We have all heard about the recent lead exposure issue from
kid's toys but BPA, Phlalates, PVC, … It seems like you have to be a chemical
engineer to be able to understand and safely purchase children's toys.
Buying toys for small children, especially those who are
still at the stage of sticking everything imaginable into their curious little mouths,
can be a confusing nightmare with all of the new material information
available. It seems like every time you
look at the shelf a toy exclaims that it is free of this or that chemical.
Well what about the all of the rest of the toys next to it that don’t seem to have these claims and just how dangerous are these chemicals?
Well what about the all of the rest of the toys next to it that don’t seem to have these claims and just how dangerous are these chemicals?
The main site for BPA or (BisphenolA) is, of course, pro-BPA
and claims that despite all of the studies clearly showing a danger that the
levels are far below anything that can actually cause harm. The Mayo Clinic begs to differ. It states that levels and side effects are
enough of a concern for the Food and Drug Administration to take steps to
reduce it from food containers. This
chemical has been used in contact with our food (and micro-waved which causes
leakage of BPA into food further) since the 1960’s.
Yikes! The 1960’s?!? This means that brands that we have
trusted have used dangerous chemicals in food storage, toys, teethers, baby
bottles, etc. So yes, we need to be
concerned, but no, we don’t need to be chemical engineers. Thankfully, the spotlight has been directed
to BPA which is slowly being phased out of food storage and is already banned
from being used in baby bottles and teethers.
However, the new topic at the mommy group water cooler isn’t
stinky diapers, but stinky phlalates.
That’s right, if you smelt it, don’t buy it. Phlalates are a plastic softener used to plasticize
PVC (or polyvinyl chloride) plastic to make soft toys and other plastic or
vinyl products. Think the modern “rubber”
ducky (hint: they aren’t “real” rubber anymore). These softened plastics typically emit an
unpleasant odor and many of them have been found be harmful to many systems
including the reproductive system. The
European Union is slowly phasing out the most dangerous phlalates especially in
children’s toys. The United States has
regulations on phlalates, but has not outlawed them for use, instead the US has
simply restricted them. However, not all
toys with a distinct smell are necessarily made of phlalate infused PVC so it
is always good to run a quick web search.
For instance, one popular French teether has a noticeable odor but is
made of actual rubber from an actual rubber tree. (Oops there goes another
rubber tree – no worries, rubber trees are renewable and sustainable). This is touted as a safe material for babies
to chomp on even with the strong smell.
Also, while many bath toys are still made of softened PVC, which is
dangerous because they get warmed by the water and released, one company makes
duckies out of SEBS… oops another acryonym.
Put your chemical engineering hat away though. It is synthetic rubber and while it may not
be 100% perfect, it is listed as a safer alternative than PVC. It also can have a bit of an odor that goes away as I have one
of these duckies floating in my bathtub.
Europe is usually ahead of the ball on material standards so
buying European toys can be a good bet even if it can be a little harder on the
wallet. One website, HealthyStuff.org lets you search toy names to find
out what they are made of. While the
list of toys isn’t comprehensive, the site does list not only if PVC is present
in a toy but also lead, bromine (an ingredient in flame retardants – don’t get
me started, that is another article), arsenic, and cadmium (a heavy metal PVC
stabilizer).
One of the best solutions I have found is to purchase toys
online. This way, a quick web search can
be done on a toy. Also, many sites have
the ability to get free shipping after a certain amount is spent, so buying can
be done in stints as needed.
Unfortunately, due to regulations taking time to catch up to research,
just because a product is on a shelf in a trusted store does not mean it is
safe to buy. Also, customer service
representatives at companies can be rather dodgy when answering material inquiries. This is a red flag! No matter how cute it is,
if the service department starts doing verbal gymnastics to a simple materials
question, forget the toy. It is up to
the consumer today to research product safety.
When it comes to toys and our precious loved ones, it is worth the five
minutes of research. So the truth is, we
don’t have to be chemical engineers to care for our little ones, rather just
have to be savvy web searchers.
Fortunately, those tools are already at your fingertips if you are
reading this article and do not require any special degrees. Happy and safe buying!
Love to all,
Val
