Got Lead?

Posted on July 10, 2007
by Maureen Keene

Many toys and other children’s products made in China have been recalled due to lead contamination, but it’s beloved Thomas & Friends trains that have gotten parents’ attention. The manufacturer, RC2, located in Oak Brook, IL is recalling 1.5 million Thomas & Friends trains because they are covered in lead based paint. If you look at the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s website for recalls you see the word “lead” a multitude of times, especially for children’s jewelry. The latest recall in this category is Essentials for Kids Jewelry Sets manufactured by Future Industries of Cliffwood Beach, NJ, but made in China.

The problem of lead in toys and other children’s products that are imported from China is rampant. This is particularly disturbing not only for the obvious reason that it can result in death from lead poisoning if ingested, as in the case of 4-year old Jarnell Brown of Minnesota last year, but also due to the fact that exposure, even at low levels, can cause brain damage, including developmental delays, learning difficulties, behavior problems and hearing loss. Despite these dangers, we keep importing children’s products containing lead from China, some of which are recalled, but you have to wonder, how many are not? And it’s not just rogue manufacturers who are responsible. The Chinese government’s official stance appears to be pro-lead. According to USA Today:

The Chinese government said in comments to the CPSC that it’s not necessary to limit the lead content to the proposed 0.06% by weight because much of the lead wouldn’t seep out of jewelry so would “do little harm for children.” China’s comments are the only ones opposing the CPSC proposal.

Why do we continue to freely import products for our children from a country with so little regard for their safety? And why are U.S. manufacturers like RC2 allowed to get away with producing substandard goods in China??

There are some significant holes in the safety system designed to keep dangerous toys out of the hands of children:

Toy recalls in the U.S. are voluntary. The Consumer Product Safety Commission does not have the authority to order a mandatory recall of a deadly or dangerous toy (without a lengthy court process). Instead, the CPSC must “negotiate” a joint recall with the manufacturer. (And it’s all the more difficult when companies do not fully disclose the extent of the problem and allow dangerous toys to stay on the market, as RC2 has done, or worse, change labeling and intentionally put deadly toys back into stores as Mega Brands has with their Magnetix kits.)
The CPSC does not have the authority to require U.S. companies to inspect their overseas factories. (Sen. Chuck Schumer is trying to change this.)
Toy manufacturers do safety testing voluntarily. There are no legal mandates for testing. There is no oversight. Safety testing is done (or not done) completely at the discretion of the manufacturer.

The Chicago Tribune has done some excellent investigative reporting on hazardous toys and in one article Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan had the following to say about the CPSC:

“What we have found is that it is a disaster,” Madigan said. “The entire process designed to protect our children from unsafe products is a disaster. The Consumer Product Safety Commission is understaffed and underfunded and uninterested. They don’t do any testing. As a parent, what are we supposed to do, become amateur scientists?”

Tell your representatives in Congress that the Consumer Products Safety Commission should be expanded, properly funded and authorized to order mandatory recalls of dangerous toys. Duh.

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