All of the toys contained between 10 and 40 percent by weight of toxic chemical additives used to make the toys soft and flexible. These softeners belong to a group of chemicals called phthalates and are known to leak from PVC products during use, especially when pressure is applied, such as when a small child sucks or chews on a PVC teething ring. 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. 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. We encourage all families to play safe by avoiding PVC toys. Greenpeace is calling on toy manufacturers and retailers to eliminate PVC toys from their product lines.