The Associated Press reports that tests on 1,200 children's products -- most of which are available for sale -- revealed that 35% contain more lead than allowed by federal recall standards used for lead paint. Lead poisoning can cause irreversible learning disabilities and behavioral problems and, at very high levels, seizures, coma, and even death
Of the toys tested from the shelves of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT), Toys "R" Us and Babies "R" Us, here are three that had particularly high lead levels:
- A Hannah Montana card game case,
- a Go Diego Go! backpack; and
- Circo brand shoes.
Doctors and the Federal government think that some lead exposure is OK. For example, The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a maximum level of 40 parts per million (ppm) of lead while the Federal government will recall of lead paint if its tests reveal more than 600 ppm. Jewelry products were the most likely to contain the high levels of lead -- 33.5% of them have more than 600 ppm worth of lead.
That Hannah Montana Pop Star Card Game's case tested at 3,056 ppm.
I'm really not sure how to keep from buying lead paint for your kids. It doesn't look like the Federal government is much help. Tracey Easthope, director of the Ecology Center's Environmental Health Project, which conducted the study, has a web site which might help -- although I think it's jammed with traffic at the moment.
Peter Cohan is President of Peter S. Cohan & Associates. He also teaches management at Babson College and edits The Cohan Letter. He has no financial interest in Wal-Mart.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
12-05-2007 @ 10:37AM
toytruckman said...
How did all of us baby boomers live to be this old when all our toys had lead, we did not wear helmets riding our bicycles, no seatbelts, etc? While I feel lead does cause problems, lets not blow it out of proportion. How long does any kid play with a toy anyway? And yes I feel the companies should pull the stuff off the shelf when too much lead is found in the product.
12-05-2007 @ 10:20PM
Brockage said...
Also, it's probably best to teach kids not to eat their toy tractor.
12-07-2007 @ 12:05PM
Luke said...
35%--?! That's still a little too high for me, regardless if *some* lead is okay. Seriously, we should try to get Wal-Mart away from these Chinese suppliers. Here's part of a press release from WakeUpWalMart.com:
"Washington, DC – In the wake of a recent wave of toy recalls, WakeUpWalMart.com in conjunction with leading consumer and environmental groups, and Wal-Mart Watch today sent a letter to Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND), asking him, as chair of the Subcommittee on Interstate Commerce, Trade & Tourism, to call for hearings on Wal-Mart’s pressure on Chinese suppliers."
Read the full article here: http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/press/article.html?article=1287
12-08-2007 @ 4:29PM
Lead in Lipstick said...
I wonder when the government is going to step up to this. And who's going to pay for poisoning our children? Mattel certainly didn't pay for the children who already died from their lead tainted toys.
I've read a very detailed report about the tests of 1,268 products done by the Ecology Center with pictures of the bad toys. I had to return the Party Tea Set after I found it on this list.
http://www.myproductalert.com/toys-with-lead.html