Something is wrong with the children’s toys that end up on the market and in children’s hands, considering that 37 out of a total of 162 samples (22.8%) tested by the State General Laboratory were found not to comply with the requirements of the relevant legislation and were deemed unsuitable. This percentage is quite high, considering that for every 100 toys, about 23 were found to be unsuitable.
The relevant check was for the year 2022, the last year for which a report was released by the State General Laboratory. As stated in the report, 162 samples of children’s toys were tested for a total of 1,558 parameters. The 95 samples were plastic soft toys, mainly made of PVC, for determination of phthalates content. Some 47 samples were submitted for testing of mechanical/physical properties, most of which were toys intended for infants and children under three years of age. Finally, 20 samples were submitted for the determination of metals that may migrate to children from the materials of construction during use and handling. The samples were mainly stationery such as colored pencils, watercolors, chalks, markers, crayons, plasticine, etc., and were tested for a total of 17 metals.
The report states that the main purpose of the check of children’s toys is to protect children and infants from chemical hazards, i.e. chemicals such as heavy metals, phthalates, etc. found in children’s toys to which the child may be exposed, and from physical hazards due to unsatisfactory mechanical and physical properties. In particular, children, as stated in the report, may be at risk either from poor quality materials or from poor construction of toys, which may lead to injury or drowning.
