More than a dozen U.S. environmental health organizations claimed that many children's toys, jewelry and backpacks were found to contain excessive amounts of lead after testing. This investigation began a while ago when lead-containing toys were recalled due to safety issues, and the investigation targeted more than 1,200 products from chain stores and self-operated stores. The investigation found that among the 1,200 products tested, 17%'s product exceeded the lead content stipulated by the federal government.
Tracey Easthope, director of the environmental health program at the Environmental Research Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan, said, "The findings do not indicate that these products pose an immediate danger to consumers, but they do show that the government is not There is a failure to monitor products containing toxic chemicals, and too many manufacturers have no self-regulation of the products they produce.”
Among the products tested, children’s toys and jewelry accounted for one-third of the total. The main test item for these children's toy jewelry is whether it contains lead. Because young children are particularly vulnerable to exposure to lead-containing products. The other two-thirds of the products tested were tested for lead, as well as eight other potentially hazardous chemicals such as antimony, arsenic, bromine, cadmium, chlorine, chromium, mercury, and tin. The test results revealed that the tested products also contained very high levels of cadmium and arsenic.
However, it should be noted that this survey did not further evaluate the direct impact of the tested products containing chemical substances on human health, nor did it measure the human body's exposure to these products containing chemical substances.
This report was produced by the Ecology Center and the Washington Toxics Coalition. Other environmental groups were responsible for reporting on domestic news and meetings in the United States on December 5, including a meeting with the Washington City Department of Environment.
Joan Lawrence, the toy union's vice president for regulatory and government affairs, issued a statement on Tuesday, saying she had questions about the methodology used in the report and the value of the report produced by environmental groups. Her questions included that "a product must pose a threat to the human body." Produced under circumstances of exposure." Joan Lawrence said that toy manufacturers should comply with the voluntary specifications for chemical products listed by environmental groups and other organizations; she also said that the toy industry has expressed that it will conduct more frequent product testing before products leave the factory, and improve the testing process. Determination of sample reliability.
This market test report produced by environmental groups was tested using XRF equipment. XRF equipment can identify material composition and has high accuracy.
The report found no products made in the United States, but Tracey Easthope, director of the Environmental Health Program at the Center for Environmental Research, expressed concerns that the U.S. government has failed to fulfill its oversight responsibilities for both imported and domestically produced products. The toy manufacturing country with the highest measured lead content was Italy, followed by China.
In addition, a finding that supports the environmental groups' report is that its results echo those of a recent California survey conducted by the Public Interest Research Group. Last month, California Attorney General Jerry Brown sued 20 major toy manufacturers and retailers for knowingly producing and selling products that were illegal or contained excessive amounts of lead.
Environmental groups have also raised concerns that toy safety regulations appear to be being implemented in a "regressive" manner. Because a product recall should be a last resort, rather than a response that is only taken after the product is discovered.
The full report of the investigation conducted by the environmental group is available at:www.healthytoys.org
– Reference source: San Jose MercuryNews electronic newspaper, United States 2007-12-05
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