Samples of brightly colored wooden toys bought from vendors in Divisoria appear to be safe for children to play with as these do not seem to contain lead, according to a toxics watch group. LYN RILLON
MANILA, Philippines–How’s this for a nice change?
It’s possible to have lead-free toys, toxics watch group EcoWaste Coalition said on Sunday after it found 25 wooden toys that do not appear to contain the brain-damaging chemical.
“All 25 samples of colorful wooden toys that we examined were compliant with the government’s policy outlawing lead in the making of toys,” said Thony Dizon, coordinator of the group’s “Project Protect.”
EcoWaste routinely screens toys, children’s wear and other popular items sold in shopping areas frequented by bargain seekers and warns against their harmful ingredients.
Dizon was referring to a chemical control order issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in December 2013 that strictly prohibits the use of lead in the manufacturing of toys.
“It’s a concrete indicator that toys can be livened up with lead-safe coatings that pose no hazards to an innocent child,” he said.
The toys in the latest round of test buys were bought between July 11 and 18 from vendors in Divisoria and various malls in Manila.
The samples, with prices ranging from P16 to P449.75, included wooden blocks showing the alphabet and numbers; animal, flower and shapes jigsaw puzzles; pet animal figures; musical instruments and other toys painted in different colors.
Using a portable X-Ray Fluorescence device, EcoWaste found out that the surface coatings of the 25 wooden toys did not contain detectable levels of lead. One of the 10 chemicals of major public health concern worldwide, lead can permanently damage the brain and central nervous system.