The “toxic toys” was coined to refer a group of toys that have been found to contain high levels of poisonous chemicals. In 2007, millions of toys made in China were recalled from multiple countries due to safety hazards including lead paint and/or violation of lead safety standards. The dangers of lead poisoning are very real. Most harmful to children ages six and younger, lead poisoning can cause irreversible neurological damage, intelligence loss, attention disorders, and behavioral and other developmental problems.

The Effect of Lead Poisoning

Children are especially vulnerable to lead poisoning because their central nervous systems are not yet fully developed. Lead can enter easily enter in their body because lead ions are similar in charge and size as those of iron, zinc and calcium ions. When these ions are replaced by lead in certain enzymes, activities like growth and behavior regulation are affected. Calcium plays a very important function in the body, aside for the proper development of bones, calcium serves as vehicles used by the brain to send signals throughout the body. If this function is interrupted, this can cause major neurological defects, including central nervous system disorders like wrist drop, learning disabilities, and speech and language defects.

Too much lead can also interrupt the normal function of vital organs such as kidney, brain and bones. It can cause excessive production of some proteins whose role is to bind specifically to other molecules. This causes harm to bones and teeth production, learning disabilities and reduced mental capacity, even renal failure.

How Are Children Exposed to Lead Poisoning?

Routes of exposure to lead include contaminated air, water, soil, food, and consumer products. One of the largest threats to children is lead paint that exists in many homes and toxic toys. Children may also be exposed to lead contained in children’s products. While accessible lead in consumer products has been banned, discoveries of both accessible lead and lead paint in or on children’s toys and clothing have prompted millions of unit recalls.

According to Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 250,000 U.S. children aged 1-5 years have blood lead levels greater than 10 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood, the level at which CDC recommends public health actions be initiated. Lead poisoning can affect nearly every system in the body.

Prevention From Toxic Toys

When buying toys for your children look for toy certification, it is usually on the label. The toy should have a little note about the manufacturing country. It will also say “tested by” a government or another agency. Make sure this exists on the label or box of the toy. It will verify that it has been tested for harmful effects of dangerous chemicals.

Research the toy before purchasing it. Healthy Stuff is a database listing over 1,000 toys. The site tests and grades toys, and reports on the chemical amounts for each one. There’s nothing more important the being aware and educated. The best thing you can do to avoid lead poisoning is by preventing it.