Following four years of investigation by the Chronic Hazard Advisory Panel (CHAP), appointed by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the CPSC has released a long-awaited report detailing the potential health effects of phthalates and phthalate alternatives in toys and child care articles. Phthalates are substances used to make certain plastics soft and pliable, and there exist federal restrictions on the presence of phthalates in toys and certain children’s products.
Under the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008, there are currently permanent bans on three types of phthalates—DEHP, DBP and BBP—in toys and certain child care articles, and interim bans on three additional phthalates—DINP, DIDP and DnOP—in mouth-able components of these products.
The CHAP report recommends lifting the interim bans on DnOP and DIDP, which are not typically used in toys and children’s products, and permanently banning DINP. It also recommends that four additional phthalates—DIBP, DPenP, DHexP and DCHP—be permanently banned from use in children’s toys and child care articles at levels greater than 0.1 percent.
The full report is available on the CPSC website, and the Toy Industry Association (TIA) invites all questions regarding its initial review to be directed to Al Kaufman, TIA senior vice president of technical affairs, at (646) 520-4868.
