posted on September 2, 2000 04:20:10 PM Plastic Toys Pose Health Risk to Children
"According to Yvonne Shashoua of the National Museum of Denmark's conservation department, chemicals leaking out of plastic toys made in the 1950s could pose a health risk. Many items from that era--everything from car seats to boots to Barbie dolls could pose a health risk, especially for children, if touched."
posted on September 2, 2000 06:04:38 PM
bearmom: I do not know if they were subject to degradation during the time period of your play; but nowadays, even museums are seeing this happen, so the degradation definitely is TIME contingent.
posted on September 2, 2000 06:27:55 PM
It just not toys and its not just toys made in the 50s
I work in the plastic industry.
the older plastic toys made back when before the 50s even bakelite and other types used many cemicals that are now know cancer causeing agents imblaming fluids were one of the many ingredents use to manufacture this raw materal.
allthough materals are far safer then in the past they are not perfect.
PVC Poly Vinyl Chloride
as it degrades gives off may poison gases a list of over 75 of them includeing Cyanide and amonuim chloride the ash that is created when it burns that flys in the air when mixed with water makes Hydorcloric acid when this ash is breathed in after about a min fluids and ash combine and this battery type acid liturally starts eat burning you inside lungs mouth tongue any where it mixes with H2O .
under normal use this materal degrades very slowly and the cemical gases are released at low levels.
in fact plastic of any type under normal use has a half life of something like 10 million years.
But speed up the degradeing process by heating burning or stressing such as crushing under foot benting a bottle in half over and over makeing the plastic hot causes these gases to release in deadly amounts or nealy deadly amount in a small space like a home garbage compactor.
some thing made from PVC
shampoo bottles cooking oil bottles many type of toys dolls toy cars. Car decorative planels and other parts in you car includeing carpeting in your home and cars may contain recycled PET and PVC products , IV bottle used in hospital and other places.
old collectable toys are not recomened for purchase for the use of childeren simply base on the lead the plastic and old paint might contain.
this is not new over all plastic used responcably is completely safe the trouble with old plastic of the past is that it degrades very fast in just from contact with air and these item are many years old and leaching large amounts of these toxic cemicals.
the old celulod flim old movies is a good exsample they are needing to tranfer clasic to vidoe to preserve these treasers as the flim is degreing to the point they are looseing it
if you would like more info on PVC you can write to oxydental cemical corp not sure if the spelling is right here and ask if they will send you a copy of The MSDS on there PCV materal
Incidentally the company I work for is owned by PVCC Plastics corp.
though I dont remember every cemical I am regualarly trained in the safe handleing of this stuff .
posted on September 2, 2000 07:15:06 PM
Macandjan, did you ever see the show where the woman put her kids in giant Tupperware bowls every night to keep them from getting older?
I've been looking for a bowl big enough to sleep in ever since!
posted on September 3, 2000 07:42:54 AM
Well, this would explain why my Barbie (early/mid 60's) is sticky (kept in her case, and certainly NOT dirty/sticky when she was put away).....
Thanx for the info Radh....& the addition'l info Dman3....I have a whole bunch of my old childhood friends (aka Dolls) sitting out on a dresser & wardrobe in my bedroom....Hmmmm maybe this is NOT a good idea to leave them there!....
posted on September 3, 2000 08:47:30 AM
Due to the newsprint paper (pulp) used in many documents and books, magazines etc many of the materials will decompose over the next 20-40 years... Invest accordingly.
Think I can sue the companies?