Phthalates are a group of chemicals used to make plastics more flexible and harder to break. They are often called plasticizers. Some phthalates are used as solvents (dissolving agents) for other materials. They are used in hundreds of products, such as vinyl flooring, adhesives, detergents, lubricating oils, automotive plastics, plastic clothes (raincoats), and personal-care products (soaps, shampoos, hair sprays, and nail polishes).
Phthalates are used widely in polyvinyl chloride plastics, which are used to make products such as plastic packaging film and sheets, garden hoses, inflatable toys, blood-storage containers, medical tubing, and some children's toys.
How People Are Exposed to Phthalates
People are exposed to phthalates by eating and drinking foods that have been in contact with containers and products containing phthalates. To a lesser extent exposure can occur from breathing in air that contains phthalate vapors or dust contaminated with phthalate particles. Young children may have a greater risk of being exposed to phthalate particles in dust than adults because of their hand-to-mouth behaviors. Once phthalates enter a person's body, they are converted into breakdown products (metabolites) that pass out quickly in urine.
The EU Directive 2005/84/EC took effect on 16 January 2007 and set the limits of 6 phthalates in toys and childcare products. Since Annex XVII of REACH came into force in 2009, the Directive 2005/84/EC was replaced by REACH regulation. All the following 6 substances are added into REACH Restriction List.
Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate(DEHP)
Diisononyl phthalate (DINP)
Dibutyl phthalate (DBP)
Di-n-octyl phthalate (DNOP)
Benzylbutyl phthalate(BBP)
Diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP)
European standard EN 71 specifies safety requirements for toys. Compliance with the standard is legally required for all toys sold in the European Union.
The standard has been published in 11 parts:
EN 71-1: Mechanical and physical properties
EN 71-2: Flammability
EN 71-3: Specification for migration of certain elements
EN 71-4: Experimental sets for chemistry and related activities
EN 71-5: Chemical toys (sets) other than experimental sets
EN 71-6: Graphical symbols for age warning labelling
EN 71-7: Finger paints
EN 71-8: Swings, slides and similar activity toys for indoor and outdoor family domestic use
EN 71-9: Organic chemical compounds- Requirement
EN 71-10: Organic chemical compounds-Sample preparation and extraction
EN 71-11: Organic chemical compounds - Methods of analysis
EN71 test standard and content of the EN71-1: 2005 Safety of toys - Part 1: Physical and mechanical properties of the parts include drop testing, testing of small parts, sharp edges testing, tensile testing, stress testing, seam testing, ear, nose pulling eye , torque testing.
EN71-2: 2006 Safety of toys - Part 2: Flame retardant properties of the provisions of this section prohibit the use of all flammable materials, toys and certain types of toys small fire burning performance requirements. Require the burning rate of the test material shall not exceed the standards prescribed limits. Worn on the head comes to toys, clothes and fancy toys for children to wear in the play in the toys, toys for children to enter, or textile fabrics with a soft plush stuffed toys.
EN71-3: 2001/AC: 2002 Safety of toys - Part 3: Some elements of the transfer of some of the provisions of the toys that can touch the components or materials could be relocated elements (antimony, arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury , tin) the maximum limits. The test principle is: the soluble elements are simulated material constant contact with the acid after swallowing a period of time under the conditions of material extracted from the toys the dissolution matter. With a detection limit of quantitative determination of the appropriate method of the content of soluble elements.
Now EN71-3 added to the 19 problems, EU Toy Safety Directive 2009/48/EC determines the classification of new materials, new elements accessible parts of the new migration limit, New EN71-3 detection elements: aluminum, antimony, arsenic, barium, boron, cadmium, chromium (III), Cr (VI), cobalt, copper, lead, manganese, mercury, nickel, selenium, strontium, tin, organic tin, Zinc.The standard will be divided into three categories toy materials, different types corresponding to different limits.
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Mark Qi
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