Website publishes information on exposure to chemicals in toys

There are thousands of children's toy manufacturers around the world. Toys can be made of metal, plastic, paint, fabric and many other components, but are they really safe for your children.

KidsChemicalSafety.org has compiled information from scientific experts to help parents make sense of information they are hearing about toys and chemicals. The website recently published an essay on exposure to chemicals in toys, what it means for children's health and ways that parents can minimize the risk to their children, and an essay on physical hazards with toys and the types of prevention and first aid needed to address these hazards.

"Parents can protect their child from chemicals in toys by choosing appropriate toys designed for their child's age and paying attention to warnings on the labels," said Dr. Rick Reiss, an expert on exposure assessment who authored the "Chemical Risks in Children's Toys?" essay for KidsChemicalSafety.org. "The most important thing a parent can do is to assure that very young children do not have access to toys that are not intended for their age."

For example, Dr. Reiss noted, some toy jewelry contains levels of lead and cadmium. While these toys may be safe if they are only touched (lead and cadmium don't easily penetrate human skin), they may not be safe if mouthed, since lead and cadmium dissolve in saliva and then get swallowed.

The most important thing a parent can do, according to KidsChemicalSafety.org, is often the simplest thing: READ THE LABEL. A quality toy company that is in compliance with international regulations will carefully develop label warnings intended to provide parents with information to minimize risk. The most important information is usually the recommended age range. This recommendation is based on knowledge of typical behaviors of children of different ages.

Parent should not only scrutinize the information on this website, but also on other websites or press releases that claim harm from chemical exposures found in various toys. Sometimes such claims only identify whether hazardous chemicals are present in toys, regardless of whether those chemicals can actually be absorbed by the child, which is necessary for a potential risk to occur. KidsChemicalSafety.org has two relevant essays on the website that helps parents sort through some of these issues with toys, and a link to a video that explains the difference between hazard and risk. It is important for parents to appreciate this difference in order to determine whether a hazardous chemical in a toy poses a potential risk.