Are Children’s Bath Toys Making Them Sick?

LA Testing provides consumer product testing services for bacteria, mold, chemicals and heavy metals found in some children’s toys.

Garden Grove, CA

Walk into any bathroom used by small children and you will likely see all types of colorful bath toys. These toys help make the bathing experience that much more fun and stimulates their brains.

These colorful toys can also be harboring microbial, chemical or heavy metal risks. Some of these plastic toys may contain phthalates or bisphenol A (BPA). Phthalates are used in many products as fragrance stabilizers and to keep plastics flexible, durable and transparent. The list of phthalate containing products includes vinyl wallpapers and flooring, toys, personal care products and even medical products. Phthalates can be released from the products quite easily, especially as the products age, since there is no covalent bond between the chemicals and the plastics they are mixed with. Exposure to phthalates can be through direct use or indirectly from the chemical leaching into the general environment. BPA is also used in plastics. The chemical is a known endocrine disruptor and low amounts may mimic a person’s own hormones. Just last year the Canadian government classified bisphenol A as a toxic substance.

Some of these toys can also become breeding grounds for mold and bacteria. This is especially true of plastic bath toys that allow water to enter their hollow core, such as squeeze toys. As the microbial soup grows in the toy it can quickly spread throughout the tub once the toy is squeezed and the contaminated water is expelled.

Some other children’s bathtub toys have been found to contain small amount of lead or mercury. These heavy metals are difficult for the body to eliminate and can accumulate in the body, reaching dangerous concentrations over time.

LA Testing, an affiliate of EMSL Analytical, is a leading provider of consumer product testing services. “Parents really need to be on the lookout for toys that can be harmful to their children,” reported Ben Sublasky, National Director of Client Services for LA Testing and EMSL Analytical. “So many children’s toys are now made overseas where regulations, and enforcement of regulations, may not be as strict as here in the U.S. LA Testing can help consumers, manufacturers, retailers and importers ensure children’s products do not contain dangerous materials.”

To learn more about consumer product testing services please visit www.LATesting.com, email info@LATesting.com or call (800) 755-1794.

About LA Testing and EMSL Analytical, Inc.
LA Testing and EMSL Analytical are providers of environmental testing services and products to professionals and the general public. The companies have an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations as well as state and federal regulating bodies.

Contact Information

Ben Sublasky

National Director of Clients Services/Operations Manager

EMSL Analytical, Inc.

Contact via E-mail