USA non-profit organization calls for control on phthalates in school supplies

Recently, USA Center for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ) released a study result on phthalates content in school supplies. This study shows that 80% of school supplies contain phthalates and 75% back-to-school supplies highly exceeding the limit under CPSIA if they were toys and child care articles.

For example, an amazing spider man backpack contained a 52700ppm and 14900ppm of DEHP respectively in two places, which would be more than 52 times the limit under CPSIA if they were toys.

In line with CPSIA, no one shall manufacture for sale, offer for sale, distribute in commerce, or import into the United States any children’s toy or child care article that contains concentrations of more than 1000ppm DEHP, DBP or BBP.

Up to the present, CPSIA only restricts phthalates in toys and child care articles, which not include school supplies. However, phthalates are linked to birth defects, infertility, early puberty, asthma, obesity, diabetes and cancer. Therefore it is really a badly risk to children to keep prolonged contacting with phthalates-containing supplies.

In this study, 20 school supplies sampled were purchased in New York City, including 4 backpack, 4 children’s lunchboxes, 4 three-ring binders, 4 children’s rainboots and 4 children’s raincoats.

As a professional third party testing body, CTT remind parents not to purchase school supplies with highly garish school supplies so as to reduce risk of contacting hazardous substances.