crayons (Photo : Reuters)
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) Action Fund has asked for a ban on asbestos material in consumer products, after test results showed that various children's toys and crayons contained the carcinogen. EWG, an advocacy group, uncovered the grey cancer-causing material in made-in-China products that included crime lab kits, after hiring a private lab to conduct tests.
When human lungs breathe in tiny asbestos fibers, the result can be lung disease and lung cancer. People become exposed to asbestos when particles in materials become airborne.
Dr. Jerry Paulson, former chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Council on Environmental Health, said that parents should know the brand names of products that contain asbestos.
The crayons and toys with asbestos were produced in China and then imported to the United States. They included Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Crayons bought at Dollar Tree, and Amscan Crayons on sale at Party City, according to National Monitor.
The National Cancer Institute has stated that U.S. producers of crayons have agreed to remove talc from their products because it contains asbestos, according to The Market Business. However, the EWG's research implies that talk is cheap.
Other toys tested positive for asbestos. They included a crime lab purchased at ToysRUs.com and a fingerprint powder bought at Amazon.com.
Asbestos in a powder form is easier for lungs to breathe in. That is where the material does major damage.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has stated that it will follow up on the EWG report. It vales child safety. thus, it will review the products mentioned in the new report.
The U.S. Congress has not passed any laws related to asbestos in children's products. A ban on the dangerous material was passed in 1989, although it was overturned two years later.
Today if a product contains asbestos, it is often only labeled. However, many experts argue that more drastic measures are needed to ban asbestos products and improve public health.
