Since the Consumer Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) took effect on August 14, 2008, it has required that children's toys meet regulatory requirements regarding limits for six types of phthalates and lead content.
1. February 10, 2009 (180 days after the bill took effect) < 600 ppm
2. August 15, 2009 (one year after the law took effect) < 300 ppm
3. August 14, 2011 (3 years after the law takes effect, if technically feasible) < 100 ppm
The Illinois Public Interest Research Group (Illinois PIRG), located in Chicago, conducted random tests this year on 87 popular toys for lead and plasticizer content and released the results. The tests found that two of the seven tested products exceeded the legally mandated limits for plasticizer content.
Under current U.S. regulations, companies planning to launch a new chemical substance on the market must notify the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 90 days before the substance is manufactured or imported. The Illinois PIRG organization also recommends increasing testing requirements for chemical substances to obtain information on their risks and potential hazards.
The test results from the Illinois PIRG organization in collaboration with Healthystuff can be searched at the following website (http://www.healthystuff.org/departments/toys/product.askforinfo.php). This database currently contains test results for toxic substances on more than 5,000 products.
– Reference source: Illinois PIRG website, 2009-10-30
– Translated by Plastic Industry Technology Development Center
-For reference only, please refer to the original text.
