Eugene (KMTR) - How safe are the toys your kids play with?
The Science Factory in Eugene is giving parents a chance to find out on Saturday, as it hosts its second annual toxic toys testing.
According to the Oregon Toxics Alliance, many of the toys made before February of this year, when a federal safety act took effect, may contain harmful levels of lead or other chemicals which are known carcinogens.
Josh Vincent of the Oregon Toxics Alliance says, “They're also linked to things like brain damage, nervous system damage, they can harm the reproductive system. So these are all threats, especially when you're talking about toys and children who are still in developmental stages. They can be much more susceptible to this kind of harm."
Vincent used a special device to test several toys. He found some—like the Fisher
Price Doodle Pro—tested high for lead.
“According to the EPA, the new safety regulations, there is no safe level of lead, first of all, but what they will allow is 300 parts per million,” Vincent said. “This one [Doodle Pro] is reading at 1,301, so, not just over, but way over the allowed level."
In theory, any toy made after February of this yea in the U.S. should be safe, because of the new safety rules. The only way to know for sure if a toy is safe is to test it.
The good news is there are groups who have tested many of the toys on store shelves and have posted the results on their Web sites.
Saturday, November 7, from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. parents can have toys tested at the Science Factory at 2300 Leo Harris Parkway in Eugene. For every adult admission two toys will be tested free of charge. Additional testing is $2 per toy.
