December 21, 2004
Contact: Aaron Firestone
(215) 567-4004 x273

TOXIC TOYS
Many Novelty Holiday Gifts Contain Mercury
Despite Safer Alternatives, Many Children's
Stockings Are Filled with Dangerous Neurotoxins

Philadelphia, PA - Hundreds of disposable toys and other novelty gifts have built-in miniature batteries that contain a dangerous neurotoxin, even though safer batteries are available, according to Clean Air Council, a statewide environmental group. Mercury batteries are found in disposable holiday gifts ranging from blinking reindeer noses to light-up candy dispensers. The Council today called on the Pennsylvania General Assembly to ban the sale of novelty items that contain miniature mercury batteries.

"People think the only thing they have to worry about in their stockings is a lump of coal. Unfortunately, hundreds of common holiday gifts contain mercury, a dangerous neurotoxin," said Aaron Firestone, Director of Children's Environmental Health for Clean Air Council. "These toys are often thrown away after just a couple days of use. By taking these toxic products off the shelves, the state could prevent a lot of needless mercury pollution."

The Council released a sample list of toys purchased a large retail outlets like Wal-Mart, KB Toys and CVS that are powered by mercury batteries. The type of items that pose a problem include flashing bouncing balls, pens that light up and blinking lollipops. These are novelty items that end up in the trash very quickly. Even when the batteries are replaceable, the toys are not built to last more than a couple of weeks-or in some cases for more than a couple of hours. U.S. battery manufacturers report using over 5,000 pounds of mercury in button cell batteries sold in the U.S. in 2002.

Mercury is a neurotoxin associated with learning disabilities and other developmental problems, and is especially dangerous to children. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, one in six women in the United States has levels of mercury in their blood that is considered unsafe for fetuses. This translates into over 630,000 children born nationwide at risk from mercury exposure.

"Every single lake, river and stream in Pennsylvania has a fish consumption advisory warning due to mercury contamination. The only way to remedy this problem is to stop mercury pollution from occurring in the first place," said Firestone. "Mercury-laden novelty gifts don't necessarily pose a risk when children are playing with them. It's when these items are thrown away that the mercury inevitably gets into the environment and into the food supply. That's when it causes the greatest harm."

"Several states have already banned the sale of novelties that contain mercury. We'd like our elected officials to do the same," said Firestone. "Pennsylvania has a number of programs in place to prevent mercury pollution from other sources. There's no reason why this unnecessary source of pollution should continue to be ignored."

To provide a sample list of novelty toys that contain mercury, a total of twenty-seven batteries were collected from toys and other novelty items, and were sent to PDC Laboratories, Inc. in Indiana by the Mercury Policy Project for testing. The results indicated that all of the miniature batteries contained mercury. According to the draft "Report on Alternatives to Mercury Containing Miniature Batteries," which the Maine Department of Environmental Protection commissioned from the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production (LCSP) earlier this year, there are mercury-free models commercially available for most miniature batteries.

"We've got to stop using toxic chemicals for frivolous uses, especially when safer alternatives are so readily available," said Firestone. "No parent would knowingly give their child a toy that contained a toxin dangerous to children. The government needs to step in and remedy this situation in order to protect kids' health."

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SAMPLE LIST OF NOVELTY TOYS THAT CONTAIN MERCURY