Recently, issues such as phthalates (plasticizers) and soluble heavy metals in children's toys have attracted the attention of consumers in China. Can the phthalates in toys endanger children's health? What is the difference between China’s toy standards and foreign countries? Technical experts responded to this. The harm of phthalates is inconclusive "For the hazards of phthalates, there has been controversy internationally," said Zhang Yanfen, secretary general of the National Toys Standardization Technical Committee. According to Zhang Yanfen, phthalates are plasticizers. At present, there are more than 10 types of phthalates commonly used, which are colorless oily liquids, odorless or have a small odor and low volatility. They are widely used in various daily necessities and medical products. The main function of phthalates is to soften PVC plastics and increase their flexibility. It has been used in the world for more than 50 years. In recent years, the United States and the European Union have conducted some safety assessments for phthalates. In the European Union, the method of feeding large amounts of pure phthalates to animals was mainly used. It was found that animals that consumed low-molecular-weight phthalates (DEHP, DBP, BBP) were adversely affected in their reproduction and development, but the consumption was high. Animals of molecular weight of phthalates (DINP, DIDP, DNOP) were not found to be affected by their reproduction and development. In terms of its impact on the human body, the EU has conducted a safety assessment and has not provided any reports on injuries to the human body. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) conducted tests on a large number of people to investigate the exposure of phthalates to the human body. There have been no reports of direct human health effects. China's toy standards are basically the same as international standards According to Zhang Yanfen, China's current implementation of toy standards "National Toy Safety Technical Code" is a mandatory national standard, its mechanical and physical properties, combustion performance, migrating chemical elements (including soluble heavy metals) and all other technical requirements and international standards ISO 8124 The provisions of "Toy Safety" are exactly the same. With regard to the limits of eight kinds of migrating chemical elements, China's standards are equivalent to international standards and European and American standards. The limits of lead, arsenic, antimony, bismuth, cadmium, chromium, mercury, and selenium are in ppm and are respectively 90 and 25. , 60, 1000, 75, 60, 60 and 500. The EU revised the Toy Directive at the end of 2008 and increased the limit of harmful elements from 8 to 19, but the new limit requirements will not be implemented until 2013, and there is no new detection standard for harmful elements in the EU. A bill that came into force in the year puts a new limit on total lead for all accessible materials and paints in children's products. However, due to technical reasons, the United States recently also stipulated that total lead was scheduled to be implemented on August 14 this year. Limits are not implemented temporarily. In response to the new regulations on harmful elements in toys of the European Union and the United States, China is currently actively tracking research and will improve our toy standards in due course. Regarding phthalates, Europe and the United States have certain limits. Although the standards set by the International Standards Organization do not limit phthalates, in order to ensure the safety of infants and young children, China has already implemented six types of phthalates in the safety standards for baby pacifiers (pacifiers) that will be promulgated soon. The limit values ​​for esters are specified and their limits are the same as in the EU. In addition, other toy standards for infants and young children under development in China, such as the National Safety Technical Code for Toys and the Safety Requirements for Pool Sets for Infants and Children, will also regulate the limits for phthalates. At the same time, China has also formulated and implemented standards for the detection of phthalates. Experts pointed out that due to different developments in different countries, there is no global integration of product technical regulations and standards, and different countries formulate different product technical regulations and standards according to their own national conditions. Therefore, the products that are exported to different countries must meet the requirements of different markets. The requirements of laws and standards are the most basic conditions for entering the international market. China's Targeted National Supervision and Testing of Toys According to Chen Wei, director of the Institute of Mechanical and Toy Products Inspection of the Fujian Provincial Institute of Product Quality Inspection, the AQSIQ organizes national supervision and inspection of toys every year, and has implemented mandatory compulsory toys for 6 types of children's toys since 2007. Product certification, the supervision of toy product quality and safety is also increasing. The national supervision and random inspection is based on the current effective national standards, and tests the portable chemical elements of the toy, ie, antimony, arsenic, bismuth, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, selenium, mechanical and physical properties, and combustion performance. From 2007 onwards, each year's national supervision and spot checks on toys have targeted the monitoring of the content of migrating chemical elements. In the second quarter of this year, 242 batches of plastic toys and electric toys were supervised and sampled in China. Eight kinds of items that are subject to the relocation of chemical elements were inspected in the standard. Only three batches of lead were found and one batch was found. The chromium content of the secondary product does not meet the requirements of the limited quantity, and other batch products have the content of migrating chemical elements that meet the requirements of the standard. In addition, as of June 1, 2007, the nation has implemented compulsory product certifications for children's toys such as baby carriages, electric toys, catapult toys, metal toys, doll toys, and plastic toys. The products are listed in the catalog and have been certified. After marking the certification mark, it can be shipped, sold, imported or used in other business activities. UCPACK , https://www.packpioneers.com