Phthalate Plasticizers and Safety of Toys - Problems and Perspectives

A number of reports published worldwide create awareness on the harms of global usage of phthalates in various products. The concern towards potential exposure of consumers to phthalates through many sources and different routes of administration is increasing day by day. Evidences of phthalates in toys and phthalate metabolites in the urine of children are becoming common. Children under 3 years are more sensitive as compared to general population towards this problem due to their additional intake of plasticizers by chewing toys. Phthalates are found to cause allergy, asthma and affecting kidney, liver and endocrine system, especially at a young age. As phthalates bear the property to soften the hard plastic material, soft toys possess their higher content in comparison to hard toys. Their usage is restricted in EU, United States and Canada and several other countries mainly in toys suspected to be kept in mouth. Phthalates basically included in the banned for toys category are DEHP, DBP, BBP, DNOP, DIDP and DINP. Usage of less than 0.1% phthalates has been allowed for plastic toys and directives are given to producers to label the age of children who may use the toys and specify its hazards. Parents are suggested to control these labels before buying the phthalate plasticizers based products.