Toys that can potentially pose a hazard to children can still be found on shelves in toy stores statewide—including some areas in Queens, according to a recent survey released by the New York Public Interest Research Group.
The survey, called Trouble in Toyland—released last week—showed that a number of toys tested positive for lead and phthalates, both which can be harmful to young children. Other toys posed hazards such as noise damage to ears and potential choking hazards.
None such toys were listed as being found in any retail stores in the southern and western sections of Queens, NYPIRG officials told The Forum. However, at least 10 of the toys listed as potentially hazardous could be found in 7 different retailers in other Queens neighborhoods such as Little Neck, Long Island City, Fresh Meadows, College Point, Flushing and Jamaica.
Toys found in the Queens shop included the Whirly Wheel, manufactured by LL, which contains 3,700 milligrams of lead—more than 12 times higher than the federally allowable level of lead allowed in toys. Others include a Tinkerbell watch, made by Disney Fairies, which contains 91 milligrams of lead, which is higher than the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended lead limit of 40 parts per million, and HABA fruit in a bag, small plastic fruits which are a potential choking hazard.
Some toys listed in the survey exceeded allowable levels of phthalates, which are chemicals used in manufacturing plastics. Other toys exceed the current limits of lead, which is 300 parts per million, the report stated.
Meghan Ahearn, program director at NYPIRG, said that investigators from the nonprofit visited over 100 stores statewide between September and October, including over a dozen in Queens.
However, Ahearn added, “the survey and report do not cover every store in Queens, and is meant to be only a sampling.”
The survey on hazardous toys is the nonprofit’s 26th such listing, which provides examples of potentially dangerous toys being sold in retail stores around the state. It also focuses on safety guidelines for purchasing toys for small children.
The report can be found on NYPRIG’s website via: www.nypirg.com/pubs/consumer/2011.11_NYPIRGToySafety.pdf.
By Jean-Paul Salamanca
jp.salamanca@theforumnewsgroup.com
