New UK study says it advises children to use second-hand plastic toys with caution

A new UK study found that second-hand plastic toys may carry toxic substances or do not meet current toy safety standards, thereby threatening children's health.　　 Plymouth University researchers extracted 200 second-hand plastic toys, such as toy cars, trains, cards, puzzles, etc., from nurseries, schools, thrift shops and ordinary households in southwest England. These toys are not too big, and babies may put them in their mouths. Researchers use X-ray fluorescence analysis technology to detect whether they contain 9 toxic substances such as antimony, lead, cadmium, chromium, and bromine.　　 The results showed that 20 toys contained all 9 toxic substances, half of which contained bromine, lead, and cadmium exceeding the current upper limit of toy safety stipulated by the European Council. This means that if children are exposed to these toys for a long time, they may be chronically poisoned; once the toys are put in the mouth, the risk is greater. In addition, red, yellow and black plastic toys** are easy to detect excessive toxic substances, and some old toys do not meet the current toy safety standards when they leave the factory.　　 Dr. Andrew Turner, who led this research, said in an article in the US 'Environmental Science and Technology' monthly magazine that this is the first systematic investigation of toxic substances in second-hand plastic toys in the UK. He reminded that whether it is a gift from relatives or friends or bought in the second-hand market, second-hand toys are economically attractive to many families, but adults should be more aware of their potential threats to children's health.