Cadmium in in children's jewlery: high exposure when mothed or swallowed!

Scientists revealed very concerning findings in a study, published in the peer-review journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP). Children who mouth or swallow cadmium containing jewelerymay be exposed to as much as 100 times the recommended maximum exposure limit to this toxic metal. The study revealed that damaged pieces leached in some cases up to 30 times more Cadmium than undamaged ones. The researchers found results, which indicate that the longer a cadmium containing piece stays in the child´s stomach, the more of the toxic metal leaches.
Cadmium can cause kidney, bone, lung and liver disease.

Read the article on Science Daily and the abstract on ehp. Download the original study from ehp here.

High levels of Phtalates found in childcare dust

A studie conducted by the German NGO BUND has revealed that in dust, collected in German childcare institutions, high levels of the phatalates DINP and DEHP were found. Here you can read more in German about the study. The European Union classifies DEHP officially as toxic to the reproductive system, DINP is not yet classified. The levels of these softeners were on average thrice as high as as those found in German households in a survey conducted by the German federal environment agency (UBA).
Softeners in toys are allready banned, but still allowed in other products.

How to choose toxic free toys - handy guides in several languages

WECF has put together essential information in small guides. There are tips for everyday life consumer decisions when buying toys for children. The guide is available in several languages, such as Chinese, English, French, German, Greek, Dutch or Macedonia. The newest translation is in Estonian. You can find them on the WECF website.

65.000 reasons for better chemicals!

Children are exposed to a cocktail of chemicals every day; from the indoor climate, from the food they eat, and from the products they use. This leaflet from the Danish Environmental Protection Agency gives eight adivces on how to deal in your every day life with the knowledge about endocrine disruptors and children. It can be downloaded here.

Toxic chemicals in toys - new articel

The articel "Toxic chemicals in toys and Childern's Products: Limitations of current Responses and Recommendations for Government and Industry" by Monica Becker, Sally Edwards and Rachel Massey was published in the environmental science and technology feature.
How are governments, industry and NGOs reacting to the fact that toxic chemicals are found in toys and other childerns products? What could one of them do to tackle this thread?
These are some of the questions the authors try to answer.

Toys in Vietnam

The interest in the toxic toys issue keeps me busy - even in my holidays. In Vietnam I read about the fact, that 85 % of toys are smuggeled from China. No way to judge the safety of the toys for parents - and not even for authorities. Therefore the Vietnamese authorities created a system of "safety stamps" which have to be applied to every toy before selling. See article below.
Hope that the enforcement works, so...
Here you see a toys store in the old city centre of Hanoi.
Sonja Haider

New Safe Toys Guide in French available

The Safe Toys Guide in French is ready to download here.