An end to a temporary import ban on toys containing toxic substances may open India's doors to unsafe products according to a report from the Centre for science and environment's Pollution Monitoring Laboratory.
In an evaluation of plastic toys imported to India from contries like India, China, Taiwan and Thailand, the Centre for science and environment found dangerously unsafe levels of phthalates in all product samples.
India has no law restricting the use of phthalates in toys. The voluntary standards covering safety aspects of toys are temporary and will end 23 January 2010. After that date, the Indian government’s ban on import of toys will be unregulated, leaving the health of children exposed to the dangers of plastic softeners.
The CSE lab tested 24 toy samples and all samples contained one or more phthalates, like for example DEHP, DINP, DBP (di-n-butyl phthalate) and BBP (benzyl butyl phthalate), all of which are considered harmful in international environmental legislation.
About half exceeding EU limits
46 per cent of the samples had phthalates exceeding the EU limit of 0.1 per cent by mass of plasticized material. Of the sampled toys that children generally put in their mouths (such as teethers), 29 per cent exceeded the phthalate limit.
Many of the product samples also falsely carried label claims of being ‘non-toxic’, one product aimed at children aged 3-18 months, had phthalate content 162 times above the safe limit!
International restrictions of phthalates in toys
The EU restricts the use of some phthalates in all childcare articles and toys to 0.1 per cent concentration by mass of the plasticized material. The US Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, prescribes similar restrictions.
Neither India nor China has any regulations to control or monitor the use of phthalates in toys.
Source : environmental-expert.com