Testing reveals hidden dangers in drink glasses
Source: Agencies |
November 23, 2010, Tuesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
DRINKING glasses depicting movie characters such as Superman, Wonder Woman and the Tin Man from "The Wizard of Oz" exceed United States limits for lead in children's products by up to 1,000 times, according to testing commissioned by The Associated Press.
The decorative enamel on the superhero and Oz sets - made in China and purchased at a Warner Brothers Studios store in Burbank - contained between 16 percent and 30.2 percent lead. The federal limit on children's products is 0.03 percent.
The glasses also contained relatively high levels of the even-more-dangerous cadmium, though there are no federal limits on that toxic metal in design surfaces.
In testing to recreate regular handling, other glasses shed small but notable amounts of lead or cadmium from their decoration. Federal regulators worry that toxic metals rubbing on children's hands can get into their mouths.
Voluntary recall
Coca-Cola, which was given the test results last week, announced on Sunday it was voluntarily recalling 88,000 glasses.
The latest tests were conducted in response to a recall by McDonald's of 12 million glasses this summer because cadmium escaped from designs depicting characters in a "Shrek" movie.
The New Jersey manufacturer said in June that the products were made according to standard practice.
To assess potential problems with glass collectibles beyond the "Shrek" set, the AP bought and analyzed new glasses off the shelf, and old ones from online auctions, thrift shops and a flea market.
The tests, by ToyTestingLab of Rhode Island, found the enamel used to color the Tin Man had the highest lead levels, at 1,006 times the federal limit for children's products. Every Oz and superhero glass tested exceeded the government limit.
Federal regulators are to decide whether the glasses are "children's products" and thus subject to strict lead limits.
"Licensed characters based on action superhero themes or friendship themes are very popular" with children ages 6 to 8, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission said.
Warner Brothers said: "It is generally understood that the primary consumer for these products is an adult, usually a collector."
The importer, Utah-based Vandor LLC, said it "markets its products to adult collectors." The company said fewer than 10,000 of each set had been sold and that the products were made in China.
It said that superhero and "Oz" glasses both passed testing done for Vandor by a CPSC-accredited lab.
"The results were well within the legal limits" of 0.03 percent lead, it said. The company would not share the results.
CPSC spokesman Scott Wolfson said the agency would pursue action against any high-lead glasses determined to be children's products.
The decorative enamel on the superhero and Oz sets - made in China and purchased at a Warner Brothers Studios store in Burbank - contained between 16 percent and 30.2 percent lead. The federal limit on children's products is 0.03 percent.
The glasses also contained relatively high levels of the even-more-dangerous cadmium, though there are no federal limits on that toxic metal in design surfaces.
In testing to recreate regular handling, other glasses shed small but notable amounts of lead or cadmium from their decoration. Federal regulators worry that toxic metals rubbing on children's hands can get into their mouths.
Voluntary recall
Coca-Cola, which was given the test results last week, announced on Sunday it was voluntarily recalling 88,000 glasses.
The latest tests were conducted in response to a recall by McDonald's of 12 million glasses this summer because cadmium escaped from designs depicting characters in a "Shrek" movie.
The New Jersey manufacturer said in June that the products were made according to standard practice.
To assess potential problems with glass collectibles beyond the "Shrek" set, the AP bought and analyzed new glasses off the shelf, and old ones from online auctions, thrift shops and a flea market.
The tests, by ToyTestingLab of Rhode Island, found the enamel used to color the Tin Man had the highest lead levels, at 1,006 times the federal limit for children's products. Every Oz and superhero glass tested exceeded the government limit.
Federal regulators are to decide whether the glasses are "children's products" and thus subject to strict lead limits.
"Licensed characters based on action superhero themes or friendship themes are very popular" with children ages 6 to 8, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission said.
Warner Brothers said: "It is generally understood that the primary consumer for these products is an adult, usually a collector."
The importer, Utah-based Vandor LLC, said it "markets its products to adult collectors." The company said fewer than 10,000 of each set had been sold and that the products were made in China.
It said that superhero and "Oz" glasses both passed testing done for Vandor by a CPSC-accredited lab.
"The results were well within the legal limits" of 0.03 percent lead, it said. The company would not share the results.
CPSC spokesman Scott Wolfson said the agency would pursue action against any high-lead glasses determined to be children's products.
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