Asbestos in Children’s Toys

June 22nd, 2011 | Author: | Family & Kids

Products containing the asbestos mineral are still being used today, even in some common goods like kitchenware and children’s toys.  Exposure to asbestos fibers can cause serious lung damage, and may even cause deadly cancers like mesothelioma.  Although industries are working to limit asbestos exposure, particularly in children’s products, some toys are still found with asbestos fibers in them.  According to the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, one popular children’s toy product, called CSI:  Crime Scene Investigation Fingerprint Examination Kit, contained concentrated amounts of asbestos in 6 out of 8 samples.

Tremolite is made of calcium, silicon, oxygen, hydrogen, and magnesium, and originates in Switzerland.  It is just one of the six main types of asbestos, but can be just as deadly as the other types.  The six kinds of asbestos, which can be found in products ranging from children’s toys to home-building materials like ceramic tiles, are as follows:

  • Actinolite
  • Amosite
  • Anthophyllite
  • Chrysotile
  • Crocidolite
  • Tremolite

The ADAO continues to test thousands of products, looking for any type of asbestos.  The organization worries that some products that are not children’s toys, but that could still affect a child’s health, may contain asbestos.  The most prominent example of such a product is talcum power, which is often used to reduce skin irritations on babies.

Asbestos exposure can lead to very serious health problems, including lung scarring and deadly diseases like mesothelioma.  If your child or the child of someone you know might have been affected by asbestos in their toys, contact an experienced mesothelioma attorney.



Comments are closed.