Recalls Don't Catch All Products with Lead

Lead can be found in far many more products than toys, and many of those items have not come up for recall, according to a study to be published in the December issue of Consumer Reports magazine.

A four-month investigation found detectable levels of lead in the caps on glue sticks, children's vinyl backpacks, dishware, jewelry, toys and many other items, Consumer Reports said. The investigation examined both products found in stores in the New York metropolitan area and items in the homes of employees of Consumers Union, the nonprofit that publishes Consumer Reports.

A red toy blood-pressure cuff from classic Fisher-Price Medical Kits showed the highest lead concentrations of any product tested: more than 10,000 parts per million. As a result, Consumer Reports alerted both Fisher-Price and the Consumer Products Safety Commission. It is also advising that parents remove that toy before their children play with it further.

The tests also found high levels of lead in orange plastic caps on Elmer's Glue Sticks with "Dora the Explorer," "Go, Diego, Go!" and "SpongeBob SquarePants" designs. Although children are unlikely to absorb the embedded lead either through touching or mouthing, the plastic lead levels were more than three times higher than those allowed for paint in the U.S. Again, Consumer Reports recommends that adults remove those glue sticks from use.

With millions of Chinese-made toys having been recalled because of lead hazards this year, consumers plan to be cautious during the coming holiday shopping season, according to a poll taken by the Consumer Reports National Research Center. The survey found that 70 percent of consumers say they will be checking labels before buying products, 36 percent will be buying fewer toys and 30 percent do not plan to buy any toys made in China.

To protect themselves from lead hazards, consumers should regularly check the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's recall and product safety news, according to Consumer Reports. They should also have their children tested for lead exposure (the Environmental Protection Agency recommends testing for all one- and two-year-olds) and have their homes evaluated if the buildings were constructed before 1978.

It's also important to get enough calcium and iron in your daily diet, Consumer Reports said. People with calcium and iron deficiencies tend to absorb more lead into their bodies.

Consumer Reports said it also evaluated five home lead-testing kits and found three that gave useful results: Homax Lead Check, Lead Check Household Lead Test Kit and Lead Inspector. None of the kits detect lead embedded below the surface, however. Consumers who want to determine exact lead levels in their homes should go with a professional screening, according to Consumer Reports..

Consumers Union, "Consumer Reports: Tests Find Lead in More Products." URL: (http://www.consumersunion.org/pub/core_product_safety/005071.html)