SOFT PLASTIC BALLS MAY CONTAIN BANNED TOXIC CHEMICALS
Parents, beware. The soft plastic balls that your children play with may contain toxic chemicals that can impair health.
Some European governments have recently recalled or withdrew from the market several soft plastic balls, most of which are made in China, for containing banned or restricted chemicals of concern. The chemicals include endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) like phthalates and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) like short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCPPs).
According to Safety Gate (the European Union’s rapid alert system for dangerous non-food products), the governments of Czechia, Germany, Poland, and Sweden have issued product safety alerts for the first 5 months of 2024, warning consumers of the risks of using such soft plastic balls (also called inflatable balls).
Although recalled overseas, these chemical-laden plastic balls are still available in other countries. They have recently been found to be sold in the Philippines. “Our market investigation shows that similar soft PVC plastic balls are sold in the local market, including in online shopping sites, often without any labelling information,” says Manny Calonzo, Campaigner of Philippines toxics watchdog group, EcoWaste Coalition.
On June 5 and 6, the group purchased 32 pieces of soft plastic balls from retailers and wholesalers in Manila. X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) screening conducted by the group indicates that the said balls were made of PVC. Aside from being soft, the PVC plastic material used in the manufacture of these balls was found to emit a strong plastic odour.
Ecowaste Coalition found several soft plastic balls sold in the Philippines resembling the toy products recalled or withdrawn in the European. Among them:
1. An inflatable ball with patterns in black, orange, yellow and green, which the Swedish government banned in March 2024. According to the European alert, this ball contains excessive levels of diisobutyl phthalate (DIDP) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) measured at 7.5% and 14%, way above the 0.1% limit. “These phthalates may harm the health of children, causing possible damage to their reproductive system.”
Aside from phthalates, the same toy was found to contain 2.7% of SCPPs, which are used as plasticisers and/or as flame retardants and are classified as POPs under the Stockholm Convention.
“SCPPs persist in the environment, are toxic to aquatic organisms at low concentrations and bio-accumulate in wildlife and humans, posing a risk to human health and the environment,” stated the Swedish alert, which adds that “prolonged exposure to them through the skin may cause cancer”.
2. An inflatable ball similar to the one banned by the government of Poland in March 2024. According to the Polish alert, “the toy has an excessive concentration of diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP) with measured value up to 9.4% by weight”.
3. A spiked soft plastic ball that the Polish government banned in April 2024. The toy contains 19.5% of DBP and 1.45% of DIBP, according to European alert.
4. A soft plastic ball banned by Germany had excessive concentration of the aromatic amine 4-methyl-m-phenylenediamine, which, according to the alert, “is a skin sensitizer, may cause cancer and might induce mutations and affect fertility”.
The Coalition which has been calling for a ban on the use of PVC plastic in the production of toys (banned or restricted phthalates are often used and found in toys and childcare articles made of PVC), is now urging the Philippines authorities to test soft balls for phthalates and other regulated chemicals to protect children’s safety.