• View ecochildsplay’s profile on Facebook
  • View ecochildsplay’s profile on Twitter
  • View ecochildsplay’s profile on Instagram
  • View ecochildsplay’s profile on Pinterest
  • View Jennifer Lance’s profile on LinkedIn
  • View ecochildsplay’s profile on YouTube
  • View ecochildsplay’s profile on Google+

Eco Child's Play

Live a greener, healthier life!

  • Environment
  • Pregnancy
  • Food & Recipes
  • Health News
  • Parenting
  • Green Toys
  • Beauty & Beauty Products
  • Green Home & Cleaning
  • Contact

Why is there still asbestos in crayons?

Image courtesy of Gualberto107 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of Gualberto107 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

In 2000, the BBC reported Crayola brand crayons contained “trace” amounts of asbestos.

The amount of asbestos in the crayon was described as “so small it is scientifically insignificant.”

In a simulation of a child vigorously colouring using a crayon for half an hour, no fibres were released into the air.

Because they are embedded in wax, even if swallowed, they would pass through the child’s body.

However, the experts concluded it was still undesireable for the fibres to be in the children’s crayons into the long term.

CPSC Chairman Ann Brown said: “The risk is low but the concerns with these fibres should not be ignored.”

A spokesman for Binney and Smith said: “Parents can be assured, that there is no risk to children from Crayola Crayons. We put safety first, second and third. Trading Standards officers have declared the product safe for use.”[1]http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/1033791.stm

15 years later, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) Action Fund has found asbestos still exists in crayons.  [2]http://www.krcrtv.com/asbestos-found-in-crayons-toy-crime-lab-kits/34056356

Asbestos is a mineral that occurs naturally on earth.  It is often used in products for its heat and fire resistance qualities, such as car brake pads.  Starting in the 1970s, asbestos bans began in certain products because the mineral was a known human carcinogen.  By 1989, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned all new applications of asbestos but prior uses were grandfathered.  [3]http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/asbestos/asbestos-fact-sheet

Clearly crayons do not need to be fire or heat resistance.  Asbestos found in crayons is not put there intentionally.  Asbestos contamination comes from talc used in the crayons. The talc contains naturally occurring asbestos.  After asbestos was discovered in crayons 15 years ago, US manufacturers voluntarily agreed to remove talc from crayon ingredients. [4]http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/asbestos/asbestos-fact-sheet  But what about crayons manufactured overseas?

The EWG Action Fund tested four crayon brands positively for asbestos (two crime scene fingerprint kids tested positively as well).

The four brands of crayons containing asbestos were purchased at the Party Place, Amazon, ToysRUs and Dollar Tree. The brands to avoid are:

  • Amscan Crayons
  • Nickelodeon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Crayons
  • Saban’s Power Rangers Super Megaforce Crayons
  • Disney Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Crayons

The test results make a scary picture: a child exposed to asbestos is 3.5 more likely than a 25-year-old to develop mesothelioma, a lung disease, that is only caused by asbestos, because of the long lag time between exposure and diagnosis, according to the U.K. Committee on Carcinogenicity

“Asbestos in toys poses an unacceptable risk to children, today as it did in 2000 and 2007, the last time tests found the deadly substance in these children’s products,” Dr. Philip Landrigan, professor of pediatrics and preventive medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, told EWG Action Fund. Landrigan is an internationally- recognized expert in the area of asbestos and other toxic materials and a former senior adviser to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on children’s environmental health. [5]http://www.asbestosnation.org/facts/tests-find-asbestos-in-kids-crayons-crime-scene-kits/

Any amount of asbestos in children’s products is unacceptable.  Health risks must outweigh profits.  Always purchase children’s products from companies you trust.

 

  • Twitter
  • Email
  • Pinterest
  • Print
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • More
  • WhatsApp
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit

References[+]

↑1 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/1033791.stm
↑2 http://www.krcrtv.com/asbestos-found-in-crayons-toy-crime-lab-kits/34056356
↑3, ↑4 http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/asbestos/asbestos-fact-sheet
↑5 http://www.asbestosnation.org/facts/tests-find-asbestos-in-kids-crayons-crime-scene-kits/
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Subscribe!

« Did you know cotton is one of the top 3 pesticide-laden crops in the world?
Is your child an introvert or an extrovert? »

Comments

  1. V says

    September 14, 2015 at 12:11 pm

    Very scary

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Search Content

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter


About Eco Child’s Play

Our ethos is to provide news, information, and opinions on natural, green parenting to help your family live a greener, healthier life! Additionally, we offer personal consulting services to help you achieve your green living goals.

Jennifer is a vegetarian, yoga teacher, gardener, hiker, teacher, and mother that has been living off-the-grid for over 20 years.

Contact Eco Child’s Play

Plants Over Plastics! Repurpose Compostable Home Products

Convenient Plastic Container Free Dropps Laundry & Dishwashing Pods

More from the archives!

Hypermedia and High Blood Pressure in Kids

BPA, Flame Retardants & Toxic Jewelry

Happy Winter Solstice

Arsenic, Cadmium, Lead, OH MY! Don’t Let Your Kids Wear Cheap Jewelry!

Green Home Cleaning by Planet People: iQ Glass and All-Purpose Cleaner and Concrobium Mold Control

cbd salve joy organics

CBD Products that Actually Deliver: Joy Organics

wama hemp underwear

The Most Comfortable Underwear is Made of Hemp: WAMA Review

Information

  • About & Contact
  • Archive
  • Blog
  • Consulting Services
  • Disclaimer, Disclosure, & Sponsored Posts
  • Privacy Policy

Tame That Hair With California Baby Calming Hair Detangler Spray

Bend Over Backwards and Relieve Stress!

Tibetan Mandala Coloring Book

What Babies Want [video]: Hospital Births, NICU, and Bonding

Going Green – Get Your Kids Involved With idBids

Popular Categories

  • Breastfeeding
  • Health News
  • Natural Childbirth
  • Parenting
  • Education
  • Product Review
  • Green Toys

Get our posts via email

Please stay in touch!

You might also like to read…

Spiffies Baby Tooth Wipes: Prevent Early Childhood Caries with Xylitol

British Teachers: Standardized Tests "Deny Children a Well-Rounded Education"

Hank D and the Bee: Misleading Titles

Hankettes Organic Cotton Products Help You Ditch All Kinds of Disposables

Study Finds Flooring & Wallpaper Contain Hazardous Additives

Copyright © 2023 · Divine theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2023 · Divine Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.