sfenvironment.org

Children's Products

Overview
Legislation
Public Awareness
Learn About Phthalates

It's a horrible fact: some manufacturers are using toxic chemicals to produce toys and other products that children play with and put in their mouths. Manufacturers add a class of chemicals called "phthalates" to toys made with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic (marked # 3) such as rubber duckies, teething rings, and bath toys to make them soft and flexible. But phthalates have unintended consequences: studies have proven that phthalates cause premature birth and reproductive harm, such as sperm damage and reduced testosterone.

In partnership with California State officials, we've tested dozens of toys to find out whether they contain phthalates:

• Please see our quick list of Tested Toys to find out if a toy contains phthalates (Recommended for Parents and Consumers)
• Please see our in-depth Tested Toys list for testing specifics such as phthalates type and amount found (Recommended for Retailers, Manufacturers, and Government Officials)

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Legislation

Governments have begun to legislate the removal of phthalates from toys in order to reduce children's exposure to phthalates. In 2005, the European Union (EU) banned six phthalates from children's products after conducting extensive risk assessments. The City and County of San Francisco adopted the Healthy Products, Healthy Children Ordinance (link) in 2007 and it banned the sale, manufacture, and distribution of children's products that contained the six phthalates. San Francisco's ordinance was suspended when a similar ban (AB 1108) was passed by the state of California later that year. Inspired by California's leadership, in July 2008, Congress approved a nationwide ban on phthalates in children's products. The Federal ban came into effect February 10, 2009 and all toys made with phthalates ostensibly came off store shelves.

• San Francisco's Healthy Product, Healthy Children Ordinance
• Suspension of Sections 34.4 and 34.6 of the Healthy Products, Healthy Children Ordinance
• California's phthalate ban: Assembly Bill No. 1108
• Senator Feinstein's press release on nation-wide phthalate ban
• Bill passed by U.S. Senate, July 2008

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Public Awareness

Retailers in San Francisco that sell products that can be placed in a child's mouth must comply with the Federal phthalate ban. In an effort to help local retailers and parents choose products, San Francisco has started to test toys for phthalate content. The testing is being conducted in partnership with the California Department of Toxics Substances Control (DTSC) and will help promote enforcement of State and Federal law.

We encourage parents, retailers, manufacturers and policy makers to take action to keep products containing phthalates out of stores and away from the reach of our children.

Learn About Phthalates

• Breast Cancer Fund website on phthalates - Organization that identifies and advocates for the elimination of environmental causes of breast cancer.
• Frequently Asked Questions about Phthalates - FAQ for a general audience from the Breast Cancer Fund
• Washington Toxics Coalition on phthalates - Non-profit organization whose mission is to protect the environment and public health by eliminating toxic pollution.

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Search for toys that have been tested:

• Healthy Toys Website - Consumer guide and searchable database that contains the results of more than 1,200 toys tested for several chemicals of concern, such as lead, Cadmium and Arsenic.
• Toxic Toy Testing Results - Consumers - SF Environment's growing list of toys we've tested for phthalate content.
• Toxic Toy Testing Results - Retailers, Manufacturers, Government Officials - A more detailed version of SF Environment's list that includes legislative distinctions.
• Not So Squeaky Clean: A Study of Phthalates in Toys - Report from the Washington Toxics Coalition that summarizes phthalate content toy testing results.
• 2003 Toy Report Card by Greenpeace - Greenpeace's grading of different manufacturers and their efforts to phase the use of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in their products.

Take Action:

• Toxic Free Legacy Coalition website on phthalates - Alliance of organizations focused on the elimination of persistent toxic chemicals in the environment.

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State of Evidence & Testing Protocols

Several scientific reviews have been completed nationally and internationally to identify the risks associated with phthalate exposure. The following technical reports provide striking evidence about the dangers of phthalates.

• National Toxicology program expert panel review on phthalates
• European Union Risk Assessment Report Benzyl Butyl Phthalate
• European Union Risk Assessment Report Dibutyl Phthalate
• European Union Risk Assessment Report 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, di-C9-11-branched alkyl esters, C10-rich and di-"isodecyl" phthalate (DIDP)"
• European Union Risk Assessment Report 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, di-C8-10-branched alkyl esters, C9-rich and di-"isononyl" phthalate (DINP)"
• Appendix A Migration of DINP from PVC Children's Products

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Testing protocols have been developed by various governmental and non-governmental organizations to measure the quantities of phthalates extracted from plastic toys. The protocols are located below:

• Quick Guide to Testing Protocols - Document created by SF Environment that summarizes the technical details of three phthalate testing protocols.
• Canadian Testing Protocol: Test Methods Section - Method C-34. Determination of Phthalates in Polyvinyl Chloride Consumer Products
• Greenpeace Testing Protocol Concentrations of Phthalate Esters and Identification of Other Additives in PVC Children's Toys
• Testing Protocol from the National Environmental Institute of Denmark
• Consumer Product Safety Commission Standard Operating Procedure for Determination of Phthalates
• Migration of phthalates from plastic products to model solutions - Study of phthalate leaching rates in different solutions.

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