Plastic materials used in some second-hand toys are potential health risks for children, as many of these toys don’t meet updated safety standards, a new study has found.
Scientists in Europe tested 200 used plastic toys they dug up in thrift shops, nurseries and houses across the southwest area of England for dangerous elements, the BBC reports. Twenty of the toys contained traces of all nine hazardous elements, with some concentrations high enough to fail European guidelines.
However, experts do agree that it would be difficult to quantify just how risky these toys can be. Andrew Turner, lead author of the study from the University of Plymouth, said,
Lego bricks from the 70s and 80s are the big fail. Toys in those days weren’t tested and now we’re using them and handing them down.
Turner and his team used X-ray fluorescence technology to examine various toys, from trains to cars to puzzles to toy figures. They found high concentrations of antimony, barium, bromine, cadmium, chromium, lead and selenium. These chemicals can be toxic if children are exposed to them over time, even at low levels.
The toys were all small enough to be put in a toddler’s mouth, which would expose any child to a greater level of these chemicals.
Turner then conducted an analysis of the toys to see if they complied with the safety standards set by the European Council’s Toy Safety Directive. Ten of the samples failed because of too much bromine, cadmium or lead. Red, yellow or black plastics turned out to be the worst offenders.
“Second-hand toys are an attractive option to families because they can be inherited directly from friends or relatives or obtained cheaply and readily from charity stores, flea markets and the internet,” Turner said.
“Consumers should be made more aware of the potential risks associated with small, mouthable and brightly colored old plastic toys or components,” he added. “Without that, the attractive cost, convenience and recyclability of previously used toys has the potential to create a legacy of chemical contamination for younger children.”
Turner also conducted studies on the paint used on children’s playground items and second-hand drinking glasses.
The study was published in Environmental Science and Technology.
