Do you have information about the safety of lead in children's toys?

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QUESTION: Do you have information about the safety of lead in children's toys? 01 Oct 2007 NSW, Australia

On tonight's channel 7 news 1/10/2007 there was a story about lead in toys and I am querying this as I have bought a "World 4 Kids Hammer Peg Set" that was shown on the story. Do you have information about the safety of this toy?

Thanking you
Rachel‍

ANSWER: 23 Jun 2009

Dear Rachel,

Unfortunately, many children's toys that are on the market do have a high lead content and we have tested some of them ourselves here using an Xray machine called the XRF niton analyser, designed to detect heavy metals, and found very high contents.

The good news though is that The Consumer Affairs Minister of Australia Chris Bowen, Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs. 3 December 2007 - 8 June 2009, declared a new safety standard that limits lead and heavy metals in children's toys. The new standard will take effect January 1, 2010, and will replace the current temporary Trade Practices Act ban on lead in toys that was implemented in September 2007.

You can read more about it here: New Safety Standard Limits Lead and Heavy Metals in Toys

Also see: lead poisoning hazard consumer product recalls

Regards, Iman Hegazi MBBS, MD. Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Volunteer