Under the scorching summer heat, kids surely enjoy playing and swimming at beaches and pools. However, toxics watchdog BAN Toxics reminds consumers to exercise due diligence when purchasing plastic beach and water toys that may contain harmful chemicals.
As part of their market monitoring, the group purchased samples of plastic beach and water toys sold for ₱65 to ₱150 each in kiosks and by ambulant vendors in Metro Manila. The toys included water guns, swim goggles, floating plastic ducks, and sand play toys. All the items are made of plastic materials and have improper labeling, potentially indicating the presence of undisclosed chemical additives that may put children at risk of toxic exposure.
Using a Vanta C Series handheld XRF chemical analyzer, the group detected cadmium levels of up to 250 parts per million (ppm), chromium up to 2,600 ppm, lead up to 230 ppm, and mercury up to 1,620 ppm—far exceeding toy safety standards. Most samples also contained chlorine levels of up to 100,000 ppm, indicating the presence of PVC or polyvinyl chloride, a plastic material commonly used in toys.
In April, the group also tested plastic kiddie swimming floaters that similarly showed the presence of cadmium, lead, and mercury. The samples failed to meet the required labeling standards under Republic Act No. 10620, or the Toy and Game Safety Labeling Act.
“The continued use of harmful chemicals in children’s toys must end to prevent children from exposure to toxic substances,” said Thony Dizon, Advocacy and Campaign Officer of BAN Toxics. “Government regulators should enforce stricter measures through constant monitoring and confiscation efforts to remove unregistered and unnotified children’s products from the market.”
Citing the World Health Organization factsheet, lead is a well-recognized toxicant with wide-ranging health impacts, affecting the neurological, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and haematological systems. Young children are particularly vulnerable because they are more exposed than adults and because lead affects the developing brain, potentially resulting in reduced intellectual ability.
Meanwhile, Republic Act 10620 mandates that all toys and games, whether locally or internationally manufactured, imported, donated, distributed, or sold in the Philippines, comply with the safety labeling and manufacturer’s marking requirements set forth in the Philippine National Standards (PNS) for toy safety. Similarly, the DENR Chemical Control Order for Lead and Lead Compounds prohibits the use of lead in the production and manufacturing of toys.
A 2022 public health warning issued by the Food and Drug Administration warned against the purchase and use of unauthorized toy and childcare articles (TCCA), including beach toys, said: “Potential hazards may come from ingredients that are not allowed to be part of a toy and childcare article product. The use of substandard and possibly adulterated toy and childcare article products may result to health risks including, but not limited to, endocrine disruption and reproductive or development effects; or may result to injury, choking or suffocation due to its small or broken parts.”
BAN Toxics urges government regulators to issue a public health advisory against the sale and use of unregulated and unnotified children’s toys that violate Republic Act No. 9711, or the FDA Act of 2009, due to their chemical and physical hazards to children. The group also calls on local government units to pass ordinances prohibiting the sale and use of children’s toys containing hazardous chemicals to safeguard the health and safety of children and the environment.
The group said it will continue its market monitoring efforts to raise public awareness on the presence of toxic chemicals in toys and childcare articles, and to help ensure that products available to consumers are safe and free from harmful substances. #
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Media contact: Thony Dizon, Advocacy and Campaign Officer, BAN Toxics, 0917-8322616
