Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Toys Fail Toxic Chemical Test

Yesterday at the Women’s Health Expo in Albany, NY, representatives from the Just Green Partnership used a hand-held device called an Innov-X XRF analyzer to test for heavy metals and chemicals in the Take Your Child’s Toys To Work Day Event. According to an article by JULIE A. VARUGHESE, in the Times Union Newspaper, one little girls necklace tested high for lead.

The partnership wants to see three bills signed into law to oversee toxic chemicals in toys.

One bill requires substitutes for phthalates, which have been associated with disruption of hormonal and endocrine systems and are often found in soft plastic toys, and bisphenol A, often found in plastic baby bottles and other containers.

Another bill restricts the use of flame retardants, linked to neurological problems.

A third would regulate the distribution of items that contain lead, which causes an array of neurological problems including lowered IQ and learning disabilities.