The Danger Lead-Tainted Cribs.The dangers of lead paint are now fairly well known. Many of us think of lead paint as a problem that exists primarily in older homes and buildings. However, there are often recalls for children’s toys as a result of high lead levels in the paint used. The Government Sets Limits on […]
The Danger Lead-Tainted Cribs.The dangers of lead paint are now fairly well known. Many of us think of lead paint as a problem that exists primarily in older homes and buildings. However, there are often recalls for children’s toys as a result of high lead levels in the paint used.
The government has safety standards for toys and requires that products be tested by a third-party to ensure compliance with safety standards. Children’s products such as toys must not contain lead in a concentration of more than 100 parts per million. This requirement is the standard for “accessible parts” of the toy. If a component of a toy would not be accessible to the child through the normal use of the product, or through “foreseeable use and abuse” of the toy, then the standards are more lenient. Paint on children’s products must not contain lead in a concentration of 90 parts per million. This requirement applies to furniture for both adults and children, to household paint, and to other surface coatings. There are various standards based on the type of product. For instance, bicycle components have a limit of 300 parts per million of lead.
Lead is hazardous to anyone but has been shown to be especially dangerous to children. Children absorb more lead through their gastrointestinal tract than adults do, and of course, children are more likely to put objects in their mouths. Lead poisoning has the greatest impact on unborn babies, infants, and very young children because it can cause permanent damage to their brains.
Lead poisoning is not something involving a single exposure to lead that makes a child ill. Instead, lead exposure occurs from contact over time, and the amount of lead in the child’s system builds up. Researchers have stated that there is no safe level of lead in a child’s system. Instead, any amount of lead can have a negative impact on the child’s development. While the CDC only recommends treating children who have blood levels higher than ten micrograms/dL, research indicates a loss of IQ in children who have lead levels below 7.5 micrograms/dL, suggesting that threshold should be lowered and that more children may be impacted and not receiving treatment.
The symptoms of lead poisoning in children include learning difficulties, loss of appetite, irritability, developmental delay, weight loss, fatigue, vomiting, abdominal pain, constipation, seizures, and hearing loss.
In 2004, 150 million toy jewelry items were recalled because of high lead levels. Fischer Price faced a recall of 967,000 toys in 2007 because of lead contamination. Several thousand pieces of children’s furniture manufactured by Munire Furniture Inc. between 2006 and 2008 were recalled because of excessive lead levels. There was a report of a child being diagnosed with lead poisoning as a result of ingesting paint on one of the recalled Munire products. Woodstock Percussion Inc. also recalled thousands of Calypso Steel Drums after the surface paint on the toys was determined to have levels of lead that exceeded the federal standards.
If you or someone you love was impacted by lead-tainted products, you should speak to an experienced personal injury attorney to have your case reviewed. Contact Parker Waichman LLP today at 1-800-YOURLAWYER (1-800-968-7529) for a free consultation with one of our attorneys.
