Toys 'R' Us, Other Retailers Remove Asbestos Crayons

Toys "R" Us, Party City, Amazon.com and Dollar Tree answered lawmakers' urgent call to pull toxic asbestos crayons and crime lab toys from their inventory. The major retailers acted after learning certain children’s products tested positive for asbestos, a carcinogen that causes several deadly diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma, which can take 20-50 years to develop after first exposure. “We commend these four companies for their good corporate citizenship and commitment to protecting children and families from contaminated products,” Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., wrote in a press release. Asbestos.com reached out to the four retailers, but none responded. Report Targets Tainted Toys Last month, a report from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) Action Fund revealed that select crayon sets and toy fingerprint kits imported from China contained talc tainted with carcinogenic asbestos fibers. Both substances are often found near each other on the earth's surface. Their proximity sometimes results in contamination when mining talc. In addition to pulling the asbestos crayons, Markey's office said some retailers retested the products themselves. Officials for the companies also asked their suppliers to reformulate the products without the deadly mineral. Party City encouraged Congress and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to set a federal standard for asbestos levels in crayons. EWG Report Named Specific Products According to the EWG report, tr...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Asbestos Exposure & Bans Source Type: news