Are lead toys made in China for export only?
We’ve been discussing lead in toys over on the boards, and one of the moms raised a question that had been tugging at my brain as well: Do the Chinese factories make toys containing dangerous amounts of lead only for export, sparing their own kids?
Answer: No, not in the least.
First a little background. Roughly 75% of the world’s toys are made in China. A 2005 study estimated that 60% of Chinese-made toys are manufactured with paint with lead at above internationally accepted levels. Why? Lead paint is cheaper, and in an increasingly competitive market, manufacturers are trying to cut corners. Lead paint also apparently is easier to apply and dries better, and offers richer colors than non-lead paint. And sometimes, manufacturers are in the dark and are sold leaded paint in cans that are labeled otherwise.
The larger factories that export their toys and are subject to other nations’ safety guidelines are probably less likely to have lead issues than the small, scattered factories that are more difficult for the Chinese government to regulate.
However, Chinese parents have so much to worry about in terms of environmental contamination that the news of the recent Mattel recall created little buzz.
[I]f Beijing was worried about Chinese children being affected, that was not reflected in state-run media on Friday, which were silent about Mattel’s recall.
And it was business as usual in the toy section of Beijing’s Tianyi department store.
“I do not worry so much, if the toy looks fun for my child, it is okay. My child is already so big, he is not going to put the toy in his mouth,” said a Mrs. Zhang, who was buying toys for her four-year-old son.
Indeed, for many parents, lead competes with many other toxins in the heavily polluted country as a source of anxiety.
“There are just too many things to worry about,” said Li Huijing, mother of a five-year-old girl. “There are some things I just try not to think about. I try to pay more for good toys.”
A 2004 study of Chinese cities found that a full 10.5 % of young residents had blood lead levels of at least 100 micrograms per liter, a level considered unhealthy by the World Health Organization. (To put this problem into some perspective, the in the US, the CDC recommends public health action be initiated when a child tests at 10 micrograms per liter.) The source of the lead poisoning of Chinese children is primarily house paint, lead pipes, old buildings, and, especially, air pollution from the booming manufacturing industry.
Or, as one childhood development specialist put it, the big problem in China is the factories themselves, not what they make.
But if the Mattel recall did not have a large consumer impact in China, it has certainly gotten its share of national press attention in the US, and it has packed a financial punch as well: Mattel reported that the recall will reduce its second quarter operating income by 47%, or $30 million.
And sadly, one of the owners of the Mattel subcontractor that made the tainted toys, who was sold the lead paint by his best friend, hanged himself in his factory warehouse.
Posted by MommaSteph.
August 15th, 2007 at 8:17 am
Why can’t all lead paint be banned? I would pay more knowing with 100% certainty that my kids toys don’t have lead in/on them.
August 15th, 2007 at 10:51 am
I know the CPMC is looking at an all-out ban on lead in kids’ toys and jewelry, and has gotten lots of letters in support, and one letter in protest - from an official with the Chinese government!
August 15th, 2007 at 12:29 pm
It makes me wonder how many toys have slipped through? They say from May till now. How do we know that the ones sold prior were not made with lead.
We have the whole Dora line of stuff. I do not know what to do. Toss it out or keep it? It was purchased earlier in the year and some are hand me downs from several years ago.
August 15th, 2007 at 1:56 pm
Interesting. Thanks for investigating!
August 15th, 2007 at 5:59 pm
“We have the whole Dora line of stuff. I do not know what to do. Toss it out or keep it? It was purchased earlier in the year and some are hand me downs from several years ago.”
Well, you could get lead detecting wipes from your hardware store…but then again (and maybe I’m naive), since Mattel is considered top of the line when it comes to safety in general (which is why these recalls are such big news), maybe I’d trust them that it really is limited to this particular production line.
Also, you might just call their hotline and ask lots of questions and see if they can offer reassurance.
August 15th, 2007 at 8:04 pm
Well, you could get lead detecting wipes from your hardware store…but then again (and maybe I’m naive),
Interesting. I had no idea there was such a thing as lead detecting wipes. I am off to check those out tomorrow. Thanks for the tip. It cannot hurt.
August 16th, 2007 at 3:02 pm
We bought a lead testing set from Michaels today. They were dirt cheap and easy to use, just swipe the tip and see if it changes colors. I got seriously freaked out yesterday when I saw one of my baby’s bibs at ChinaLookout.com and started swiping away. I found one additional Dora figurine from my older daughter that also had lead. Both of them went straight back to Target even though I had no receipts. They took them back without a problem.
August 16th, 2007 at 10:57 pm
Regarding the China toy executive who hanged himself: I read that it is “common practice” for executives of disgraced Chinese companies to commit suicide. Sad, sad. Regarding all the recent problems with Chinese products (toys, toothpaste, pet foods): Write your congressman, and we need to boycott. Including American companies who manufacture in China, like Wal-mart. Next to impossible, especially for income-challenged families like mine, but the less we buy, the more Chinese companies suffer. I’m not into making Chinese (or American) companies suffer needlessly, but unless there is an economic impact, these issues will continue. It’s all about the money.
August 19th, 2007 at 9:40 am
[…] to hear from your child: “What’s a porno?” A fantstic idea. Are you crafty at all? Go help. And this just makes the recalls that much […]
September 7th, 2007 at 5:49 am
Does anyone else think it may be time to boycot any products from China, with thing such as toys, toothpaste, dog food and so on poisoned with high levels of lead.
I may be parnoid but with the way we are looked at as decadant consumers, is a whole generation being targeted with a leathal weapon. A generation with lead posioning will b unable to run and defend a country.