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| Top Ten Unfounded Health Scares of 2007 #7 |
| Rubber Ducks Are Toxic (Phthalates Endanger Children) |
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| Posted: Wednesday, December 19, 2007 |
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The (Unfounded) Scare: Phthalates, often found in rubber ducks and other soft plastic toys, leach out into the mouths of children, posing risks to their health. Phthalates are added to polyvinyl chloride (PVC) as a softener for plastic items such as rubber ducks, pacifiers, intravenous medical tubing, examination gloves, catheters, and blood storage bags. They are also used in nail polish to prevent chipping and in perfumes to help the fragrance last longer.(36)
Origin of the Scare: Concerns over phthalates and human health have been around for a decade or so. Phthalates are found in a wide variety of consumer products. Recently, children’s rubber ducks have become the poster child of the anti-phthalate campaign – most likely to juxtapose the (purported) toxicity of phthalates with the presumed innocence of rubber ducks. The state of California was in the forefront of this movement and even passed legislation banning the use of phthalates – despite opposition from the California Chambers of Commerce, California Retailers Association, and the American Chemistry Council.(37)
Media Coverage: Due to the ban in California, many smaller media outlets in California ran large pieces on the story such as the California Progress Report’s “Rubber Ducks in a Row as Schwarzenegger Signs Bill to Protect Children from Toxic Chemicals in Toys.” The Los Angeles Times ran an article entitled “Chemical stirs up controversy” in which Rachel Gibson, an attorney for Environment California, made the alarmist statement that “when a child puts a phthalate-laden teether in her mouth, it’s like sucking on a toxic lollipop.”(38)
The Bottom Line: Phthalates have not been shown to be harmful to humans at low-level exposure – only to rats at high exposures. They are extremely useful chemicals that are found in a wide range of everyday consumer goods. With that being said, it is no surprise that the general population have detectable amounts of this chemical in their blood. The important issue to stress is that the presence of a chemical does not necessarily mean that it is harmful – after all, it is the dose that makes the poison.
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| Table of Contents |
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Top Ten Unfounded Health Scares of 2007
Scare #1: Lipstick Is Toxic (Lead in Cosmetics) Scare #2: Fluoridated Water Jeopardizes Your Health Scare #3: Red Meat and Processed Meat Increase Cancer Risk Scare #4: PFOA Causes Low Birth Weight Babies Scare #5: Nitrites in Cured Meat Cause Lung Disease Scare #6: Roses Are Toxic Scare #7: Rubber Ducks Are Toxic (Phthalates Endanger Children) Scare #8: Vaccines Cause Autism Scare #9: Office Printers Are as Hazardous as Secondhand Cigarette Smoke Scare #10: Water Bottles Cause Cancer References |
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| Published: December 2007 |
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| Paperback |
| ISBN: N/A |
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