Phthalates in children’s toys have been associated with developmental toxicity and endocrine disruption[1][2]. These chemicals can disrupt hormones and may cause fertility problems.
They have been connected to childhood obesity, asthma, neurological problems, cardiovascular issues, and even cancer[3]. Ingestion of certain phthalates can have harmful health effects on children[4]. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has prohibited children’s toys and child care articles containing more than 0.1 percent of certain phthalate chemicals[4].
The European Union has also imposed an emergency ban on six different phthalates used in toys intended for mouthing by small children[5]. The recent discovery of large quantities of restricted phthalates in two toys sold in the UK has raised concerns[6].
Citations:
[1] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960076021001485
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5858269/
[3] https://www.cnn.com/2017/10/20/health/phthalates-banned-in-childrens-toys/index.html
[4] https://www.cpsc.gov/Newsroom/News-Releases/2018/CPSC-Prohibits-Certain-Phthalates-in-Childrens-Toys-and-Child-Care-Products
[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3747651/
[6] https://uk.news.yahoo.com/amphtml/large-quantities-restricted-chemicals-found-060423359.html
By Perplexity at https://www.perplexity.ai/search/470f4c0c-64ba-4779-8e47-fd47daacecbf
