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CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS - WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?

Did you know that vinyl lunch boxes -- the soft shiny plastic kind your child may use for school -- could possibly contain lead? Decades after it has been banned from gasoline and paint, lead still makes its way into many children's products such as jewelry and footwear.

But, it's not just lead and it's not just China. Each day, Michigan residents are exposed to a wide variety of toxic chemicals through the food we eat, air we breathe, water we drink, and products we use in our homes.

Of the approximately 80,000 chemical compounds in commercial use today in the United States, less than half have had a full battery of tests for human health impacts. Only a small percent of those chemicals tested have been adequately tested to a broad range of impacts, including damage to the nervous system. Despite solid evidence that some commonly-used chemicals are toxic, manufacturers continue to use them.

This presents a public health concern because many of the most common environmental toxins may be causing unsafe exposures in our homes, workplaces, schools, and neighborhoods - especially for young children. Rates are increasing of developmental disabilities and other serious pediatric illnesses, many of which have been linked to chemical exposures.

Because the federal government has failed to act, Michigan and other states must step up to protect children's health.

The Michigan Network for Children's Environmental Health works with physicians, nurses, public health professionals, health-affected groups, environmentalists, community activists, and elected officials for better environmental health protection under the law, safer products and manufacturing, and chemical policy reform.

The Michigan Network shares the goal of environmental health activists who are moving beyond chemical-by-chemical battles toward comprehensive reform of chemicals regulation. This is the only way that children's health can truly be protected.

For more information on the lack of government regulation of toxins, please see the following reports:

"Chemical Regulation: Options Exist to Improve EPA's Ability to Assess Health Risks and Manage Its Chemical Review Program," U.S. General Accountability Office, June 13, 2005. http://www.gao.gov/docsearch/abstract.php?rptno=GAO-05-458

"Green Chemistry in California: A Framework for Leadership in Chemicals Policy and Innovation," California Policy Research Center, 2006.
http://coeh.berkeley.edu/news/06_wilson_policy.htm

For more information on the impacts of toxic chemicals on children's health, please see:

Collected resources on children's environmental health at: http://www.mnceh.org/resources.out.php

MICHIGAN HOUSE MOVES TO PROTECT CHILDREN FROM LEAD POISONING

In late June 2007, the Michigan House of Representatives took an important step in protecting the state's children from lead in products made for children when it passed, with nearly unanimous support, four lead-related bills. Three of the bills address lead in children's products, while the fourth bill (HB 4936) would continue the state's childhood lead poisoning prevention and control commission. The bills are now before the Michigan Senate.

The three children's products bills, particularly SB 174, have the potential to pave the way for broader legislation to protect children from toxins other than lead and to protect children from toxins in a broader range of common products in homes and schools.

• HB 4132 would prohibit lead above 600 ppm in children's jewelry.

• HB 4399 would prohibit the sale of lunch boxes containing a lead-bearing substance above 600 ppm.

• SB 174 regulates the amounts of lead that can be present in children's toys and child-care articles. The bill is groundbreaking because it establishes a new part in the state's Public Health Code entitled, "Toxic Substances in Children's Products," and could create a "legal home" for future legislation addressing other chemicals in a broader range of children's products. This bill is a companion to HB 4240 passed by the House.

Michigan is the 6th worst state for childhood lead poisoning and each case of childhood lead poisoning is estimated to cost the state at least $45,000 in medical, special education and other required services. Lead is extremely toxic, especially to young children, and there is no safe level of exposure. Long-term exposure to even small amounts can cause brain damage, kidney damage, hearing impairment, and learning and behavioral problems in children.

ACTION ALERT

Ask your Representative to protect children from toxic chemicals!

SEND A MESSAGE TO YOUR MICHIGAN REPRESENTATIVE!

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON LEAD IN CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS AND PRODUCT RECALLS:

Federal Agency Resources:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
Lead in Toy Jewelry: Questions and Answers

US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC):
Consumer Product Recalls: Lead Hazards

Children's Products Recalls (for all reasons)

Children's Toys Recalls (for all reasons)

All Products "Recalls and Product Safety News"

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):
U.S. EPA Lead fact sheet - for basic information on lead exposure.

U.S. EPA National Lead Information Center

U.S. EPA on Lead in Toy Jewelry

State Resources:

Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH)

Questions and Answers on Lead in Children's Toys and Jewelry, from the Oregon Department of Human Services.

National Nonprofit Resources:

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP):
In light of the recent recalls of millions of toys, the American Academy of Pediatrics has resources on toy safety and lead poisoning to help keep your kids safe.

Frequently Asked Questions (pdf)
Regarding the recent Consumer Product Safety Commission recalls of children's toys due to excessive lead.

List of Recalled Toys
A comprehensive list of toys recalled by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

AAP Policy Statement
Lead Exposure in Children: Prevention, Detection, and Management

Other Resources for Recalled Toys:

CDC Lead-Specific Recall List
A list of toys recalled specifically for lead-content, compiled by CDC's National Center for Environmental Health.

Lead-Based CPSC Product Recalls
A list maintained by the Oregon State "Lead Poisoning Prevention Program." Includes product images and additional information.

Holiday Safety Tips

Parenting Corner - Q+A: Toy Safety

Toy Safety - Part 1 (pdf)
Guidelines for Parents; How Children Are Injured; Tips for Buying Toys

Toy Safety - Part 2 (pdf)
Age-Appropriate Toys and Toys to Avoid; Newborn to 14 Years Old

Lead Screening for Children (pdf)
How can lead hurt my child? Where can lead be found? Prevention - what you can do

Other Resources and Agencies:

Learning Disabilities Association of Michigan (LDA):
The LDA of Michigan's Healthy Children Project, with help from Clean Water Fund and the Ecology Center, released:

Clean and Green: Your Healthy Home and Family - A Guide to Avoiding Exposure to Toxic Chemicals in Your Home (pdf)

Center for Environmental Health (CEH):
This site provides the latest news and background information on Lead in Children's Lunchboxes.

CEH also provides a list of companies that have agreed to phase out Lead in Children's Jewelry.

Center for Health, Environmental and Justice:
In response to the toxic lifecycle of PVC, a growing list of companies have committed to phase out PVC and switch to safe and healthy products. Companies that have developed PVC phase-out policies are listed here: Company PVC Policies.

An Interview with Lynn Goldman, MD, MPH:
Dr. Goldman is a pediatrician and professor in Environmental Health Sciences at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. An interview was conducted regarding the potential risk to children from lead exposure.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is based on weekly reports to CDC by state health departments. The following reports address two situations involving lead poisoning caused by ingesting toy jewelry:

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
ATSDR is an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services and provides answers to lead-related questions at ToxFAQs™: Chemical Agent Briefing Sheets.

Information on Lead Testing:

Ecology Center
Ecology Center has put together fact sheets on the X-Ray Fluorescence analyzer (XRF) and on the primary chemicals of concern that the XRF can detect. The XRF measure the elemental composition of materials.

PRO-LAB® Lead Testing Products
Pro-Lab's Professional lead test kit for all surfaces contains six instant test strips.