Contamination by hazardous elements in low-priced children's plastic toys bought on the local markets of Karachi, Pakistan

Experimental study for inorganic and organic profiling of toy makeup products: Estimating the potential threat to child health

Inorganic elements are added to toys as impurities to give desired stability, brightness, flexibility, and color; however, these elements may cause numerous health issues after acute or chronic exposure. In this study, the inorganic profile of 14 elements (Al, As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Se, Sb, Pb, and Zn) in 63 toy makeup products was identified by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry after microwave acid digestion method. Additionally, organic allergen fragrance was investigated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The systemic exposure dosage (SED), margin of safety (MoS), lifetime cancer risk (LCR), hazard quotient (HQ), and hazard indices were used to assess the safety evaluation. Then, 57 out of 63 samples (90.48%) exceeded the limits at least for one toxic element with descending order Ni > Cr > Co > Pb > Sb > Cd > As > Hg. The SED values were compared with tolerable daily intake values and remarkably differences were found for Al and Pb. The MoS values for 57.15% of samples exceeded the limit value for Al, As, Cd, Co, Hg, Mn, Sb, and Zn elements. The LCR values were observed at 100% (n = 63), 79.37% (n = 50), 85.71% (n = 54), 77.78% (n = 49), and 18.87% (n = 10) for Cr, Ni, As, Pb, and Cd, respectively. Also, the skin sensitization risks were obtained for Cr and Ni at 26.980% (n = 17) and 9.52% (n = 6), respectively. The HQ values for 80% of samples were found to be ≥ 1 at least for one parameter. The investigation of fragrance allergens in samples did not show any significant ingredients. As a result, toy makeup products marketed in local stores were found to be predominantly unsafe. Children should be protected from harmful chemicals by regular monitoring and strict measures.

Green direct ultrasonic slurry sampling and electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry method for metal analysis of solid plastics samples

This work presents a "green" analytical method developed for the determination of potentially toxic metals such as aluminium, barium and chromium in solid plastics samples using the slurry sampling technique in conjunction with electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. The development of the slurry sampling technique in conjunction with electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry entailed optimisation of the measuring conditions, which included optimisation of the temperature programme, selection of an appropriate liquid medium for slurry preparation, optimisation of the concentration and volume of the liquid medium and optimisation of the mass of the solid plastics sample. The following conditions were determined: the optimal pyrolysis temperature for aluminium, barium and chromium was in the range of 1300 °C to 1700 °C and the optimal atomisation temperature was in the range of 2100 °C to 2400 °C. The optimal liquid media for solid plastics samples were H2O, 0.2% (v/v) HNO3 and 0.2% (v/v) HCl. The optimal volume of liquid medium was in the range from 5 to 15 mL and the mass of the solid plastics samples was in the range from 30 to 100 mg. The limit of detection and limit of quantification were estimated as 0.06-0.52 ng g-1 and 0.22-1.69 ng g-1 for aluminium, 0.11-0.94 ng g-1 and 0.37-3.14 ng g-1 for barium and 0.07-0.31 ng g-1 and 0.25-1.04 ng g-1 for chromium. Relative standard deviation was below 5% for all plastic samples analysed. Based on the established validation parameters, the slurry sampling technique in conjunction with electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry represents a viable technique for metal analysis of a variety of plastic materials. The concentrations of analytes in individual solid plastic samples were in the range of 1.36 ± 0.06 μg g-1 to 22.65 ± 0.66 μg g-1 for aluminium, 1.13 ± 0.03 μg g-1 to 6.01 ± 0.22 μg g-1 for barium and 0.60 ± 0.03 μg g-1 to 10.48 ± 0.46 μg g-1 for chromium.

Metals as toxicants in event-based expedited production of children's jewelry

Globally, the hazardous substance in children's goods is of great concern. Toxic chemicals are potentially harmful to the health and growth of infants and children. Lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd)-contaminated children's jewelry is widely encountered in many countries. This study aims to determine the concentration of metal toxicants (Pb, Cd, Ni, Cu, Zn, Co, and Fe) in event-based (Independence Day festival) children's jewelry, considering time-limited and fast production products that may compromise the quality and safety parameters during manufacturing. The determinations are for the time-constraint industrial production of children's jewelry in the context of the toxic substances in a variety of base materials used. This is the first time event-based children's jewelry has been monitored and critically assessed for metal contamination. Forty-two samples, including metallic, wooden, textile, rubber, plastic, and paint-coated plastic children's jewelry, were tested. Seventy-four percent of samples detected Pb and Cd in quantifiable amounts. Ni in 71%, Cu in 67%, Co in 43%, and Zn and Fe were detected in 100% samples with quantifiable amounts. Twenty-two ID-CJ samples exceeded the US regulatory limit for Pb and four samples for Cd. However, twenty-nine samples for Pb, eleven for Cd, five for Co, and one for Cu exceeded the EU regulatory limit. The highest concentration of Pb was found in paint-coated plastic jewelry, and the highest Cd was found in metallic jewelry. These results suggest that the potential hazards of event-based children's jewelry deserve the attention of government agencies seeking to limit children's exposure to toxic chemicals. Intergovernmental organizations and individual countries regulate chemicals in consumer products, but a coordinated international approach is lacking. Some continents and countries still lack in regulations for children's products, especially jewelry, and toys.