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Group asks gov't to impose ban on volatile organic compounds in toys
Group asks gov't to impose ban on volatile organic compounds in toys
By Jel Santos
An environmental group has urged the government to implement a mandatory ban on volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particularly benzene, in toys to protect young children from hazardous chemicals.
“To prevent children’s exposure to VOCs such as benzene and others, we urge our health authorities to consider adopting regulations banning these hazardous compounds in toys such as plastic balloon blowing kits,” Aileen Lucero, EcoWaste Coalition coordinator, said in a statement.
“Kids may be at greater risk from VOC exposure,” she added.
The EcoWaste Coalition pushed for a ban on such chemicals in toys after the samples it tested released VOCs. This was determined by a Photoionization Detector (PID), a device used to monitor and measure VOCs in ambient air such as benzene and other gases,
When tested with a PID by the Toxicology Referral and Training Center (TRTC), samples of J.H. and Haida Taikong plastic balloons submitted for screening by the EcoWaste Coalition exhibited VOC levels ranging from 28 to 167 parts per million (ppm). The TRTC is a national toxicology speciality center situated at the East Avenue Medical Center in Quezon City.
Further analysis is needed to validate and identify the VOCs found, the group noted.
Based on the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), "health consequences of exposure to various VOCs may include eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches, loss of coordination, and nausea; and damage to the liver, kidneys, and central nervous system" (or substances that cause cancer).
The group said the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified benzene as "carcinogenic to humans," and the US EPA has classified benzene as a "known human carcinogen for all routes of exposure."
As such, EcoWast noted that Benzene is one of the World Health Organization's (WHO) "ten chemicals of major public health concern," with WHO recommending, among other things, the use of alternative solvents and the implementation of policies removing benzene from the environment.
“The use of benzene and related solvents in toys are already banned or restricted in other countries,” it added.