Survey of chemical substances in consumer products, 77 – Survey and health assesment of chemicals substances in sex toys

Survey and health assesment of chemicals substances in sex toys

Summary

On behalf of the Danish EPA, DTI has made inquiries about the consumption pattern in connection with the use of sex toys made of rubber or plastics. Further, 16 different sex toys were procured for chemical screening for hazardous substances. 6 of these were finally selected for the actual migration test. Based on these analyses a health risk assessment of selected substances was carried out.

The survey shows that the choice of sex toys is very large – not only from shops selling sex/porno articles, but to a high extent also through sales on the Internet. The same distributor often has more Internet addresses which are adjusted to fit the specific customer segments.

A very large part of the sex toys is produced in the Far East (China) and there are mostly no material descriptions available. Jelly, which is a widely used material designation, has turned out to be plasticized vinyl (PVC). The plasticizer content may be very high up to 70%, which means that more than 2/3 of the materials consist of plasticizers. The plasticizers used are of the phthalate types (DEHP, DNOP; DINP).

The shops we have visited proved to possess very little knowledge of the materials. Their advice to customers in doubt of any hazardous effects of the material is to apply a condom to the device, e.g. a vibrator. Another recommendation is to clean the products before and after use with mild soapy water.

The criteria for selecting the sex toys were that both rubber and vinyl products as well as fetish clothing should be analysed in the screening and migration tests. Further, not only products from China but also toys from outside Europe or other, e.g. Canada should be included.

The element screening analyses showed that one product, a stick vibrator in hard ABS exceeded the allowed amount of cadmium considerably (200 ppm against a limit value of 75 ppm). Two products contained tin in substantial concentrations and for one of them a Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectroscopy (GC/MS) screening detected liberation of trimethyltin chloride.

Altogether the chromatographic screenings detected a substantial liberation of a number of hazardous substances.

The chemical substances include solvents, degradation products from accelerators and other rubber chemicals and plasticizers. Several of those are reprotoxic and a few have other injurious health effects, e.g. neurotoxic effects.

The screening results formed the basis for selecting the six products for the migration test. One selection criteria was that products in rubber, thermoplastic rubber and soft vinyl should be included in the tests. Further, the values for degassing or content of hazardous substances detected by the screening analyses were considered, where products with high concentrations were selected.

The rate of occurrences of the specific identified chemical substances in all purchased products was also an important factor for selecting samples for the analyses.

The health assessment found that some of the products carried health risks in connection with the substances stated in Table 1.0:

Table 0.1 Hazardous substances and effects

Substance	Effects
DEHP (Bis -2-ethylhexyl phthalate)	Harmful effects on foetus and fertility, effects on liver and kidneys
2-ethylhexane acid	Suspicion of harmful effect on foetus
Phenol
Carbon disulphide	Suspicion of harmful effect on foetus and on fertility
Trimethyltin chloride	Irreversible neurotoxic effects

Especially for DEHP the risk will depend on the use of lubricant cream, as oil based lubricant cream will increase the migration of the plasticizers.

The risk will depend on the use and the major part of the products carry no risk by normal use, see Table 0.2.

Table 0.2: Identified health effects for products

Product no	Type	Health effect Normal use ³	Health effect Max. use ³
1	Dildo	None	None
2	Dildo	Minor risk pregnant/breast feeding (trimethyltin chloride)	Risk for pregnant/breastfeeding, minor risk other adults (trimethyltin chloride)
3	Dildo	None	Minor risk for pregnant/breastfeeding (DEHP)² , possible minor risk (phenol, carbon disulphide)
4	Dildo	None	Minor risk for pregnant/breastfeeding (DEHP)² , possible minor risk (phenol, carbon disulphide, 2-ethylhexane acid)
5	Dress	None¹	Possible minor risk ¹
6	Gloves	None ¹	None ¹
7	Dildo	None	Possible minor risk (carbon disulphide)
8	Dildo	None	Minor risk for pregnant/breastfeeding (DEHP) ², possible minor risk (phenol)
9	Patent leather top	None ¹	None¹
10	Art. Vagina	None	None
11	Dildo	None	Minor risk (phenol)
12	Dildo	None	None
13	Dildo	None	Possible minor risk (phenol)
14	Gag	None	None
15	Dildo	None	Minor risk for pregnant/breastfeeding (DEHP) ², possible minor risk (phenol)
16	Dildo	None	None

1: Calculations indicate a risk of reprotoxic health effects from carbon disulphide exposure when using closed bodysuits for prolonged periods. No risk when using items which cover only a small part of the body, products No. 6, 9. There may be a minor risk with product No. 5 by max. use.

2: The risk is dependant on the use of lubricant cream; however, the risk is reduced by use of water-based lubricant cream.

3. Normal use of dildos and artificial vaginas has been determined to be once a week for 15 minutes. Max. use 1 hour per day. Gag is used for 1 hour per month by normal and by max. use. Fetish products (Nos. 5, 6, 7) are used for 3 h/month by normal use and 7 h/week by max. use.

As to the dildos it should be mentioned that the migration of DEHP in waterbased lubricant cream was 100 lower than in oil based lubricant cream, however, 8 times higher than in synthetic sweat. Thus the waterbased lubricant reduces the risk of health effects of substances as DEHP and DNOP with a very low degree of water solubility. The conditions applying to vaginal, anal and oral are expected to a certain degree to differ from the synthetic sweat, and expelled fluids as e.g. saliva will presumably increase the migration of substances with a low degree of water solubility such as DEHP.

Overall, only 7 products, nos. 1, 6, 9, 10, 12, 14 and 16, contained no health risks in worst case use but product no. 16 contains cadmium above the allowed level and is therefore not allowed on the European market.

Product no. 2 should not be used by pregnant/breastfeeding women due to its content of trimethyltin chloride which may cause irreversible neurotoxic effects (brain damage) to progeny. Additionally, there is a minor risk of neurotoxic effects to adults in worst case.

The other products, apart from product no. 2, involve no health risks by normal use.