Wooden toys are a gift of high-quality products – but the items are not always free of harmful substances, as shown by a test by the consumer magazine in cooperation with the Chamber of Labor (AK) Upper Austria: five out of 13 tested included building blocks , plug-in games, pull figures and push figures for children For three years, harmful substances were found in paint, plywood and textiles.
The toys were checked for a total of 220 harmful substances, such as pesticides, dyes, flame retardants, formaldehyde, plasticizers and heavy metals. There was at least one hit for each product. However, eight toys are harmless due to the small quantities.
Four articles “unsatisfactory”
However, five products cannot be recommended. Magnetic fishing releases more formaldehyde than permitted. However, it remains below the Toy Safety Directive limit and is rated “less satisfactory”. Four articles failed and were rated ‘unsatisfactory’.
A purple wooden cube from one set contained a dye that can release a carcinogenic substance, and the paint also contained an environmentally harmful chemical. Problematic plasticizers were found in the black plastic ring of a sliding figure’s wheels in quantities banned under EU law. Substances suspected of causing cancer have been found in the paint of a draft dog and in that of red building blocks.
All 13 products tested passed the ‘immediate hazard’ test, which includes the risk of choking from small parts that can be swallowed, the risk of strangulation, flammability and acoustic safety – for example if a toy is too loud.
Source: Krone
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