Professional Documents
Culture Documents
TROUBLE IN
TOYLAND
The 29th Annual Survey of Toy Safety
Written by:
Elizabeth Ridlington and Tom Van Heeke, Frontier Group
Ed Mierzwinski, U.S. PIRG Education Fund
November 2014
Acknowledgments
U.S. PIRG Education Fund thanks Rachel Weintraub, Legislative Director and Senior
Counsel, Consumer Federation of America, and Nancy Cowles, Executive Director,
Kids in Danger, for their review of drafts of this document, as well as their insights and
suggestions. Thanks also to Tony Dutzik and Gideon Weissman of Frontier Group for
editorial support.
Special thanks to the Colston Warne program of Consumer Reports for supporting our
work on consumer protection issues. Additional thanks to the Bauman Family Foundation and individual contributors for their generous support of our work on public health
and toxics issues.
The authors bear responsibility for any factual errors. Policy recommendations are those
of U.S. PIRG Education Fund. The views expressed in this report are those of the authors
and do not necessarily reflect the views of our funders or those who provided review.
2014 U.S. PIRG Education Fund. Some Rights Reserved. This work is licensed under
a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives 3.0 Unported License.
To view the terms of this license, visit creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0.
With public debate around important issues often dominated by special interests pursuing their own narrow agendas,U.S. PIRG Education Fundoffers an independent voice
that works on behalf of the public interest.U.S. PIRG Education Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization, works to protect consumers and promote good government. We investigate
problems, craft solutions, educate the public, and offer meaningful opportunities for civic
participation. For more information about U.S. PIRG Education Fund or for additional
copies of this report, please visit www.uspirgedfund.org.
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fairer and more democratic America. We address issues that will define our nations course
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Hazards in Toys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Toxic Metals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Lead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Chromium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Phthalates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Choking Hazards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Small Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Small Balls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Balloons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Magnets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Excessive Noise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Policy Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Appendix 1. Summary of Toy Hazards and Examples of Potentially
Dangerous Toys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Potentially Toxic Toys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Potential Choking Hazards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Magnetic Toys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Potential Battery Hazards in Toys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Executive Summary
Executive Summary 5
Parents can also take steps to protect children from potential hazards.
We recommend that parents:
Shop with U.S. PIRG Education
Funds Toy Safety Tips, available at
toysafetytips.org.
Examine toys carefully for hazards
before purchase and dont trust that
they are safe just because they are on
a store shelf.
Report unsafe toys or toy-related
injuries to the CPSC at www.saferproducts.gov.
Subscribe to government announcements of recalled products at www.
recalls.gov.
Remember, toys on our list are
presented as examples only. Other
hazards may exist.
For toys you already own:
Remove small batteries if there is
any question over their security or
inaccessibility and keep them out of
reach of children;
Remove batteries from or tape over
the speakers of toys you already own
that are too loud; and
Put small parts, or toys broken into
small parts, out of reach. Regularly
check that toys appropriate for your
older children are not left within
reach of children who still put things
in their mouths.
Introduction
Introduction7
Hazards in Toys
Toxic Metals
Despite national laws such as the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act
of 2008 (CPSIA) and stronger enforcement by the Consumer Product Safety
Commission (CPSC), toys containing
metals that pose a health risk to children
continue to make it onto American store
shelves. Our tests this year identified toys
containing lead and chromium.
Lead
Elemental lead is a soft metal occurring naturally in soils and rocks. It has a
variety of commercial uses including in
batteries, plastics and radiation shielding. In the past, lead was also added to
gasoline and paint. 4 Because of leads
toxicity, lead was banned in household
paint, in products marketed to children,
and in dishes and cookware in the United
States in 1978.5 Lead is not discernible by
sight or smell.
Lead exposure is particularly damaging for young children because of its
impact on development. Even low levels
of lead in blood have been shown to undermine IQ, attentiveness and academic
achievement. The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) makes
clear that any amount of lead in a childs
blood is unsafe.6
Moreover, because the effects of lead
exposure cannot be reversed, it is especially important to prevent lead exposure
to children in the first place. Unfortunately, toys can pose a risk in part because
Chromium
Chromium is a naturally occurring
element found in plants, animals and
soil. One of its common forms is used
in the production of stainless steel.
Other forms of chromium, known as
chromium(III) and chromium(VI), are
used in chrome plating, dyes and pigments, and leather tanning.
While chromium(III) is an essential nutrient with important value for
the human body, chromium(VI) is
potentially harmful even at relatively
low concentrations. Skin contact can
cause severe allergic reactions including skin redness, swelling and ulcers.
Chromium(VI) compounds are also
known to cause cancer, either in the
lungs after inhalation or in the stomach
after ingestion.16
Dyed or pigmented toys and childrens jewelry represent the most likely
source of harmful chromium exposure
for children. A 2012 study by The Ecology Center found chromium in over 90
percent of the 99 childrens and adults
jewelry pieces purchased from mainstream retailers.17
Hazards in Toys9
Phthalates
Phthalates are a group of chemicals
used to soften and increase the flexibility
of plastics like polyvinyl chloride (PVC),
which is brittle in its original formulation. The plastics industry uses large
amounts of phthalates in products such
as home siding, flooring, furniture, food
packaging, clothing and toys. Phthalates
are also commonly used in industrial
products like solvents, lubricants, glue,
paint, sealants, insecticides, detergent
and ink.20
Research has documented the potential damage of exposure to phthalates at
crucial stages of development, including
altered development of the male reproductive system and early puberty.21 At
least one type of phthalate is suspected
of causing cancer.22
Some retailers, such as national superstore brand Target, have taken action to
eliminate PVC and thus phthalates
from store-brand childrens products.23
A number of other major retailers,
such as Walgreens, have not done so.
A 2014 investigation by The Ecology
Center found high concentrations of
regulated phthalates in 13 vinyl products purchased at Walgreens locations
in Michigan.24
Choking Hazards
Small parts in toys, small balls and
balloons all present a potential choking
hazard. Choking is the leading form of
toy-related deaths. From 2001 to 2012, 96
children died from choking on or asphyxiation by a play item.28 (See Appendix 2.)
Small Parts
Toys containing small parts for
example, a miniature comb for a dolls
hair or small, interlocking construction
blocks may present a choking hazard
for children, especially those under the
age of three. Younger children are at a
stage of childhood development in which
mouthing or biting objects is common,
increasing the risk that a small toy or
component will get lodged in the windpipe. From 2001 to 2012, the most recent
year for which data are available, small
parts caused 23 deaths.29
The CPSC defines a small part as
anything that fits inside an official choke
test cylinder, which has an interior diameter of 1.25 inches and a slanted bottom
with a depth ranging from 1 to 2.25
inches (see Figure 1). This cylinder is the
approximate size of the fully expanded
throat of a child under the age of three.
Hazards in Toys11
Small Balls
Since 1994, federal law has treated
small balls in toys as a distinct choking
hazard from small parts, one that is subject to more stringent standards. The law
defines a ball as any spherical, ovoid, or
ellipsoidal object designed or intended to
be thrown, hit, kicked, rolled, dropped,
or bounced. In addition, the term ball
includes any multisided object formed
by connecting planes into a generally
Hazards in Toys13
Balloons
Balloons pose the most serious choking
hazard to children in the United States.
They are responsible for more childhood
deaths by suffocation than any other product. Children can suffocate on balloons by
accidentally inhaling while attempting to
inflate them, by inhaling uninflated balloons while sucking or chewing on them,
or by inhaling pieces of broken balloons.47
Between 2001 and 2012, the most recent
year for which data are available, approximately 40 percent of all toy-related
choking fatalities reported to the CPSC
involved balloons.48 Because balloons are
intended for older children, and because
of the risks inherent in inflating them,
balloons present a serious choking hazard
for children significantly older than the
typical at-risk population for small parts
and balls.
Federal Standards for Balloons
Balloon packages must display an explicit choke hazard warning. Due to the
risk balloons pose even to older children,
the warning must explain that the hazard
applies to children younger than eight.49
The required label is:
Magnets
Small, powerful magnets that rose to
popularity in the mid- to late 2000s have
the potential to cause serious injury and
even death due to complications arising
from ingestion. These rare-earth magnets
are much more powerful than refrigerator
magnets. Such magnets are used in various
types of toys including construction sets,
puzzles, toy jewelry, action figures, board
games and train sets.
They are also common in novelty
items containing hundreds of small
magnetic pieces and marketed at adults
as sculpture kits, desk toys or stress relievers.50 Buckyballs the subject of a
recall ordered by the CPSC are perhaps
the most well-known example of such a
product, with hundreds of small, spherical magnets, each smaller than a marble.
Despite being marketed as a desk toy for
adults, incidents reported to the CPSC
made clear that children were nonetheless
suffering serious injury after swallowing these magnets, highlighting the risk
posed by adult novelty items even with
appropriate warning labels.51
What makes these adult magnet sets
so dangerous is that their numerous
magnets are easy to lose track of and the
products themselves are inherently appealing to children. While very young
children may mistake component magnets for candy, older children and young
adolescents may use pairs of magnets to
Hazards in Toys15
Batteries
Batteries are commonly used in toys
and other household products, and cylindrical batteries (such as AA or AAA
batteries) have long posed a choking
hazard. But as so-called button batteries the size of a nickel or smaller
have become more common and more
powerful, the risks of battery ingestion
have increased.64
While most cases of button battery
ingestion cause relatively little harm
because the battery passes through the
body, if a battery becomes lodged in
the esophagus its interaction with saliva can cause a chemical reaction that
burns through the throat.65 The reaction
can continue causing damage to tissue
even after the battery is removed.66 In
worst-case scenarios, the chemical reaction burns through blood vessel walls,
causing internal bleeding that can lead
to death.67 CPSC data show 13 batteryrelated deaths between 2002 and 2010.
Twelve of these cases involved button
batteries.68
Battery-related injuries have become
more common in the past decade. The
Centers for Disease Control and Pre-
Excessive Noise
Excessive noise can be harmful, damaging the inner ear and causing hearing
loss. Sounds can cause harm by being too
loud even for a short period of time, or by
being loud over an extended timeframe.
Hearing loss from excessive noise exposure is common in the U.S., even for
the young. Sixteen percent of teens aged
12 to 19 have some self-reported hearing loss for which loud noise could be
responsible.72 A 1998 study of children in
a wider age range found approximately 15
percent of children between the ages of
six and 17 showed signs of hearing loss.73
Excessive noise in toys is of concern
because children have the most to lose
from hearing loss. Loss of hearing at an
early age can affect a childs ability to
learn vocabulary, grammar, idiomatic
expressions and other aspects of verbal
communication.74 This could have consequences for their educational attainment
and social and professional success later
in life.
Federal Standards for Noise Levels
Noise standards have improved in
recent years. Toy manufacturers were
not required to follow sound standard
guidelines until 2009 when federal law
gave the CPSC authority to enforce voluntary standards contained in the comprehensive ASTM F963 toy standard.75
Hand-held, tabletop, floor and crib
toys producing continuous sound
cannot do so in excess of 85 decibels
when measured from approximately
20 inches.76
Close-to-the-ear toys must adhere
to a continuous sound limit of
65 decibels when measured from
approximately 20 inches.
Hazards in Toys17
Policy Recommendations
Recommendations for
Policymakers
To continue building upon recent
progress in the strengthening of toy safety
standards, the Consumer Product Safety
Commission (CPSC) should:
Policy Recommendations 19
Recommendations for
Parents
Though the toy industry has made progress in recent years and toys continue to
become safer, parents should remain vigilant when shopping for toys and assessing
toys already at home. To protect children
from potential hazards, we recommend that
parents:
Shop with U.S. PIRGs Toy Safety Tips
available at the U.S. PIRG Education
Fund website, toysafetytips.org.
Examine toys carefully for potential
dangers before making a purchase. The
CPSC does not test all toys, and not all
toys on store shelves necessarily meet
CPSC standards. The toys included in
this report are presented as examples
only. Other hazards may exist.
Methodology
Methodology21
Appendix 1.
Summary of Toy Hazards and Examples
of Potentially Dangerous Toys
Manufacturer/
Distributor
Greenbrier International
Item # (if
known)
186445-16750-004-1306
Store
Price Paid
Product Name
Label on Toy
Type of Hazard
Why Toy Is a
Potential Hazard
Dollar Tree
$1
Manufacturer/
Distributor
Greenbrier International
187254-23285-015-1403
Store
Price Paid
Dollar Tree
$1
Appendix 123
Manufacturer/Distributor
Item # (if known)
Store
Price Paid
Product Name
Label on Toy
Type of Hazard
Why Toy Is a Potential
Hazard
Manufacturer/Distributor
Item # (if known)
Store
Price Paid
Product Name
Label on Toy
Type of Hazard
Why Toy Is a Potential
Hazard
Manufacturer/Distributor
Item # (if known)
Store
Price Paid
Appendix 125
Manufacturer/
Distributor
Item # (if known)
Store
Price Paid
Manufacturer/
Distributor
Item # (if known)
Store
Price Paid
Product Name
Label on Toy
Type of Potential Hazard
Why Toy Is a Potential
Hazard
Manufacturer/
Distributor
Item # (if known)
Store
Price Paid
Appendix 127
Product Name
Label on Toy
Type of Potential Hazard
Why Toy Is a Hazard
Manufacturer/
Distributor
Item # (if known)
Store
Price Paid
Product Name
Label on Toy
Type of Hazard
Why Toy Is a Potential
Hazard
Manufacturer/
Distributor
Greenbrier International
188067-13590-094-1308
Store
Price Paid
Dollar Tree
$1
Product Name
Label on Toy
Type of Hazard
Why Toy Is a Potential
Hazard
Manufacturer/
Distributor
Greenbrier International
109685-13096-002-1406
Store
Price Paid
Product Name
Label on Toy
Type of Potential Hazard
Why Toy Is a Hazard
Dollar Tree
$1
Wind Up Fun
Statutory choke hazard warning; 18m+
Choking
The tail can break off, and it fits into the choke test cylinder. The toy
should not be labeled for children under 3.
Manufacturer/
Distributor
Auxo
None
Store
Kmart
Price Paid
$2
Appendix 129
Product Name
Label on Toy
Type of Hazard
Why Toy Is a Potential
Hazard
Manufacturer/Distributor
Item # (if known)
Store
Price Paid
Product Name
Label on Toy
Type of Hazard
Why Toy Is a Potential Hazard
Manufacturer/Distributor
Store
Price Paid
Appendix 131
Manufacturer/
Distributor
Greenbrier International
119208-10062-001-1207
Store
Price Paid
Product Name
Label on Toy
Type of Hazard
Why Toy Is a Potential
Hazard
Dollar Tree
$1
Manufacturer/
Distributor
Greenbrier International
119208-10052-001-1210
Store
Price Paid
Dollar Tree
$1
Product Name
Label on Toy
Type of Potential Hazard
Why Toy Is a Hazard
Manufacturer/Distributor
Item # (if known)
Store
Price Paid
Manufacturer/Distributor
Item # (if known)
Store
Price Paid
Type of Hazard
Why Toy Is a
Potential Hazard
Manufacturer/
Distributor
Item # (if known)
Store
Price Paid
Magnetic Toys
Manufacturer/
Distributor
Item # (if known)
Store
Price Paid
Appendix 135
Product Name
Label on Toy
Type of Hazard
Why Toy Is a Potential
Hazard
Manufacturer/
Distributor
Item # (if known)
Store
Price Paid
Product Name
Label on Toy
Type of Hazard
Why Toy Is a Potential
Hazard
Manufacturer/
Distributor
Item # (if known)
Store
Price Paid
Buckyballs
Lengthy disclaimer
Ingestion
This toy is subject to a recall by the CPSC.
It is illegal to sell it in the U.S.
Maxfield & Oberton
UPC 8 56590 00322 4
Buckyballstore.com
$20
Manufacturer/Distributor
Item # (if known)
Store
Price Paid
Cherubic Cetacean
Non-standard choke hazard warning; 3+
Choking and Ingestion
Children can remove the batteries, which are nearsmall parts. The toy has been recalled for this reason
in Australia. In addition, under mild abuse it broke
into small parts that fit into the choke tube, and it
does not have the CPSC warning label.
Hua Cai
B698A
Super 99c Century
$6.99
Appendix 137
Appendix 2.
Reported Toy-Related Deaths, 2001-2012
Choking/
Asphyxiation
2010
2011
2012
20012012
Total
Balloons
38
Rubber balls/
other small ball
35
23
11
11
12
10
10
96
13
11
10
80
Toy Boxes
Other
55
Total
25
13
11
22
26
28
24
25
17
19
17
11
238
62% 100%
41%
42%
43%
42%
20%
24%
53%
29%
27%
40%
Sub-total
Riding Toys,
Scooters,
Tricycles
% Choking/
Asphyxia
32%
Appendix 3.
CPSC Characteristics of Toys for
Children Under Three
The following are some general characteristics that make toys appealing to children
under three.
Size and Weight: Small and lightweight, easy to handle.
Theme: Represents a common object found around the home, farm or neighborhood.
Degree of Realism: Silly or cute, some realistic details.
Colors: Bright, contrasting colors covering large areas of the toy.
Noisemaking: Not loud or frightening.
Action and Movement: May be silly, should be easy for child to cause movement.
Type and level of skill: Lets child begin to learn skills or practice skills such as
walking, stacking, and sorting; should be slightly beyond childs capabilities to
maintain interest.
Appendix 339
Notes
19. Ibid.
20. American Chemistry Council, Phthalates,
accessed at www.phthalates.americanchemistry.com, 21 October 2014.
21. Male development: National Institutes
of Health, National Library of Medicine, Tox
Town, Phthalates, accessed at toxtown.nlm.
nih.gov/text_version/chemicals.php?id=24, 28
October 2014; Early puberty: I. Colon, et al.,
Identification of Phthalate Esters in the Serum
of Young Puerto Rican Girls with Premature
Breast Development, Environmental Health
Perspectives 108: 895-900, 2000
22. National Institutes of Health, National
Library of Medicine, Tox Town, Phthalates, accessed at toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/text_version/
chemicals.php?id=24, 28 October 2014.
23. Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families,
Target, accessed at www.saferchemicals.org/
retailers/target, 21 October 2014.
24. The Ecology Center, Walgreens, Will You
Mind The Store?, accessed at www.healthystuff.
org, 21 October 2014.
25. Consumer Product Safety Commissions,
Phthalates, accessed at www.cpsc.gov/en/
Business--Manufacturing/Business-Education/
Business-Guidance/Phthalates-Information,
21 October 2014; Note: for the purposes of
these phthalate regulations, a childrens toy
is defined as a consumer product designed or
intended by the manufacturer for a child who is
12 years old or younger. Child care articles
are defined as consumer products that are
designed or intended by the manufacturer for
a child who is three years old or younger, to
facilitate sleeping or feeding, or to help a child
who is sucking or teething.
26. Consumer Product Safety Commission, FAQs: Bans on Phthalates in Childrens
Toys, accessed at www.cpsc.gov/RegulationsLaws--Standards/Statutes/The-ConsumerProduct-Safety-Improvement-Act/Phthalates/
FAQs-Bans-on-Phthalates-in-Childrens-Toys/,
23 October 2014.
Notes41
76. See note 59, 41. Sound testing is conducted at a distance of 50 cm, converted to
an approximate figure in inches in the text
for ease of understanding. Toy standards are
consistent with the recommendations of the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Impulsive sounds are defined as
sounds of typically less than one second in
duration. Measurements are conducted at
a distance of 50 cm because it is considered
optimal for sound measurements. Noise level
Notes43