One in Three Toys Tested Has High Levels of Lead or Other Toxins, Researchers Find

Researchers from the Michigan-based Ecology Center, who tested more than 1,500 popular toys including Hannah Montana jewelry and Road Racers cars, found that one in three of the toys tested positive for toxic chemicals such as lead, arsenic, and flame retardants.

Levels of the toxic substances found ranged from medium to high, and in 3.5% of the toys, the levels of lead exceeded the federal safety level for paint of 600 parts-per-million. Children’s jewelry was five times more likely to contain lead above the safety level than other toys and several items of the popular Hannah Montana brand of jewelry were among those which tested high for lead, the researchers found.

The report found that 62% of the tested products – or 954 items – contained low levels of chemical concern, while 21% of the products tested – or 324 items – contained no toxic chemicals to be worried about.

The report also did not associate where the toys were made with the presence of toxic chemicals. According to a news release about the study, 21% of toys from China and 16% of toys from all other countries had detectable levels of lead. Of the 17 toys made in the United States that were tested, 35% had detectable levels of lead.

No related posts.