One third contaminated

Carcinogenic substances in toys for children

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(Bild: stock.adobe.com - Olga Yastremska, New Africa, Africa Studio)

Wooden toys are a gift of high-quality products - but the items are not always free of harmful substances, as a test carried out by Konsument magazine in cooperation with the Upper Austrian Chamber of Labor shows: In five out of 13 tested toys for children under the age of three, harmful substances were found in paint, plywood or textiles.

The toys were tested for a total of 220 harmful substances, such as pesticides, colorants, flame retardants, formaldehyde, plasticizers and heavy metals. There was at least one hit for every product. However, eight toys are harmless due to the low quantities.

"Not satisfactory"
Five products, on the other hand, cannot be recommended. A magnetic fishing game releases more formaldehyde than permitted. However, it remains below the limit value of the Toy Safety Directive and was rated "less than satisfactory". Four articles failed and received an "unsatisfactory" rating.

Prohibited under EU law
A purple wooden cube from a set contained a dye that can release a carcinogenic substance, and the paints also contained an environmentally harmful chemical. Problematic plasticizers were found in the black plastic ring of the wheels of a sliding figure in quantities that are banned under EU law. Substances suspected of causing cancer were found in the paint of a pull-along dog and in that of red building blocks.

All 13 products tested passed the test for "direct hazards", which includes choking hazards due to small parts that can be swallowed, strangulation hazards, flammability and acoustic safety - for example if a toy is too loud.