Brain-damaging chemicals found in 60 toys, group warns

Potentially brain-damaging and cancer-causing chemicals have been found in at least 60 toys subjected to a pre-Christmas testing by an ecological group.

 

EcoWaste Coalition said Tuesday this should prompt government, industry and consumer action to prevent and reduce children’s exposure to dangerous chemicals.

“Our latest pre-Christmas analysis of toys indicate that 60 of the 100 samples contain lead and other toxic metals that have been linked with reproductive abnormalities, endocrine disorders, behavioral, developmental and learning problems and even cancers,” said EcoWaste Project Protect coordinator Anthony Dizon. 

 

The group found traces of heavy metals above levels of concern in samples from toys including dolls with PVC materials, play makeup sets, toy animals, toy boxing gadgets, toy cars, toy guns, and toy musical instruments.

 

Also, the group noted none of the toy samples listed their chemical ingredients on the label, leaving consumers clueless and unable to make an informed choice.

 

The group bought samples worth P2 to P165 each at shops in Baclaran and other commercial hubs in Pasay City last week.

 

Analyzing the toys with a portable X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer, the group found that 43 out of 100 samples had lead above the US regulatory limit of 90 parts per million (ppm) on lead in paint.

 

“If we are to use the ceiling of 40 ppm for lead in children’s products as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the number of lead-tainted toys among the samples will rise to 49 or almost half of the samples,” Dizon said.

 

Also, the group found 32 samples contain more than one metal such as antimony, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead and mercury above levels of concern, indicating the possibility of multiple chemical exposures.

 

The group noted that exposure to lead, which has no safe level, can damage normal brain development and cause lower IQ, shorter attention span, poorer school performance, growth delays, hearing loss, anemia, aggression and other behavioral problems.

 

Mercury, which is toxic to the nervous system, can impair a child’s memory, attention, and language abilities, it added.

 

It can also obstruct a child’s fine motor and visual spatial skills, while antimony, arsenic, cadmium and chromium are classified as known or possible human carcinogens, or substances that can induce cancer in humans, EcoWaste Coalition said.

 

Phase out lead

 

Visiting expert Bill Menrath from Ohio, who chaired the Cincinnati Area Lead Advisory Committee and the Lead Coordinator for the City of Cincinnati, said the results show the urgency to phase out lead and other substances in paints and children’s products.

 

“Children are not able to protect themselves against lead and other hazardous substances lurking in toys, and it is really up to us, adults, to shield them from these hidden toxins. In the US, over a million children have high levels of lead in their blood because of exposure to lead in paint, dust and soil, necessitating for strong preventive measures to combat childhood lead poisoning at the source,” Menrath said on the EcoWaste coalition website.

 

Pediatric toxicologist Dr. Bessie Antonio, Vice-President of the Philippine Society for Clinical and Occupational Toxicology, stressed that children are more vulnerable to toxic exposure.

 

“Children are most susceptible to chemical poisoning because their bodies and organ systems are still developing, making them at risk to the intrusion of toxic substances. They breathe more air, drink more water, eat more food and often put dirt, toys and non-food items into their mouth, making them more exposed to bacterial and chemical toxins,” she said. –CGL/KG, GMA News