The dominant chemical found in the tested toys is toxic when ingested by animals, with health effects ranging from tumors and liver and kidney damage to reproductive abnormalities. Several of the softeners have been identified as possessing the ability to disrupt the hormone system, a phenomenon known as endocrine disruption. As mentioned before, the acute toxicity of phthalates is extremely low. Of course if you continuously administer doses as high as the MTD , you will find effects, caused by the dose, not the toxicity of the product. When children suck and chew on soft PVC toys, it is similar to squeezing a sponge.
Water comes out of the sponge, just as the hazardous softeners can come out of the toys.
Based on recent testing, the Danish and Dutch governments are now taking action to reduce the risk to children posed by the possible leaching of soft vinyl toys. The Italian company Chicco voluntarily withdrew three teething rings from the market in Denmark, Sweden, Spain, Italy, Greece and Argentina. Several major European toy retailers have removed soft PVC toys for small children from their shelves. Other toys didn't show such high leakage. Tests of the same rings of the same brand in Belgium, Spain and Italy, showed normal below limits extraction.