CPSC votes 4-1 to extend stay on lead testing

With delays in publishing the rules for testing children's products for lead as well as an upcoming possible change in the lead content limit from 300 parts per million (ppm) to 100ppm, CPSC voted 4-1 today to extend the current stay on the testing and certification requirements in the CPSIA until the end of the year.

This means that while manufacturers still have to meet the current 300ppm limit of lead content in products intended for children under 12, they don't have to prove they have met it through testing or certification.

We urge CPSC to finish the rules, including a process for component testing, so the law can be fully implemented.

High lead levels found in children's products sold in California

The Center for Environmental Health (CEH) in California recently reported on the testing of 250 children's products, finding high lead levels in seven of the items. These include Barbie, Disney, and Dora brands. While the number of products found containing high lead levels has decreased from last year, the high amounts of lead found is disturbing. Of the seven products found to contain higher-than-legal lead levels, the range of lead levels varied from twice the legal limit to 65 times the legal limit.

California Attorney General Jerry Brown has released a letter to the retailers of these items (including Target, Walgreens, Sears, and TJ Maxx) notifying them that his office will be enforcing lead standards. The testing commissioned by CEH was funded by a grant from the California Attorney General.

At a town meeting on toy safety in New York, Inez Tenenbaum, Chairman of the CPSC, stated that the decrease in numbers of toys with high lead levels this year is a result of tougher lead standards in the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. Michael Green, Executive Director of CEH, stated that parents should remain aware this holiday season that some children's products contain high lead levels and called for manufacturers and retailers to do more to protect children from this hazard.

The lead provisions in the CPSIA have gone into effect, but the testing requirement was stayed by the CPSC until at least February 2010.

Toxic toys found in Illinois

Illinois PIRG (a public advocacy group) recently released a report on toy toxicity.

The research team selected 87 toys different toys for testing, all purchased at either Target, Toys' R Us, Claire's Boutique or Dollar Tree. They focused on four types of chemicals: lead, phthalates, bromine and cadmium.

The results were eye-opening. They found 18 toys with lead, 6 of which exceeded the 300 ppm federal limit. A cell phone charm from Claire's even had as much as 710,000 ppm, and a toy duck from Dollar Tree contained 34,000 parts per million. Two other toys (also from Claire's) violated federal levels for phthalates, a Little Princess handbag and an Elmo's lunchbox. And they also found 32 products with bromine, and 2 with cadmium.

Lead and phthalates can severely affect children's cognitive and physical development, and are banned under the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008. Bromine and cadmium, on the other hand, are thought to be potentially dangerous, but are not yet regulated by the government. Some research has connected bromine (used in flame retardants) with thyroid complications, most threatening to pregnant women and children. Cadmium is a known carcinogen that is linked to various illnesses from nausea, to kidney damage to lung cancer.

To keep your children safe, make sure to stay in tune with recalls and product safety tests. For recall information you may visit the CPSC website. And for more information on toxic chemicals in products, you should visit healthystuff.org.

Mattel agrees to multi-million dollar settlement

On October 13th, a preliminary settlement of as much as $50 million was announced in a class action suit against Mattel and its subsidiary, Fisher Price.

The class action suit was filed on behalf of millions of American families who purchased dangerous toys recalled in 2006 and 2007. These 14 million toys were recalled for excessive levels of lead paint or for small loose magnets that cause extreme internal damage or death if swallowed. Some of Mattel's most popular toys, like Polly Pocket, Barbie and Dora the Explorer, were included in the recalls.

Terms of the settlement, if accepted by the court, will include refunds for those who bought the products as well as reimbursement for medical expenses for lead testing and donations to the national network of children's hospitals.

In the past two months, more than 147,000 lead tainted children's products have been recalled

While the impending implementation date of key measures in the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) is causing concern among some, recent recalls by the CPSC show the real need for this strong safety measure. In just two months, 13 recalls for more than 147,000 children's products tainted with lead have been announced. The list includes cribs, toys, jewelry and school supplies. Whether it was a $600 crib that poisoned a child, a $15 toy dinosaur, or doll clothes coated with lead paint, manufacturers are still producing unsafe products. KID joins other advocates in calling for President Obama to quickly name new leadership at the CPSC to improve the implementation of this sorely needed legislation.