Most toys loaded with pollutants

80 percent of children's toys are contaminated with pollutants. This resulted in an investigation of the Stiftung Warentest.
A large proportion of children's toys for children under the age of three are contaminated or contain dangerous small parts that could be swallowed by the pupils. The Stiftung Warentest has tested numerous baby dolls, stuffed animals and other children's toys, with the worrying result that about 80 percent of all products are contaminated with pollutants. At 10 percent, small parts dissolved, which can be swallowed by the children.

50 wooden and plastic toys tested
In a comprehensive study, Stiftung Warentest experts had given ten baby dolls, fifteen stuffed animals, fifteen wooden toys and ten plastic toys for children under the age of three each 70 examinations. The experts were not only looking for possible mechanical safety defects but have also tested the pollution levels of children's toys. The shocking result: five out of fifty toys had mechanical defects that could dislodge small parts of the toys that pose a serious health threat to toddlers because of the danger of swallowing.

80 percent of the products contain toxins
Even more worrying, however, is the pollution of most toys. About 80 percent of all tested toys were contaminated with toxins, with two thirds even one „Strength“ to „very strong“ Burdened. According to Stiftung Warentest, children's toys included, among other things, the phthalates used as plasticisers in plastics, which have been shown to disrupt the hormonal balance of male fetuses and children and are suspected to cause infertility, obesity and diabetes in adults, for example. In addition, the Stiftung Warentest experts found formaldehyde in various items, which can cause allergies, skin, respiratory or eye irritation if used improperly, and by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2004 „carcinogenic to humans“ (CMR hazardous substance) has been classified.

Also aromatic hydrocarbons, nonylphenol, heavy metals and organotin compounds, have been found in toddlers' toys, all substances with similar unfavorable health effects like softeners and formaldehyde. A tested plush bear even contained azo dyes, which have been banned in the EU since 2002. This teddy bear and a plush bunny loaded with phthalates and lead have already been taken off the market.

Wooden toys most heavily loaded
Conspicuous and surprising at the same time was, according to the testers, that wooden toys were particularly heavily loaded. So all fifteen tested products contain a variety of pollutants. Alone in the wooden railway of „Brio“ The experts of Stiftung Warentest found flame retardants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and nickel. In two wooden puzzles of „kik“ and „Selecta“ They discovered a high concentration of formaldehyde, which can, for example, fume out of the plywood glue. In contrast, the ten tested plastic toys performed far better. Six out of ten plastic toys tested showed no load. Of only eight toys that were rated as unproblematic throughout the test, are therefore 75 percent plastic. „The illusion of many parents has burst with it, "said Hubert Primus of the Stiftung Warentest, because so far, a large part of them was of the assumption that wooden toys are generally less problematic.

Test seals do not have sufficient informative value
Even though more than half of the products in the test came from China, the country of origin did not play a role in the quality, the expert emphasized. Even branded products of German manufacturers could the criteria of the Stiftung Warentest have passed the pollutant test. The problem is also in the opinion of the expert that consumers can not orient themselves to the purchase of toys and the quality labels, as they may generally contain harmful substances, as long as the legal maximum is not exceeded. All tested products had the CE mark, which is awarded in compliance with EU directives. However, an exact examination of the toys in relation to the actual ingredients is too rare, so that it must be questioned whether the information provided by the manufacturer are actually correct, stressed Holger Brackmann, head of the Stiftung Warentest investigation. Since even toys that are marked with a GS or TÜV seal, may contain harmful substances, as long as no statutory provisions are violated, all seals have only a low significance for the quality of children's toys.

Previous regulations inadequate
According to the Stiftung Warentest, the previous regulations on the approval of children's toys are far from sufficient. The limits are too high and not differentiated according to age. But especially the infant organism is particularly vulnerable to pollutants. As part of their investigation of toys for children under the age of three years, the testers have set other guideline values ​​than the legislator for the general toy manufacturing. Here, the legislative plans even go in a different direction, because the toy directive is to allow from 2013 up to 1,000 milligrams of PAH per kilogram of toys and 100 milligrams of the carcinogenic benzopyrene. The experts of Stiftung Warentest vigorously warn against the introduction of these excessively high limits and call on the legislature to make improvements.

Pay attention to certain features when buying toys
According to Hubert Primus, parents need to be worried because much of the toy has failed the standard safety tests. The results are for him „It was a nasty surprise, not only because of the generally high loads but also because even brand manufacturers like Brio, Eichhorn, Fisher Price, Sigikid or Steiff failed in the test, but what can parents do to not unnecessarily endanger their little ones? The Stiftung Warentest recommend to pay attention to noticeable smells when buying, to look for easily removable particles, to completely dispense with lacquered (wooden) toys and to use only made of fabric dolls for toddlers From the point of view of naturopathy are toys that have a bio Seals are recommended, but usually these are also very expensive, so the alternative to nature is the occasional alternative: for example, acorns, sticks, leaves and chestnuts can be used to create and make toys that are just right for toddlers. fp, 22.10.2010)

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Picture: Dickimatz