Cadmium in Children's Products
Lead, cadmium, and phthalates should not be allowed in
children’s products due to their potential for serious health impacts on kids and here’s why.
Chemicals Don’t Always Stay in the Products
Toys and other children’s products can contain a variety of chemicals of concern, especially as the chemicals are not always chemically bound to the products. When children put these products into their mouths, some of these chemicals may enter their bodies through contact with saliva. Some chemicals may also be released directly into the air and house dust that children breathe.
Children Are The Most Vulnerable and Laws Don’t Adequately Protect Them
Because children’s bodies are growing and developing, they are more vulnerable to the effects of toxic chemicals
than adults. Even small amounts of a chemical can impact a child’s ability to reach his or her full potential.
Safety regulations for today’s toys and other products designed for kids inadequately addresses the presence
of chemicals linked to harmful health and developmental impacts for children.
The Washington Legislature should pass the Children's Safe Products Act of 2008!
Learn about the Children's Safe Products Act >
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About the Children's Safe Products Act
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Fact Sheets on the Children's Safe Products Act
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"What's in the Toy Box?" fact sheet
"Rx for Prevention: Children's Products" fact sheet
Developmental Impacts of Chemical Exposures
Cadmium
Like lead, cadmium is a heavy metal that is found in a variety of children’s products. It is used as a stabilizer in PVC/vinyl products and in coatings and pigments used in plastics and paint.
Children’s Health Concerns:
• Cadmium is associated with developmental deficiencies, including delayed
sensory-motor development, hormonal effects, and altered behavior.
• Cadmium is a known carcinogen, associated with lung and prostate cancer, and exposure may also result in bone loss and increased blood pressure.
Lack of regulation:
There are no restrictions on the amount of cadmium used in children’s products in the US. The European Union restricts cadmium in plastic products, including PVC, and in electronic products including electronic toys. Washington and eighteen other states limit cadmium in packaging materials, such as shopping bags and product wrappings, but these restrictions
do not yet apply to the products inside the packaging.
References
ATSDR (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry). 1999. Toxicological Profile for Cadmium. CAS #7440-43-9.
European Union 2003. Directive 2002/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 January 2003 on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment Official Journal L 037, 13/02/2003 P. 0019 - 0023.
Gilbert S. 2004. A Small Dose of Toxicology: The Health Effects of Common Chemicals. CRC Press, New York.
Huff, J. et al. 2007. Cadmium-induced Cancers in Animals and in Humans.
International Journal of Occupational Environmental Health 13:202–212.
Schantz S, Widholm J. 2001. Cognitive Effects of Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals in Animals. Environmental Health Perspectives 109(12):1197-1206.
Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse (TPCH). 2007. An Assessment of Heavy Metals in Packaging: Screening Results Using a Portable X-Ray Fluorescence Analyzer. Available at http://www.toxicsinpackaging.org/adobe/TPCH_Final_Report_June_2007.pdf. Accessed October 30, 2007.
Resources
Download our Lead, Cadmium, Phthalates Fact Sheet
Learn more - Download our fact sheets
Read about Toxic Toys in the News
Learn about our Toy Testing and the Healthy Toys Database
