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Mapping of perfume in toys and children's articles
Summary and conclusions
This consumer project deals with toys and children's articles containing scent for children aged 0 -10 years on the Danish market. The project elucidates the content of sensitizing fragrances as well as the
content and emission of other chemical substances.
Toys and children's articles containing fragrances
In the project, a mapping of the market for toys and children's articles with fragrances has been carried out.
A number of toy products containing fragrances are available on the Danish market. The products cover a wide range of different play activities and target both small children under three years and older
children.
Fragrances can be added to toys to differentiate the products from other similar products or the substances can be added to camouflage undesirable odour from the product. However, there are also
examples of toys for children older than 5 years where bad smelling substances have been added to the products intentionally. In this case, the possibility of exposing people to the unpleasant smell
constitutes the primary function of the toys.
Furthermore, the general trend is that fragrances are added to products of any kind in order that they become more attractive.
There are many fragrances and other substances with a natural low odour threshold that can be added to a product to obtain a scent effect.
The market changes all the time as new trends develop within the field of toys and children's articles. This means that there may be several other products on the market that have not been identified and that
some of the already identified products no longer exist in a version with scent.
The market for toys and children's articles containing scent has been mapped via contact to retailers, suppliers and importers of toys and children's articles. The mapping has identified 15 product types in
total where the scent is forming part of the marketing of the product. The 15 product types represent 68 different products containing scent on the market for children, as most of the product types represent
the same product in several different scent variants, for instance erasers with different types of scents.
It has not been possible to provide data that elucidate the size of the market for toys and children's articles containing scent.
10 of the 15 identified product types were selected for laboratory analyses. The selection was made on the basis of preliminary, qualitative screenings for ingredient substances. The selection was made on
the basis of the following criteria:
- The products have a declared content of one of the sensitizing substances on the EU list.
- The screening analysis has revealed content of one of the substances.
- The product has a strong odour/scent.
- The product is intended for babies.
- Use of the product involves a special risk of exposure (for instance soft toys, soap bubbles, fragrant rubber figures).
- The screening has demonstrated a content of a large number of substances.
Content of sensitizing fragrances in selected products
The 10 selected products were analyzed for content of the 24 substances on the EU list of sensitizing fragrances and two additional fragrances; oakmoss and treemoss. Oakmoss and treemoss have not been
detected in any of the products.
The analysis of content of sensitizing fragrances has illustrated that 18 of the 24 sensitizing fragrances on the EU list occur in 7 of the selected 10 products. Each of the products contains between 2 and 9 of
the 24 sensitizing fragrances.
Two of the four selected products for babies contained sensitizing fragrances.
The analysis shows that there is a large risk that children are exposed to sensitizing fragrances when using toys or children's articles containing scent.
Other ingredient substances in selected products
The selected products have been analyzed for content of other organic components. The analyses demonstrate a content of a large number of fragrances besides the sensitizing fragrances and organic
solvents.
The analysis of ingredient substances has been used to select products for test for migration of chemical substances to sweat and test for emission. The test results have been applied to evaluate the exposure
of children when playing with the products.
Four products intended for children below the age of three years have been analyzed for migration to sweat. The analyses show that all four products may liberate chemical substances to sweat. The
concentration of the liberated substances is low for three of the products. One of the products liberates a substance of the type flame retardant in a relatively large concentration.
7 of the products have been tested with regard to emission of volatile organic components. The test shows that the products liberate many volatile organic components. These are fragrances and organic
solvents.
Moreover, an analysis of ingredient substances has revealed a high content of phthalates in one of the products for children below the age of three years.
The product has been withdrawn from the market by the distributor.
Exposure of the users to other chemical substances
To determine the exposure of users, in this case children below the age of 10 years, scenarios have been prepared for skin absorption and inhalation.
The exposure scenarios for skin absorption show that there is a risk of health effects due to skin absorption of tri(2-chloroethyl)phosphate that is probably added as flame retardant to one of the tested
products. The substance can be absorbed in concentrations above the lower impact limit in relation to cancer-causing effects. The substance can be released from toy products intended for babies. It is
assessed that the substance is not necessary in the type of product in question. The product has been withdrawn from the market by the distributor.
One substance, ethylbenzene, can occur in a concentration close to the lower impact limit for the substance at inhalation. Release of the substance has only been demonstrated from one product in a
concentration that may be harmful. The product has been withdrawn from the market by the distributor.
Playing with the selected products may lead to exposure to many volatile organic components. However, the single substances occur in relatively low concentrations in the inhaled air of the child. The
concentration is for most of the tested substances far below the relevant limits for mucosal irritation and other health impacts. This also prevails when the child plays with more products at the same time.
However, it should be noted that the combination effects from the substances are unknown.
Recommendations
In summary, the results of the investigation lead to a number of recommendations to the consumers, producers, suppliers and importers of toys and children's articles containing fragrance and flavour.
Recommendations to consumers:
- Buy toys without fragrances.
- Unpack the product some time before use, if it has an odour, it should be placed in a ventilated area before given to the child for play
- When a toy is bought for children under the age of three, it should be labelled "for children less than 3 years".
Recommendations to producers, suppliers and importers of toys and children's articles:
- Avoid the use of flame retardants in toys in case there is no real risk that the product catches fire, and/or make demands on sub-suppliers that the products are not containing any flame retardants.
- Minimize the use of volatile organic substances in toys and children's articles.
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Version 1.0 March 2006, © Danish Environmental Protection Agency
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