Shades of 2007, as lead-contaminated toys have been discovered by a California advocacy group. To make matters worse, the lead was found in two children's favorites: Barbie and Disney toys.
The Center for Environmental Health tested about 250 children's products purchased at major retailers and found lead levels that exceeded federal limits in seven of them. You may recall the 2007 toy recalls, several of which involved Chinese-manufactured toys with lead paint.
The retailers involved include high-profile and high-volume retailers Target and Wal-Mart. They weren't alone, though; other retailers were included in letters sent by California Attorney General Jerry Brown warning that children's goods on their store shelves were found to contain illegal levels of lead and should be pulled immediately.
Among those toys found to have high lead levels: a Barbie Bike Flair Accessory Kit and a Disney Tinkerbell Water Lily necklace. The group said it also found excessive lead in a Dora the Explorer Activity Tote, a boys belt, two pairs of children's shoes, and a kids' poncho.
While obviously 7 out of 250 is not a huge percentage of lead-laden toys, it's unnerving to see such a recurrence after the events of 2007. That year, they were several recalls of lead-laden toys, including several Mattel-related recalls that involved more than 2 million toys.
Additionally, the findings come about a year after a hew product safety law, passed by Congress after the 2007 events. The new law unveiled strict limits on the amounts of lead and chemicals allowed in products made for children 12 years and younger.
Mattel said it licensed the Barbie name to Bell Sports for the Barbie Bike Flair accessory kit, but did not make or sell it itself. Bell meanwhile said the kit was an older product that passed safety tests in 2007, but the company didn't know it was still on shelves.
Disney said the Tinkerbell Water Lily necklace was tested by its licensee, Playmates Toys, before being distributed, and that it complied with all federal and state consumer safety regulations.
The Barbie toy was bought at Tuesday Morning and the Tinkerbell jewelry was purchased at Walgreens. The other products the center said had high lead came from TJ Maxx, Sears, Wal-Mart and Target.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission is looking into the matter. To be fair, it's uncertain the toys were manufactured in China.
California considers lead above 300 ppm to be excessive. Here are the numbers on the toys above:
- Kids Poncho, sold at WalMart, contains 667 ppm of lead.
- MSY Faded Glory Rebecca Shoes, sold at WalMart, contains 1,331 ppm of lead
- Dora the Explorer Activity Tote, sold at TJ Maxx, contains 2,348 ppm of lead
- Paula Fuschia Open-Toes Shoes, sold at Sears, contains 3,957 ppm of lead
- Reversible Croco Belt, sold at Target, contains 4,270 ppm of lead.
- Barbie Bike Flair Accessory Kit, sold at Tuesday Morning, contains 6,196 ppm of lead.
- The Disney Fairies Silvermist's Water Lily Necklace, sold at Walgreens, contains 22,000 ppm of lead.
Written by Michael Santo
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