EWG News release
Connecticut State Officials Remove Asbestos Toy from Store Shelves
WASHINGTON - Environmental Working Group (EWG) Executive Director, Richard Wiles, praised the action of Connecticut state officials that removed fromsale all Planet Toys' CSI: Crime Scene Investigationtm Fingerprint Examination Kits due to recent test results finding dangerous levels of asbestos in powders contained in some sample kits.
"The type of asbestos detected in these kits, tremolite, is one the most lethal forms of asbestos, and a single exposure to it is sufficient to cause lung cancer later in life," said Wiles. "Connecticut deserves praise for its action and it is imperative that the federal government makes a health-protective decision and removes this potent toy from shelves nationwide."
Particularly troubling about this toy is that children are directed to blow the asbestos contaminated powder after dusting for fingerprints, which would make it much more likely that children playing with this toy would actually inhale potentially lethal asbestos fibers. Any amount of asbestos fiber in a children's toy, particularly in a powder that is certain to be inhaled, is unacceptable and unnecessary.
While debate over exposures to some chemicals and toxics may still be ongoing, there is no debate when it comes to asbestos. There is a national epidemic of asbestos diseases that claims the lives of ten thousand Americans each year, many of whom were exposed early in life.
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EWG is a not-for-profit research organization that uses the power ofinformation to protect human health and the environment. EWG's work onasbestos can be viewed at http://www.ewg.org/featured/231.