Lawmakers recently requested a recall of toxic asbestos crayons and crime lab toys from certain retailers’ inventories, and Toys R Us, Amazon.com, Party City, and Dollar Tree quickly complied.

Asbestos is a known carcinogen that is the root cause of several diseases, including asbestos mesothelioma, absestosis, and asbestos lung cancer, all of whch are usually terminal. Victims can take 20 to 50 years to develop symptoms after an individual is first exposure to asbestos fibers.

The retailers immediately removed certain items from their inventory as soon as they became aware that some children’s products tested positive for asbestos.

In a press release concerning the allegedly asbestos-contaminated children’s products, Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey states: “We commend these four companies for their good corporate citizenship and commitment to protecting children and families from contaminated products.”

Background on Kids’ Toys Asbestos Exposure

In July, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) Action Fund published a report that certain children’s fingerprint kits and crayon sets that were imported from China contained talc with asbestos fibers. Since talc and asbestos occur naturally near each other, cross contamination of mined talc can sometimes occur.
According to the EWG Action Fund, asbestos fibers were found in the following toys and children’s products:

• Inside Intelligence Secret Spy Kit (Sold by Buy-Rite)
• EduScience Deluxe Forensics Lab Kit (Sold by Toys “R” Us)
• Saban Power Rangers Super Megaforce Crayons (Sold by Greenbrier International)
• Disney Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Crayons (Sold by Greenbrier International)
• Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Crayons (Sold by MII Inc.)
• Amscan Crayons (Sold by Amscan)

Besides just pulling the asbestos crayons and kits from store shelves, Markey’s office also asked some of the retailers to retest the products themselves to determine the presence of asbestos fibers.

The officials representing the companies that sell these products have requested that their suppliers reformulate the products without asbestos fibers. Additionally, Party City has asked Congress and CPSC to set an official federal standard for an acceptable asbestos level in crayons.

Asbestos Exposure Via Toys: An Old Issue

This is not the first time asbestos fibers have been found in crayons and other children’s toys. According to reports, the CPSC has been aware of the presence of asbestos in certain toys for the last 15 years. It is legal to produce toys and crayons containing asbestos in all states but Connecticut.

According to Markey “The CPSC should ban talc from children’s products and issue a rule on asbestos modeled on the existing rules for lead or phthalates in toys. We need greater access to information about where asbestos is present in everyday products,” his press release states.