Inhalation, the breathing of fibers into the lungs, is the most common and heavily researched pathway. Crayons are the unchallenged favorite of children. Researchers at Crayola, which makes 12 million crayons a day, have determined that by age 10, the average child has worn down 723 Crayons. Today's vivid colors, far brighter and varied then the traditional eight that baby boomers grew up with, can hold the attention of a child for hours. And they don't just use them to make pretty pictures.
Children eat crayons, as many parents know.
The old shoe box, or whatever a child uses to keep their old crayons, has a layer of bits of wax and crayon shavings in the bottom. This gets all over their hands and into their nose and mouth. If there's asbestos in that wax, you've got the potential for real health hazards. Watching children at a preschool presents a wide range of creative uses for the waxy sticks. Some children enjoy sharpening the crayons down to a nub, pausing only to color long enough to break off the point and sharpen it again.