Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Children's Toys Can Be Toxic
Four general concerns with children's toys are:
- Plastic and other offgassing.
Gravitate to non-plastic toys as much as possible. Keep plastic toys out of the bedroom. Improve ventilation in rooms with plastic toys. Books off-gas, too, so store them out of the bedroom. Make the bedroom a simple, healthy room, easy to keep clean. - Potential for lead exposure
Lead paint can be found on some brightly colored painted toys and on embossed mugs and drinking glasses. Some antique toys, such as metal soldiers, may be made of lead. An easy do-it-yourself test kit is available from www.leadcheck.com. - Dust mites and bacteria
When purchasing stuffed animals, opt for washable ones. - Electromagnetic fields
Some electrical toys - such as some hockey games - have motors that give off elevated magnetic fields. A gaussmeter is a good investment for every household, in order to screen electric devices and ambient levels of magnetic fields. Two low-end suggestions are the Cell Sensor and the Dr. Gauss gaussmeters to measure AC magnetic fields. ("AC" stands for "alternating current," such as household current.) These gaussmeters cost about $50. Do an internet search, or check out www.lessemf.com.
A study was conducted some years back comparing about 25 electrical devices that children might commonly use (hair dryers, stereos, electronic games, computers, etc.) and risk for cancer. With EACH of the devices, a positive correlation was found with cancer incidence. The take-home lesson is to take reasonable caution in reducing exposures. For example, upgrade an older computer monitor to the flat panel type.
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]