Consumers Union has completed an extensive 4 month study and found that dishes, toys, jewelry and backpacks that have not yet been recalled all carried "worrisome" levels of lead. The results of this study will be published in the December issue of Consumer Reports magazine.
Some highlights include:
More Recalls Expected
Consumer Reports tests found high total lead levels in three new samples of a red toy blood pressure cuff from classic Fisher-Price Medical Kits purchased in the New York area and three samples from the homes of employees of Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports. Tests indicated the highest concentration of total lead, more than 10,000 parts per million, in a cuff that a child had regularly played with for the past two years.
Other plastic children’s products Consumer Reports tested had high levels of total lead content, although tests indicated that negligible amounts would be accessible to children through touching or mouthing new items. Those products included orange caps from seven Elmer’s Glue Sticks with designs from “Dora the Explorer,” “Go, Diego, Go!” and “SpongeBob SquarePants,” and three Jordan Kids’ backpacks shaped like ducks.
Home Lead-Testing Kits
Consumer Reports recently tested five home lead-testing kits and concluded that three of the five kits tested were useful though limited screening tools for consumers concerned about lead levels in the products in their homes. In Consumer Reports tests, the Homax Lead Check ($8); and the Lead Check Household Lead Test Kit ($18.45) were the easiest to use and identified accessible lead in toys, ceramic dishware, and vinyl or plastic. These two kits consist of cigarette-shaped swabs, made by the same company, that turn pink when they detect lead.
The full report is available from the Consumers Union web site.