Second-hand toys could harm children, scientists discover

Plastic utilized in a few second-hand toys ought to pose a health danger for kids as they don't meet the maximum updated protection hints, a observe has discovered.

Scientists examined two hundred used plastic toys they located in nurseries, thrift stores and homes throughout england's south-west for nine hazardous factors.

Twenty toys had traces of all nine elements, with a few concentrations excessive sufficient to fail european requirements.

However experts stated it might be tough to quantify the hazard.

"lego bricks from the 70s and 80s are the huge fail," stated dr andrew turner, of the college of plymouth, who performed the observe. "toys in the ones days weren't tested and now we are the usage of them and handing them down."

Commercial
Chronically poisonous
For the take a look at, posted in environmental science and technology, dr turner and his team used x-ray fluorescence technology to analyse a bunch of toys - from motors and trains to figures and puzzles.

All of the toys were of the scale that would be chewed via younger children.

They located excessive concentrations of dangerous elements which include antimony, barium, bromine, cadmium, chromium, lead and selenium.

These chemical compounds can be chronically poisonous if children are exposed to them at a low stage over an prolonged time frame.

If the youngsters put the toys in their mouths, they might be exposed to greater degrees of those chemicals.Dr turner carried out a separate analysis on 26 of these toys to look if they comply with limits set via the european council's toy protection directive. Ten failed this check due to the fact they had been secreting an excessive amount of bromine, cadmium or lead.

Crimson, yellow or black plastics had been the worst offenders.

Dr turner said: "second-hand toys are an appealing choice to households because they may be inherited immediately from pals or relatives or received cheaply and effortlessly from charity stores, flea markets and the internet."

However he said new policies do no longer cover the recycling or resale of older toys.

Dr turner stated: "customers should be made greater aware about the capacity risks related to small, mouthable and brightly colored vintage plastic toys or components.

"with out that, the appealing cost, convenience and recyclability of formerly used toys has the ability to create a legacy of chemical contamination for younger children."prof andrew watterson, of the college of stirling, who become not involved in the research, said: "cadmium is a carcinogen and any uptake ought to be avoided if viable because of chronic outcomes.

"so those 2d-hand toys, especially of unique colorings may additionally gift a chance, but it will likely be hard to quantify it."

He said a "precautionary approach to their sale would consequently be wise" especially on account that "the uncovered socio-monetary populace can also be more likely to come into more touch with different environmental resources of those materials like lead and cadmium than youngsters who get 'new' toys."

'weigh up the risks'
Mark gardiner, of the chartered buying and selling standards institute, said: "any items which are sold second-hand are not going to have the equal protection assurances.

"mother and father have to weigh up those dangers, in particular whilst giving their kids toys which are very vintage and will have also robotically deteriorated over time."

Mr gardiner said that "if the toys do indeed pose a hazard to youngsters" then "the goods can be eliminated from the marketplace".

He delivered: "if mother and father are worried then the advice could be to take them away."

Dr turner has previously made comparable findings in second-hand consuming glasses and the paint used on playground device.