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good or bad? Choose a safe one

Soluble lead- 90mg. Cadmium- 75 mg. Mercury- 60 mg - these are the permissible levels of chemicals in per kg of a toy.

They should be smooth, come in bright colours and should be lightweight. Toys are fun, magical and the delight of children. But, are they toxic-free? "No," says B. Krishna, business manager of Bubbly, 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. "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.

"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.

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