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Thursday, December 06, 2007

New Database Measures Chemicals in Toys

Today, the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced another recall of a children's product for excess levels of lead. The grand total for 2007 is now 99 recalls totaling more than 16 million products, based on CPSC data compiled by OMB Watch. That is nearly six times more than the number of product recalled in 2006.

While a feckless and under-funded CPSC continues to struggle with its mission to ensure product safety, another group has decided to pick up CPSC's slack. Yesterday, the Ecology Center launched a new database at HealthyToys.org.

According to the site, "HealthyToys.org tested over 1,200 children's products and more than 3,000 components of those products" for a variety of chemicals, including lead.

The Ecology Center found dangerous levels of lead in 35 percent of the products it tested. The Ecology Center tested for other chemicals as well and found dangerous levels of cadmium, arsenic and mercury is some toys.

HealthyToys.org is truly filling a regulatory void. As the website says:

No government agency is adequately assuring that children's products do not contain harmful chemicals. Nor does any agency require labeling or disclosure to inform consumers about the chemical components of children's products. HealthyToys.org was launched to address the failures of our current system to regulate chemicals in products.