In a recent investigation from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) Action Fund, several boxes of crayons have been found to contain asbestos fibres, a potentially deadly threat with far-reaching consequences.
The crayons affected include many popular
brands, marketed under children's characters including Mickey Mouse, the Power
Rangers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
28 boxes of crayons
were tested by two government-certified laboratories, four of which contained the potentially
deadly chemical.
The EWG said that
microscopic asbestos fibres can be released as the crayons are used, with an
average child getting through 730 crayons by the time they are 10, according to
Crayola.
Breathing in
microscopic asbestos fibres has been linked to serious health
problems including lung
disease and lung cancer.
The risk of asbestos exposure from the items
tested is low, regulators said, but scientists and health officials agree that
no level of asbestos is safe and children exposed to asbestos may be at greater
risk than adults (as they sometimes chew or eat them!) And because they are so young they have a longer
latency in which to develop asbestos related diseases, which are known to be diseases
that develop over time.
A
spokeswoman for Toys "R" Us, which distributes the EduScience Deluxe
Forensics Lab Kit (a product also found to contain asbestos) responded, saying
customer safety is the company's highest priority.
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