The Environmental Working Group Action Fund has requested a ban on asbestos in consumer products after test results revealed that crayons, as well as other toys, had come back positive for asbestos.
Traces of the carcinogen were found in children’s crayons and toy crime lab kits confirmed by a private lab hired by the EWG Action Fund, an advocacy group, according to CNN.
The microscopic asbestos fibers breathed into the lungs has been linked to mesothelioma, lung disease and lung cancer. The exposure to asbestos happens as soon as the asbestos-containing material is released and the particles become airborne.
“Parents do need to be concerned about particular brands of products where asbestos was identified,” said Dr. Jerry Paulson, the former chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Council on Environmental Health.
The crayons and toys that contained asbestos were made in China, then later imported to the United States. So far the list of affected crayon boxes has included Amscan Crayons purchased by Party City as well as Disney Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Crayons and others purchased at Dollar Tree.
The Edu Science Deluxe Forensics toy Lab Kit purchased by ToysRUs.com and the white fingerprint powder from the Intelligence Secret Spy kit purchased by Amazon.com also were found to have traces of asbestos after testing.
At this time, there is only a high concern about the powder from the crime lab kits, said Paulson.
“Powders make this material much more available to the lung, where asbestos does its damage,” Paulson said.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission “takes the issue raised in the EWG report seriously, and CPSC staff is going to follow up in regards to the product that the EWG identified in their report,” Scott Wolfson, communications director for the CPSC stated.
“Child safety is of the utmost importance to CPSC, and we have looked into the issue of asbestos in crayons and possibly being in fingerprint kits in the past. The agency has advised manufacturers in the past to not use any chemicals or any materials that could put a child’s health at risk. And we will once again look at the products that have been identified in this new report.”
According to the EWG Action Fund, this is not the first time that kids’ products have tested positive for asbestos. The study that showed the recent traces of asbestos in the products was a follow-up to an earlier investigation
At this time, Congress has not passed any laws pertaining to asbestos in children’s products like they have with lead. Even though there was a ban on most asbestos-containing products in 1989, the regulation was overturned just two years later.
Currently, if a product does contain asbestos, the regulation only requires it to be labeled, which most experts agree is not a tough enough standard for health.
