What's New

On October 14, 2007, Governor Schwarzenegger signed into law Assemblywoman Fiona Ma's Stop Toxic Toys Bill (AB 1108). This new law prohibits the manufacture, sale, and distribution of children's toys and feeding products that contain phthalates. For more information, please read our news release.

In August 2008, President Bush signed into law a major toy safety bill authored by Senator Diane Feinstein. The law bans toxic phthalates in toys, an issue championed by Environment California. In late July, the Senate and House passed the Consumer Product Safety Commission Reform Act, which, in addition to banning phthalates from children's products, also bans lead from toys.

Good news! In April, we tested 13 toys for children under age 3, purchased at major retailers up and down the state. None of them contained phthalates! The manufacturers had substituted a less toxic chemical that has been approved for use by the European Union. The Stop Toxic Toys Bill is working!

For tips on how to reduce your child's exposure to toxic chemicals, click here.

For a shopper's guide to buying safer products, click here.

Report Documents Toxics in Baby Furniture

Environment California Research and Policy Center released a report, “Toxic Baby Furniture,” showing that baby nursery furnishings containing formaldehyde – a toxic chemical linked with allergies, asthma, and cancer – can contaminate indoor air within California homes. To evaluate the potential dangers children face, we purchased twenty-one products intended for use in a baby’s nursery and hired a professional laboratory to test them. Six of the products produced high levels of formaldehyde vapor. In particular, several brands of cribs and changing tables emit formaldehyde at levels linked with increased risk of developing allergies or asthma. More.

For tips on how to protect your children from exposure to toxic chemicals, click here.