Toxic toys

It goes without saying that toys are bought with the hope that it may cheer up a child. But what if we’ve been taking this nothing for granted all along. What if you were told that the toy you recently bought is replete with a highly toxic chemical that puts children at great risks?
A laboratory study by the Centre for Science and Environment in India showed that the presence of phthalates, a highly toxic chemical, was present in toys sold in the Indian market.
These toxic chemicals which are not regulated or monitored by the government, puts children inadvertently at risk. Scientific evidence has shown that exposure to phthalates can cause a variety of health problems ranging from asthma to pre-term birth.

It is for this reason that several countries have laws and regulations that ban the use these substances in toys. The European Union was the first to regulate the use of Phthalates in these toys. It has prohibited the import, sale and manufacturing of toys and childcare articles containing the toxin to 0.1 percent concentration by mass of the plasticized material. Toys containing these chemicals in higher quantities cannot be sold in EU countries.
Meanwhile, in the USA, the Consumer Product Safety Commission in 2008 enacted a regulation which makes it compulsory for third party testing and certification. It has also banned six types of phthalates commonly found in children’s toys.
Although India does not have any regulations to control or monitor the use of phthalates in toys, it does have a set of voluntary standards covering safety aspects of toys formulated by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Due to the lack of any certification license, the authorities in the country cannot enforce it against manufacturers of toys.

What are phthalates?

Phthalates are organic chemicals commonly used as plasticizers to make plastic supple. They are responsible for plastic products being cheap, easy to clean — and toxic. An example of a product that may have phthalates is a product like a children’s rubber duck - the flexible plastic feel may be from the use of phthalates in the manufacturing process. Other examples include
How harmful is it?
Phthalates can damage the male reproductive system, impair the lungs and affect the duration of pregnancy. Laboratory tests on mammals indicate phthalates can trigger asthma and allergies, and lead to poor semen quality, genital defects, premature breast development and skeletal defects. Children under three years are more likely to be exposed to phthalates because they tend to chew and suck on plastic toys – and since their metabolic, endocrine and reproductive systems are immature, they are more vulnerable as well.
The double-standards
The head of a popular brand of toy maker in Sri Lanka was quoted in the media as saying that there are no compulsory standards in the country for toys, however the company which does export to the EU market conferred that they must obtain certificates if they wish to export. An EN71 is not only compulsory but costly. It confirms that the product does not contain paints or inks which may contain lead or arsenic.
They are also specific about toy’s physical attributes citing that it should not have any sharp edges, small particles and much more. According to the Sri Lanka Export Development Board, many companies are venturing into the production of toys for the export market.
The current standard set by the Sri Lanka Standards Institution namely the SLS 608 only deals with the safety requirement for toys and simulated sporting equipment. It is however limited to the specific points of design and construction essential for safety.