ShareThisCanadian health officials are moving forward with plans to restrict lead from consumer products that are likely to be put in a child's mouth.
But as the plans wind through the bureaucracy, some health advocates wonder if the proposed limits are low enough to protect children -- and why these rules weren't made law years ago.
Under the proposed rules, items such as soothers, baby bibs, mouthpieces of musical instruments, crib toys, crayons, modeling clays and toys geared toward children under the age of 3 must not contain lead that exceeds 90 milligrams per kilogram.
Previous testing by the federal agency Health Canada and nonprofit organizations has demonstrated that some items -- such as baby bibs and crayons -- contain high levels of lead that could pose a threat to children.
The proposed rules are part of a lead-risk reduction strategy that various federal governments have been promising since the early 1990s. This first phase of the strategy is open to public consultation until Thursday, after which federal officials may introduce regulations that could eventually become binding. Products that may be subject to future regulation include strollers, playpens, high chairs, cooking utensils, incense and chemical fire logs.
Many parents may be surprised to learn those items aren't already subject to lead restrictions, said Gideon Forman, executive director of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment.
"It's shocking how little protection there is in 2009," Forman said.
Canada's federal rules are supposed to prohibit hazardous materials from consumer products, but in reality, they only apply to high levels of toxic substances that can lead to "acute exposure," said Sarah Sheffield, project officer with Health Canada's Consumer Product Safety Directorate.
But as more research has suggested a health risk linked to long-term exposure to trace amounts of lead, and a growing number of lead-tainted consumer products have been identified in the marketplace, officials have recognized the need to create specific rules to limit it in consumer products.
"It seems now from recent research you can get a buildup of lead in the body possibly over a lifetime," Sheffield said.
Because there are currently few specific rules limiting lead in many consumer products, including those in the proposed new rules, Sheffield said Canadian health officials are unable to take action against certain unregulated products.
Some consumer products do have lead restrictions, including liquid coatings on children's furniture, glazed ceramics and glassware. In addition, paint on children's toys and plastic toys designed for children under age 3 have lead limits of 600 milligrams per kilogram.
Children are particularly vulnerable to its effects, and low levels of lead exposure over time can lead to neurological damage and affect a child's intellectual development, according to Health Canada.
That's why some experts are concerned that the proposed limits would allow up to 90 milligrams per kilogram rather than levels that are barely detectable.
"Any amount of lead can injure a child," said Forman.
Toys and other consumer products are only part of the problem, he added. Homes built before 1960 likely contain lead paint, according to Health Canada, which poses a risk for exposure, particularly if the paint is chipping or peeling. However, removing the paint can be dangerous because lead can be released into the air during the process. Pipes in older homes may also be made with lead, which means traces of lead can end up in drinking water.
But having regulations in place doesn't guarantee against lead exposure. Health Canada already has limits for lead in paint used on toys, but Mattel recalled millions of products two years ago that violated that standard.
Health Canada this week announced a recall of a wooden alphabet puzzle sold by Day to Day Products Inc. over high levels of lead in the paint.
The Mattel recall prompted many companies to tighten safety controls and pushed governments to create new rules to help keep contaminated goods out of the country.
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
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