Soluble Heavy Metals

What are soluble heavy metals?

A non-exhaustive list of heavy metals includes antimony (Sb), arsenic (As), barium (Ba), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), and selenium (Se). Toys and jewelry for children may contain high levels of these heavy metals, which puts children at special risk through oral consumption, inhalation, transdermal and hand-to-mouth exposure routes.  They leach from materials into the oils on our hands, the saliva in our mouth, the acid in our stomachs and adhere to surfaces as dust.

Why should you be concerned?

Heavy metals are problematic because they can accumulate in living tissue, which poses a significant threat to human health and the environment. The accumulation of heavy metals in tissue is particularly problematic in children, in which it can cause mental deficiencies, behavioral disorders, neurocognitive disorders, cancer, respiratory problems, and cardiovascular diseases.

What are legislatures doing about it?

In the United States, ASTM F963-17, also known as The Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety, mandates that all children’s toys manufactured or imported on or after February 28, 2018, undergo testing and certification to ensure conformity. ASTM requirements cover heavy elements on paint and other surface coating materials, and in substrate materials. Provisions of the toy safety standard outlined in 16 CFR §1112.15(b)(32) specify third party testing requirements.

Nations in North America are also working hard to reduce soluble heavy metals in children’s products. Canada’s CCPSA Toy Regulation sets mandatory safety requirements for all children’s toys and related products manufactured, imported, sold, or even advertised in that nation. It restricts leachable levels at 0.1% of five heavy metals in plastics and surface coatings.

Mexico’s Ministry of Health issued the Mexican Official Standard NOM-252-SSA1-2011 to limit the migration of certain heavy metals in children’s toys and school supplies. The standard limits these products to 90mg/kg of soluble lead, and also limits the levels of soluble antimony, arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, mercury, and selenium in toys intended for children under the age of three.

Legislators around the world are taking action to reduce soluble heavy metals from children’s toys and products. EN71-3 specifies safety regulations for all toys sold in the EU, for example. The document contains 14 parts that outline specifics for toys’ mechanical and physical properties, flammability, migration of certain elements, organic compounds, and more in specific toys.

ISO 8124-3 sets international requirements and test methods for toys intended for use by children in specific age groups between birth and 14 years old. The requirements for each age group reflect the nature of the hazards and the expected physical or mental ability of the child to cope with these hazards.

Nations in North America are also working hard to reduce soluble heavy metals in children’s products. Canada CCPSA Toy Regulation sets mandatory safety requirements for all children’s toys and related products manufactured, imported, sold, or even advertised in that nation. It limits the concentration of total mercury present in a surface coating material, including paints and varnishes, in any toy or children’s product to no more than 10 mg/kg.

Mexico’s Ministry of Health issued the Mexican Official Standard NOM-252-SSA1-2011 to limit the migration of certain heavy metals in children’s toys and school supplies. The standard limits these products to 90mg/kg of soluble lead, and limits the levels of soluble antimony, arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, mercury, and selenium in toys intended for children under the age of three.

In the United States, ASTM F963-17, also known as The Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety, mandates that all children’s toys manufactured or imported on or after February 28, 2018, undergo testing and certification to ensure conformity. ASTM requirements cover heavy elements on paint and other surface coating materials, and in substrate materials. Provisions of the toy safety standard outlined in 16 CFR §1112.15(b)(32) specify third party testing requirements.

Why choose a Eurofins company?

We maintain state-of-the-art facilities purpose-built for efficient sample processing and compliant testing environment to help manufacturers of a wide variety of products meet Good Manufacturing Practices in many countries around the world.

Chemical analysis is conducted at Eurofins Product Testing US Inc. accredited chemical testing laboratory based in the Greater Seattle area, which is accredited by PJLA (L20-199), ILAC and CPSC (1556) to ISO/IEC 17025 standards.