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26
LEAD IN PLASTIC TOYS
An investigation was made into the toxicity of plastic toys sold in
the Borough, and it was found that a high proportion of chose imported from
Hong Kong, 9 out of 14 sampled, contained excessive lead contents, Some
also had an excessive copper content. The majority of the cheap plastic
toys sold in this country are manufactured in Hong Kong.
These toys are commonly sucked and chewed by children. Many of the
cheaper types are so soft that appreciable amounts can be, and are, eaten.
The Council's Public Analyst therefore simulated stomach conditions in his
tests and reported that, although the amounts of lead would not be sufficient
to give rise to acute lead, poisoning, they were sufficient, to add
significantly to the daily intake of lead. This would be most undesirable
because lead is not eliminated from the body, it is accumulated.

The latter toy was particularly bad because the copper in the form of a paint
could be licked off the knife and sheath,
The Lead in Food Regulations are designed to keep the daily intake of
lead as low as possible. 100 grams of a food which contains the common
maximum possible amount of lead, viz. 2 parts per million, would contribute
0.0002 grams of lead to the daily intake. The ingestion of only 0.1 gram
of a part of these toys containing 1500 parts per million of lead would
contribute nearly the same amount
Lead was not the only hazard. Even more objectionable materials are
used, such as various of the plasticisers and other metals such as the copper
paint in the knife reported above.
The Council considered these reports and requested the Home Office to
prohibit the sale of plastic toys containing objectionable materials. The
information was also sent to the Association of Municipal Corporations and
to the British Safety Council, requesting their support.