Lead found in some vinyl lunchboxes

Shari Roan, "Lead found in some vinyl lunchboxes", Seattle Times,
September 14, 2005,
Link:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...unchbox14.html

Along with peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches and juice boxes, some
schoolchildren may be carrying something unexpected - and potentially
hazardous - in their lunchboxes this fall.

A study by an Oakland, Calif.-based environmental group found harmful
levels of lead in some lunchboxes made of soft vinyl. The Center for
Environmental Health filed lawsuits late last month against several
lunchbox manufacturers and various retailers who sell the products.

The environmental group found that 27 lunchboxes - one-quarter of the
products tested - had high levels of lead when tested with an at-home
detection kit. The group then sent those 27 products to an independent
laboratory for more rigorous testing; that study found 17 of the
lunchboxes contained lead in excess of federal safety standards.

One lunchbox, made by Targus Group International Inc. and featuring the
children's character Angela Anaconda, was found to contain more than 90
times the legal limit for lead in paint in children's products. Other
lunchboxes found high in lead featured characters such as Superman,
Tweety Bird, the Powerpuff Girls and Hamtaro. The Center for
Environmental Health has displayed photos of the lunchboxes on its Web
site, www.cehca.org.

The Center for Environmental Health has advised parents to avoid vinyl
lunchboxes or to purchase a home test kit to check for lead. Such kits
sell for about $3 and can be found on the Internet and in hardware
stores.

Michael Ward, vice president and general counsel for Targus, said last
week that the Anaheim, Calif.-based company had only recently become
aware of the potential hazard and was checking with its supplier to
determine if the product was tested for lead.

"I'm not certain it does or doesn't contain lead," Ward said of the
lunchboxes.

Lara Cushing, research director for the center, said the study found
the lead was not contained within the vinyl material itself but rather
on the surface of the lunchboxes.

"It's not bound up in the plastic," she said. "It's sloughing off. It
can come off on your hand. It can rub off on your food."

The Oakland environmental group in recent years has reported on studies
that found unsafe levels of lead in some imported Mexican candies and
in children's jewelry.

Lead is considered unsafe at any level. Even small amounts can build up
in the body and cause lifelong problems, according to the California
Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch.

Fetuses and children younger than 6 are at greatest risk for lead
poisoning because their brains and nervous systems are still forming.

Lead poisoning can result in anemia and problems in learning and
behavior. Very high levels can damage the nervous system, kidneys and
major organs and can even result in seizures or death. Children with
very high levels require treatments to remove the lead. For children
with lower levels, authorities recommend finding the source of the lead
and removing it to prevent further exposure.