After finding asbestos in multiple lots of crayons and toy crime lab kits sold online and in retail stores in the United States, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) Action Fund is calling on Congress to ban asbestos in all consumer products in the United States.
According to a July 8 article featured online by CNN, the EWG Action Fund, which is a sister organization of the Environmental Working Group, routinely inspects toys and other consumer goods for traces of asbestos, a mineral which is the only known cause of the deadly cancer mesothelioma as well as multiple other diseases.
The contaminated crayons and crime lab kits were included in a recent investigation for which the EWG Action Fund hired an outside laboratory to conduct asbestos testing. These items were selected because crayons and fingerprint powder from toy crime lab kits has previously been known to contain asbestos. In 2000, the CPSC stated that though some crayons did test positive for asbestos, the levels of the mineral were “scientifically insignificant”, and not a threat to consumers. In 2007, the group
Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization found asbestos in fingerprint powder in toy crime kits.
The toys involved in this recent test were purchased at retailers in the San Francisco area and from a number of online retailers between February and May 2015. All contaminated toys identified in these tests were imported from China, and include crayons sold at Party City stores and other retailers as well as two different crime lab kits sold online by ToysRUs and Amazon. A doctor interviewed by CNN stated that the crime lab kits were especially dangerous, because the asbestos in the fingerprint powder could easily become airborne and be inhaled. Inhalation of asbestos fibers is the cause of the most common form of mesothelioma, which affects the tissues surrounding the lungs.
It is believed that talc used to bind the crayons and form the bulk of the fingerprint powder in these toys is the source of asbestos, as talc mines are frequently located near large asbestos deposits.
At this time, Congress has passed laws to ban the use of lead in toys but has not addressed asbestos in toys and other products used by children. According to EWG Action Fund spokesperson Sonya Lunder, the United States needs to do better, especially when it comes to protecting our children. “This is an avoidable risk. This is a known carcinogen and our risk standard or threshold for exposure to cancer-causing chemicals in (kids’) toys should be zero,” Lunder said.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) states that there is no safe level of asbestos exposure, and that all employers must protect their workers from this known danger. However, most individuals diagnosed with asbestos are able to trace their exposure to a job or worksite. However a person is exposed to asbestos, if it can be proven that another party acted in negligence by allowing or hiding this exposure, that victim may be eligible to recover substantial compensation for suffering, medical expenses, and other damages. For a free asbestos lawsuit consultation, please contact an experienced member of our team today.
