EcoWaste Coalition urges consumers to use toxic-free swimming toys

Environmental watchdog EcoWaste Coalition on Friday encouraged the public to use toxic-free swimming toys this summer season.

“We urge all consumers to observe the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) reminders when buying and using aquatic toys to avoid risk of death by drowning, brain injury by near-drowning and other preventable injuries,” said Thony Dizon, coordinator of EcoWaste Coalition's Project Protect, in a news release on its website.

“In addition to the FDA’s practical safety reminders, we advise consumers to demand for inflatable toys that are compliant with the government’s order banning certain phthalates above 0.1% in children’s toys,” Dizon added.

The group explained that some "inflatable toys contain toxic phthalates, which are chemical additives that make polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic softer and pliable, above the government limit of 0.1% by weight."

Phthalates are known endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), the EcoWaste Coalition noted.

The group also reminded consumers to carefully read the label of the packaging of the products and to choose swimming toys that are suitable for the child’s age, abilities and skill level as this was an advisory of the FDA regarding proper selection and use of aquatic toys.

It also advised the public "to follow the instructions and/or weight recommendations carefully for proper assembly and use."

Meanwhile, a policy by the Department of Health (DOH), which was amended in December 2011, stated that: “It shall be unlawful to manufacture for sale, offer for sale, distribute in commerce, or import into the country any children’s toy that contains concentration of more than 0.1% of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP) or benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP)."

Dizon said three of the four samples of inflatable toys sent by the EcoWaste Coalition to a private laboratory in 2015 failed the phthalate tests.  All three were found to contain DEHP up to 19.6% and two had DINP up to 1.29%. 

On the other hand, the fourth sample with a “phthalate-free” claim on the label, passed the laboratory analysis for the banned phthalates.

The use of phthalates in manufacturing toys has been restricted in the Philippines since 2011. — Anna Felicia Bajo / AT, GMA News