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Photo: S. Siva Saravanan

Playthings Choose a safe one

Toys are fun, magical and the delight of children. But, are they toxic-free? “No,” says B. Krishna, business manager of Bubbly ( www.merabubbly.com), which markets imported toys from Italy. “There is a universal ban on Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) toys, but we still have them, mostly from China, flooding the market,” he says.

The harmful chemical phthalate used to mould PVC toys, leach when the child puts them in its mouth. This can lead to long-term health problems.

A recent study by Toxics Links ( www.toxicslink.org) in Delhi, an NGO that works for environment justice and freedom from toxins, found that in a total of 111 non-branded toy samples, purchased randomly from three metropolitan cities of Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai, there were disturbing quantities of PVC, lead and cadmium in them.

“Chemical exposure to children from toys is an emerging concern. Metals in materials and paints are loosely bound to the surface and can leach easily. The Government should step in and regulate the toxic contents and label toys based on this,” says Dr. Abhay Kumar, senior programme officer of Toxics Link.

Toys may also inflict accidental injuries to children. Sharp edges of toys or their electrical, mechanical or flammable characteristics may cause accidents.

And, that is the reason the European standard EN71 demands testing of toys in four categories.

“An EN71 certified toy with a CE (European Conformity) mark and with address of manufacturer or importer, or a branded toy is considered safe, irrespective of their place of origin. The problem is a large number of Chinese toys come with the CE mark but without any address, so the safety is at stake,” Krishna explains.

The first category, the mechanical and physical properties, looks for product design, the material used and other safety tests, like sharp edges, small parts, etc.

Then, the permissible levels of heavy metals and other toxic components are tested. “In soft toys, the coloured fur which contains soluble lead, the printing ink used on labels and the cartons are subjected to tests,” Krishna says.

Ignitability and flammability tests how easily the toy can be set alight, and the electrical properties test looks for shock-proof body for toys operated by batteries, etc.

“Child safety is of paramount importance,” says Prajod Rajan, Vice-President of Euro Kids, a chain of 475 pre-schools across the country.

“Lead and paint cadmium are detrimental to the development of the child. We follow a standard and the equipment, toys and teaching aids are centrally sourced. The outdoor equipment are imported from ‘Little Tikes’ which conform to safety standards set by the U.S and the EU. We procure wooden toys from suppliers in India. These include puppets, charts, flash cards,” he adds.

At Nikita Kidz World, a pre-school, wood is the word. “Plastic toys are completely banned,” says B. Ananda Kumar, CEO. “Cloth puppets are safe, so we use them a lot. And, we ensure that the imported outdoor toys carry the CE mark,” he adds.

During parent-teacher meetings, the pre-schools educate parents about the toxic contents in toys.

“Parents took notice of safety aspects in toys only when the re-call of metal toys in some parts of the world was publicised in the media. But, more awareness is required,” Prajod says.

He adds, toy manufacture in India is unorganised and more than 85 per cent of toys here come from that sector. “That is the reason we are forced to look at imports. A check mechanism and regulatory process to ensure that toys used by children are safe on their hands and on the environment is important,” he insists.

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