Toxic metals common in kids' goods: Greenpeace
Updated: 2011-12-08 16:16
By Zhou Wenting (China Daily)
中国绿色和平组织于本周三在北京召开的新闻发布会，期间Joe DiGangi，国际消除持久性有机污染物网络机构的科学家兼政策顾问使用Innov-X分析仪检测绿色和平组织购买的书包：上图为中国日报公布的Joe DiGangi正在使用Innov-X XRF荧光光谱分析仪检测一个购自湖北武汉的儿童书包中铅含量的巨幅照片；
中国日报中国绿色和平组织于本周三在北京召开的新闻发布会新闻译文：北京——绿色和平组织分析了在最近的一项调查后说近10％在中国市场销售的儿童产品中含有过量的铅，这是一种对人体有害的重金属，它会对儿童的健康构成威胁，。
在11月份，中国绿色和平组织在五个城市的商场，超市和批发市场随机购买了500个儿童产品 - 北京，上海，广州，武汉和香港。调查中发现，10％未能达到国家标准的铅含量，30％以上的有五种其他有害重金属。被检测的物质有： 铅，锑，砷，镉，铬和汞 – 这些物质会严重损害神经系统，并通过呼吸进入人体，皮肤或粘膜以及污染儿童的食物。
“例如，铅，它具有剧毒性和累积性，会影响孩子的身心发展并导致学习能力的下降，”吴仪秀说，中国绿色和平组织的毒素预防活动家。
“动物实验已表明，接触重金属的儿童所造成的健康危害有可能影响到他今后的人生“张云辉说，复旦大学公共卫生学院的副教授说道。
一份关于美国疾病控制中心及预防青少年儿童铅中毒的一份文件显示，人体内并没有铅含量安全阈值以及儿童不应该直接接触到这些物质。
由中国质检总局以及标准管理委员会制定的一项强制性的国家标准，在2010年10月开始施行，它规定玩具里的铅最高含量为每公斤600毫克 - 可溶性含量也将被限制在其他8种金属元素。
但绿色和平组织对这一标准提出了疑问，他们质疑当局只给出了铅的总含量设置了一个上限，但没有设定上限于其他金属元素。
“尽管存在这种可能性，儿童会吞下一个玩具，但是更常见的是儿童会去触摸，咀嚼或嗅这些玩具”吴说。
一些国家，包括美国和加拿大，他们将玩具涂料中的铅含量限制在在每公斤90毫克。
黄宁，是一位起草国家标准和国家标准涂料和颜料技术委员会的专家，他说：“这些标准是国际标准和中国玩具制造商所使用的标准的一种组合。”
“八大重金属的限制设定标准同样类似地在欧盟使用”黄说。
中国质检总局在最新玩具的抽查检验中显示，在5月份发现铅和铬。在242个样品中，有两个不能够满足国际重金属限定含量的标准
一位在深圳的一家塑料玩具制造商工作自称姓金的经理说，他了解过，一些玩具制造商在玩具涂料标准出台后他们自己建立了一套自我检测系统。
金说：”我们进行一个季度性的涂料抽样检查。 “我们不会降低原材料的质量，因为我们承担不起因质量问题而产生的后果。”
奥林巴斯伊诺斯（Olympus Innov-X）XRF 中国总代理
深圳市莱雷科技发展有限公司
深圳市宝安区西乡街道107国道339号吉美禾综合楼1112-1115
TEL: 755-27480002; FAX: 755-27480010-31176707
中国日报中国绿色和平组织于本周三在北京召开的新闻发布会新闻原文：
Joe DiGangi, a science and policy adviser for International POPs Elimination Network, which is a global network dedicated to eliminating persistent organic pollutants, uses an X-ray fluorescence to test the lead content of a schoolbag bought in Wuhan, Hubei province, during a news conference held by Greenpeace China on Wednesday in Beijing. [Photo / China Daily]
BEIJING - Nearly 10 percent of children's products sold in Chinese markets contain excessive lead, a harmful heavy metal, posing a threat to their health, Greenpeace said after a recent investigation.
In November, Greenpeace China bought 500 random children's products at shopping malls, supermarkets and wholesale markets in five cities - Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Wuhan and Hong Kong. It found that 10 percent failed to meet the national standard of lead content, and more than 30 percent contained five other hazardous heavy metals.
These substances tested for - lead, antimony, arsenic, cadmium, chromium and mercury - can seriously damage the nervous system, and can enter the body through breathing, the skin or mucous membranes and contaminated food.
"For example, lead, which is highly toxic and cumulative, will trigger obstacles for a child's mental and physical development and learning ability," said Wu Yixiu, a toxins prevention campaigner at Greenpeace China.
"Animal experiments have demonstrated that health hazards caused by exposure to heavy metals in childhood are likely to continue throughout life," said Zhang Yunhui, an associate professor at Fudan University's school of public health.
A document about lead poisoning in young children from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there is no safe threshold for lead content in the human body and children should have no exposure to the substance.
A mandatory national standard for toy coatings issued by China's leading quality watchdog and the standards administration, which took effect in October 2010, set limits for the substances. The maximum of total content of lead is 600 mg per kg - dissoluble content limits were also set for eight other metals.
But Greenpeace questions the standards, saying the authorities set only a ceiling for total lead content but failed to cap the levels of other metals.
"Though there is possibility that children may swallow a toy, it is more common for them to touch, chew or sniff it," Wu said.
Some countries, including the US and Canada, set the lead content in toy coatings at 90 mg per kg.
Huang Ning, one of the drafters of the national standards and an expert from the national standards technical committee on paints and pigments, said the standards are a combination of international standards and those used by Chinese toy makers.
"The limits set for eight heavy metals are similar to those used in the European Union," Huang said.
The Chinese quality watchdog's latest random testing of toys, in May, found lead and chromium. Two of the 242 samples failed to meet the national limits on heavy metal content.
A manager at a Shenzhen-based plastic toy manufacturer, who gave his name only as Jin, said he knows that some toy makers established a self-testing system after the toy coating standards were issued.
"We conduct a quarterly random check of coatings," Jin said. "We don't dare to lower the quality of raw materials, because we can't afford the consequences of quality problems."
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