead pipe to chew on or some batteries to play with, but those teethers, rattles, play yards, toy trucks, and books that he plays with? They seem harmless, but the truth is that they could be filled with toxic chemicals, that with repeated exposure can have negative health effects and put your baby at risk for cancer, ADHD, learning disabilities, asthma, early puberty, infertility and autism.
In fact, unlike previous research that links autism predominately to genetic factors, a 2011 Stanford University School of Medicine study shows environmental factors to account for 62 percent of Autism risk.
Two hundred thousand toys were recalled between October 2010 and November 2011 because their lead content exceeded federal limits, according to a recent report published by U.S. PIRG. It wasn’t until August 2011 that toys with amounts of lead higher than 100ppm (parts per million) were banned, a limit the American Academy of Pediatrics says is still too high.
“Toys have long been a dumping ground for toxic chemicals,” according to Margie Kelly, an environmental health advocate and communications manager for Healthy Child Healthy World.
Yet lead is not the only chemical to be concerned about. Manufacturers use a host of chemicals in their products like phthalates, bisphenol A or BPA, and cadmium. Vinyl chloride, which is used to make polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a plastic found in toys and packaging is also commonly used. According to a recent report by the Center for Health, Environment and Justice, approximately 71 percent of toys tested at Toys “R” Us were presumed to be made of PVC.
What’s even more alarming is that even if the package states the toy is BPA-free, manufacturers can make “regrettable substitutions.” So by simply swapping out a chemical—BPA for BPS, for example, they’re able to claim the toy is BPA-free, and parents have no idea.
“It’s essentially the same structure but it doesn’t have the bad PR,” Kelly said.
Reform is Necessary
“Generations of children are growing up with the lack of protection from toxic chemicals,” according to Liz Hitchcock, legislative director for Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families, who points to the flawed 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act.
The U.S.’s main law, TSCA allows toys with dangerous chemicals to be sold without requiring manufacturers to disclose which chemicals have been used or have to demonstrate their safety.
“There’s a whole host of chemicals that children are exposed to for which there is no legal authority,” Hitchcock said.
The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 banned lead as well as toxic metals, yet only in the coating of toys. The act also permanently banned three types of phthalates, and three additional types on an interim basis but only in toys that can be placed in a baby’s mouth. The states have done their part as well, passing 31 laws to regulate chemicals in toys and toy jewelry.
In spite of these important milestones, environmental health advocates and parents say more needs to be done. In fact, on Tuesday, hundreds of moms, nurses, and cancer survivors rallied at the U.S. Capitol for the National Stroller Brigade in support of Senator Frank Lautenberg’s (D-NJ) Safe Chemicals Act.
If passed, the Safe Chemicals Act would allow the EPA to identify and restrict the worst chemicals, require manufacturers to disclose what chemicals they’re using and demonstrate that that they’re safe before they make their way into products and hit store shelves.
What You Can Do
Despite the lack of consumer protection, there are steps you can take to ensure your child isn’t exposed. For starters, purchase fewer toys because less consumption means less risk. When you do buy toys, look for ones that are durable, made with unpainted or unvarnished wood, and choose organic cotton or wool, and cloth or plush types. Avoid plastics, even in books, and cheap metals often found in jewelry and cosmetics.
If you already own toys that you’re unsure about, use the database at healthystuff.org to check for chemicals. You can also check for recalls on the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s website and sign up for email alerts.
Email your state senators and urge them to pass the Safe Chemicals Acts of 2011.
“We have to get a handle on this problem and really regulate the chemicals that are coming into our children’s world,” Hitchcock said.
Julie Revelant is a freelance writer specializing in parenting, health, and women’s issues and a mom. Learn more about Julie at revelantwriting.com
Clearly a case of Mommy brain.
“Approximately 71 percent of toys tested at Toys “R” Us were presumed to be made of PVC.” Presumed? Quick! Call out the National Guard to protect us from this horrible presumption!
One can only guess that the adults at Fox were away when this bit of propaganda and self-justification was chosen to be an element of balance.
PVC is pretty identifiable (any hard, non-bending plastic is probably PVC, slightly bendy is Polystyrene, soft is polyethylene, soft and strong is polypropylene, and water bottles are polyethylene-terephthalate).
So, this isn’t as bad as it first looks.
Shame on you Foxnews.
Foxnews hasn’t been Foxnews in over three years.
This bit is interesting: “purchase fewer toys because less consumption means less risk”. Back when I had kids, I noticed that toys would frequently go missing. Little did I know they had been eaten instead. So what we really need in minimum nutritional requirements for children’s toys, or at least added vitamins and minerals. When in doubt, let them play with steaks and potatoes.
“So what we really need in minimum nutritional requirements for children’s toys, or at least added vitamins and minerals.”
Heh! Eric, you should write this up and send to Onion. Bet you they’d run it. Its the perfect story, almost almost logical and too beyond silly for words.
+1
Did I miss something in the story? The title and the comments seem to infer that there was a problem with foxnews. I read the article three times and concluded that I must be on the wrong web site. what is wrong with raising the awareness of what may be in childrens toys?
The problem comes with the spreading nonsensical fears of “Chemicals”.
PVC isn’t dangerous. At all. There’s no denying, questioning, or anything else on that matter. There is no vinyl chloride leeching, measurable from molded PVC.
Bisphenol A is only dangerous on the part per million level. Normal leeching only gets levels in the parts per trillion. It does not build up in the body, so there is no danger on any level from BPA.
Phthalates have no proven effects. A lot of wild accusations have been put forth, but there is no evidence that they can do any of this.
Lead is problematic. For example, those lead painted toys can cause severe problems with infants. However, bans were put on lead solder in electronics and children’s vehicles, and it has effectively banned solder in electric sets marketed to children or teenagers (you don’t want kids playing with silver solder, that stuff gets WAY too hot). The lead-painted toys that caused problems were already illegal, so there’s really no benefit to this law.
I could go on, but the problem with this article is that it fails to recognize the basics of toxicology, and it instead goes for fear of “chemicals”. Any chemical. All Chemicals. No company in America would knowingly put anything in a toy that could cause harm to a child. These are pure scare tactics on claims that are a mix of uproven, false, and completely irrelevant.
Now, do you understand?
With all the consumer protection and organics and getting “toxic” chemicals out of toys (I suggest sending these people to a third world country to eliminate all the nasty chemicals or maybe an island) you would think the cases of autism, ADHD, etc would go down and get they just go up and up and up. Maybe because chemicals aren’t the problem? I’d check out government programs, actresses with too much free time and no sense at all, and schools that eliminated science from the curriculum. That’s real source. (And shame on you Fox News.)
People will do anything to avoid facing the fact that dear little Brittany or Leonardo could be autistic for genetic reasons, or for reasons of absentee parents.
“Toxic toys ” is not a subject in the TAG CLOUD, but should be. Chemical fear mongering is similar to all the other types of science related myths this site follows. A review of “BP-A safety” somewhere on this site would be useful .