Toxic Toys Hazardous
Newcastle Herald
Wednesday December 24, 1997
GREENPEACE recently held a toxic toy patrol through Toys R Us stores in Sydney and Melbourne to highlight the hazardous PVC toys on the stores' shelves.
The problem with PVC, polyvinyl chloride, is that it is softened by chemicals called phthalates which give items like raincoats their distinctive smell.
These chemicals can leach out of the plastic and could be ingested by children when they suck or chew the toys. Independent laboratory tests show that phthalates can cause liver and kidney damage, cancer and reproductive abnormalities.
`The softeners contained in PVC Toys are not bound to the plastic. They are freely mobile, rather like water in a sponge, so when children suck and chew on soft PVC toys, they may be swallowing hazardous chemicals,' Dr Darryl Luscombe from Greenpeace said.
The phthalates that are currently found in PVC soft toys have only been in widespread use for the past five years, so the dangers of these chemicals are only now coming to light.
While in Europe many stores have stopped selling a number of soft PVC toys, this had not happened in Australia as yet with Mr John Schryver, the managing director of Toys R Us Australia saying that Greenpeace's concerns over the potential health effects on children from soft PVC toys were `a manufacturing issue'.
Here are some of the toys that Greenpeace found containing PVC at Toys R Us: Squekee Teether by Tommee Tippee made in China and labelled non-toxic vinyl; Bananas in Pyjamas and Thomas the Tank Engine raincoat, ABC, labelled 100% PVC; Mickey Mouse and other Disney Squeezies, Mattel, no labelling; Big Bird and Sesame St Squeeze 'Ems, Tyco, no labelling; Pooh Swinging Pals, Mattel, no labelling; Barbie Umbrella, mattel, 100% vinyl; Flower Fun Barbie, Matell, no labelling.
For further information about the dangers of PVC toys contact Greenpeace at GPO Box 3307, Sydney, 2001, or telephone (02) 9261-4666.
© 1997 Newcastle Herald
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