Chinese toys contain high levels of cadmium and lead: Minister

New Delhi, Aug 31 (UNI) Studies on quality of Chinese toys from Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai have revealed the presence of high levels of cadmium and lead in the PVC used in these toys, Rajya Sabha was informed today.

Answering Mr Shatrughan Sinha's question, Minister of State for Health Panabaka Lakshmi in her written reply said the Indian Council of Medical Research had reported that an NGO named Toxic Link had conducted a study on these toys in 2006 in the above mentioned cities and most of these toys were imported from China.

Lead is known as neuro hematological toxin that can result in delayed development and lower IQ in children, while cadmimum is a heavy metal that can affect the kidneys.

Regarding the sefety for toys, the Bureau of Indian Standards had published safety requirements concerning safety aspects related to mechanical and physical properties, flamablility requirements and migration of certain elements prescribed, maximum acceptable element migration for antimony, barium, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury and selenium from toy materials.

UNI