Quote:
|
Originally Posted by tracilicious
Heavy metals wreak havoc on your body. The fact that there were toxic substances in our toys doesn't make me feel any better. It's not like we're a healthy generation. Awareness is a good thing.
|
http://www.oehha.ca.gov/prop65/background/p65plain.html
"For chemicals that are listed as causing birth defects or reproductive harm, the "no observable effect level" is determined by identifying the level of exposure that has been shown to not pose any harm to humans or laboratory animals. Proposition 65 then requires this "no observable effect level"
to be divided by 1,000 in order to provide an ample margin of safety. Businesses subject to Proposition 65 are required to provide a warning if they cause exposures to chemicals listed as causing birth defects or reproductive harm that exceed 1/1000th of the "no observable effect level."
The claim is that these toys have 32 times the legal limit, the legal limit being 1/1000 the amount that causes even the SLIGHTEST effect in a lab environment (meaning, I'm sure, prolonged exposure). Run for the hills!!!! These bracelets have 33 times less lead than is necessary to cause one rat in a thousand to have a birth defect after being rubbed with lead every day of its life!!!!!!!!
Sigh. When you put big scary warnings on EVERYTHING, it diminishes the importance of actual danger. I find it difficult to be up in arms about this very very minor incident. Is it good that there's a large safety net? Absolutely. But it's a large safety net, and it's served its purpose. Can we stop fearing for the lives of our children now?
My favorite is the threshold for substances known to cause cancer. If there is an amount that would cause an increased likelihood for 1 in 100,000 individuals after regular exposure for 70 years...they have to slap the warning on it.