Toys containing hundreds times legal limit of restricted chemicals found on sale in Greater Manchester

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

A toy bow and arrow and a doll containing hundreds of times the legal limit of restricted chemicals have been found for sale on Greater Manchester's high streets, Trading Standards has warned.

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) said that the bow and arrow containing 100 times the legal limit of phthalates, and a fashion doll set found to contain 300 times the limit were “the tip of the iceberg”, as inspectors toured Salford.

Phthalates are plastic-softening chemicals that are used to make plastic more durable. Their use is tightly restricted across Europe and toy products must contain no more than 0.1 per cent.

Restricted phthalates are carcinogenic and can cause reproductive problems as well as having long-term adverse effects on child growth and neurodevelopment. Join our WhatsApp Top Stories and Breaking News group by clicking this link Pregnant women and young children are considered to be the most vulnerable groups to the effects of phthalates, exacerbated by young children being likely to put toys in their mouths.