Cadmium and chemicals in children’s toys

Back in January this year, there were headlines about cadmium being found in children’s toys, trinkets and jewellery imported to the US from China. Following the ban on  lead in sparkly pieces of jewellery made for children, some Chinese manufactures chose to use the much more harmful cadmium instead. Cadmium is a carcinogen and is known to hinder brain development in the very young. Some pieces of the jewellery tested were found to contain 96% cadmium and even more worryingly found to easily shed the heavy metal.

Whilst the cadmium in toys is only though to have occurred in the US and possibly Canada, there have  various other cases of dangerous chemicals being present in children’s toys.

Although restrictions for lead are in place, some toys do slip through the net and contain lead.  Even very low amounts. Lead has the ability to interrupt brain function and impair learning and the damage to the nervous system is permanent and irreversible. Phthalates or ‘plasticizers’ are found in a wide range of plastic toys. They have been found to disrupt the endocrine system and have been linked to genital abnormalities in baby boys as well as an increased risk of cancer asthma and kidney problems.

All products entering the UK should now bear the CE mark which allows manufacturers to prove that their product fully complies with European directives.  

In the 1990’s the CE mark was introduced so that manufacturers could attest that the product they produced fully complied with European directives. Each toy that enters the UK should bear this label. However some still have concerns over the safety of some children’s toys and opt for completely natural and organic toys to be absolutely sure.

picture from http://www.pollutionissues.co.uk