The EU Toy Safety Directive Committee has decided to set limits on certain preservatives in toys for children under three years old.
This ban covers the following four chemical substances and specifies their maximum permissible concentrations and subsequent detection methodologies:
– methylisothiazolinone (MI) – 甲基異噻唑啉酮；
– benzisothiazolinone (BIT) – 苯並異噻唑啉酮；
– chloroisothiazolinone (CMI) – 水性氯甲基；
– the mixture MI and CMI – 甲基異噻唑啉酮與水性氯甲基的混合物。
Denmark had previously recommended that the EU ban the use of MI (Mixed Ingredients) in leave-on cosmetic products, and that stricter labeling requirements be needed for its application in other products. Regarding toys, the Danish Environmental Protection Agency urged consumers to avoid purchasing toys containing MI.
The committee also set a limit for foam toys containing formamide, stipulating that the formamide release value after 28 days of exposure to the atmosphere must be less than 20 μg/m³. This limit is consistent with the limits set by the French domestic toy regulations implemented in 2011.
Formamide is a chemical commonly used in the plastics and polymer industries, often found in solvents, plasticizers, or pharmaceuticals used in conjunction with foaming agents. Since 2010, several EU member states have begun to pay attention to the health hazards to children caused by inhaling formamide in foamed products (such as puzzle mats).
The new limits set above will be added to Annex II of the Toys Directive after being approved by the Council of the European Union. Once the amended directive is published in the Official Journal of the European Union, manufacturers will have only 18 to 24 months to revise their product formulations or replace the restricted harmful preservatives with greener and safer substances, depending on the specific chemical substance being addressed.
Sources: Chemical Watch (2015-06-11) (Compiled by PIDC)
