Lead in Consumer Products

There continues to be a lot of media attention on lead in consumer products like children's toys. It's true, but lead in consumer products is a very small factor in childhood lead poisoning.

• CLASH is concerned that focusing attention on consumer products will detract from addressing the most serious sources of exposure: lead in paint, soil and industrial.

• The presence of lead in consumer products also encourages "Whataboutism" among opponents of lead paint remediation. "What about lead in toys, what are you doing about that? Huh?"

All that said, here's some examples of consumer risk news.

Sep 01, 2022. The Canadian Press. Dollar store products commonly tested positive for toxic chemicals, analysis says. "1 in 4 products tested were positive for substances managed under environmental legislation. One in four dollar store products tested by Environmental Defence were positive for substances managed under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. Many of the findings were within the allowable limits, but the report says those limits are not strong enough."

Sep 1, 2022. El Paso Inc. Take a Look Inside the Silent Lead Crisis. "Fast fashion may come with long-term consequences. A recent viral tweet exposing lead found in clothing has prompted a renewed concern for lead poisoning across the country. It is an issue that ebbs and flows in the public consciousness, even when it is ever-present.* Despite the United States banning the use of lead paint in residential homes in 1978, this toxic pollutant can still be found in homes across the country." *emphasis added.

September 1, 2022. Lawsuit information center, Baby Food Autism Lawsuit. "Our law firm is handling baby food autism lawsuits in all 50 states. Several brands of very popular baby foods contain alarmingly high levels of heavy metals such as mercury, arsenic, lead, and cadmium. These heavy metals are well-known neurotoxins. Consuming these toxic metals in baby foods may have caused thousands of children to develop autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders."

September 3, 2022. Environmental Testing Services Launches NEW "Lead Paint Pet Detective" Brand. "Environmental Testing Services (ETS) is proud to announce its new brand of “Lead Paint Pet Detective” services immediately available to pet owners concerned about lead poisoning. ETS believes there is an opportunity to serve an untapped market of pet owners of homes built prior to 1978 or who are experiencing problems with their pets consuming toxic amounts of lead via the environment or household objects such as toys and ceramic bowls containing lead."