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Nonprofit tackles toy safety

BY KEIKO MORRIS AND PATRICK WHITTLE | Newsday Staff Writer

December 6, 2007

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The test results of some 1,200 toys released Wednesday by a Michigan nonprofit provided fuel for local politicians as well as environmental and consumer activists advocating more stringent guidelines for children's toys and products.

The Ecology Center unveiled a Web site, HealthyToys.org, that lists its findings of chemicals contained in popular toys. Its researchers found that 35 percent of the products tested contained lead, and that 17 percent of them had lead levels above the federal recall standard. It also found high cadmium and arsenic levels in less than 3 percent of the products.

"There's no doubt about it, the toys are out there and testing is a huge job considering there are millions and millions of these things brought in from a myriad of countries," said state Sen. Carl Marcellino, who, with Sens. Charles Fuschillo Jr. and Kemp Hannon, held a hearing on contaminated toys this week. They plan to present legislation next month. "The federal government, even if you quadrupled the number of, couldn't handle it. I think the state and local municipalities need to step in and the industry has to do its own policing."

A significant percentage of toys did not contain the chemicals targeted by researchers, said Kathleen Curtis, policy director for the Albany-based Clean New York. But she echoed Marcellino's call for more state involvement.

"It indicates a massive vacuum where there should be regulatory protections," Curtis said. "The federal government is not about to implement some sweeping reforms. I think it's up to the state to step up and fortunately several leaders within both houses are very committed to doing something about this."

Listed among the toys with the most lead, the Brush your Teeth! Robot toothbrush holder and the Dinner Party tea set with levels above the federal standard.

But some experts questioned the researchers' methodology. The Ecology Center said its testers used a hand-held x-ray fluorescence device to detect some of the chemical elements in some cases as well as other methods. The report notes that there are limitations with the XRF analyzer and that different materials could interfere with the device's ability to accurately quantify the elements.

"It seems to me more confusing than answering questions and fuels the frenzy of parents who are confused and don't understand what's going on," said Chris Byrne, a toy expert and contributing editor for Toy Wishes magazine, who said he had not reviewed the testing procedures.

Wednesday's report did not keep shoppers away from the Huntington Station Toys "R" Us, which had a full parking lot Wednesday.

Elizabeth Thatcher, shopping for eight adopted children, said she keeps up with the news about dangerous toys and "finds herself trying to find toys that don't have a lot of small parts.

"I'm trying to get the kids interested in books and art supplies this year," she said.

Another shopper, Lori Rosen, said shoppers need to be careful about products they buy from China. Mattel Inc. recalled millions of Chinese-made toys because of some of the products were tainted with lead paint and had magnets that children could swallow.

"We need to stop this," said Rosen. "We don't need to make waves with China but we need to find a way to stop this."