Very much on track, there has been a report released by an organization, HealthyToys.org. They've tested a lot of popular toys from most of the major toy manufacturers like Fisher-Price, Mattel, Hasbro, International Playthings, LEGO etc. I was very surprised when I ran through the list of more than 1500 toys and I must admit that I did not expect what I read. Many of my favorite toys had a "Medium" level of contamination and some even had a "High" level, which was a real shocker.
The various chemicals tested for include lead, bromine, chlorine/pvc, cadmium, arsenic and mercury among others. These are all dangerous chemicals we need to worry about. HealthyToys.org has done an excellent job by testing each component of the toy and reporting the chemicals found in various parts of the toy. This helps in giving us a complete picture of where exactly the problem lies.
Some of the toys which stood out because of their "High" level of contamination were Hasbro's Mr. Potato Head Celebration Spud which had high levels of chlorine/PVC and bromine, the Hot Wheels Speed Racer Remote Control Mach 5 with high bromine levels, Little Tikes' Bath Letters & Numbers with high levels of mercury and Alex's Best Friend Bands with high levels of arsenic. Some of the relatively safer toys include Melissa and Doug, selected Lego sets, selected Calico Critters playsets, selected PLAN toy products and selected HABA products.
I can't begin to stress how important it is for proper control to be imposed on toy manufacturers importing products into the country. These toxic toys should not be allowed to come into our stores and pose a danger to our children.