Hormone-disrupting substances can be found in all sorts of products for children. Despite strict legislation, items like dolls, toy cars, or building sets may still contain harmful chemicals.
The list of hazardous compounds found in items regularly used in households is extensive: new flame retardants, certain bisphenols, PFAS (known as “forever chemicals”), unregulated phthalates, and biocides. For instance, toys, hair products and kitchen utensils collected from 37 countries in Europe, Africa and Asia between 2018 and 2021 and analyzed by Arnika, revealed the presence of TBBPA (tetrabromobisphenol A), a toxic flame retardant listed as SVHC. This substance was found in relatively high concentrations even in products purchased on the EU market. TBBPA may have adverse health effects in very low concentrations, contributing to cancer development and disrupting the hormonal system. Other toxic flame retardants were already banned in toys. However, as a result of regrettable substitution, new ones such as TBBPA are frequently detected especially in plastic products.
Products purchased in Czechia, Austria, Germany, Spain, France or Portugal were found to contain some of the highest concentrations of TBBPA in the survey. “TBBPA is a regrettable substitute to already banned polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), persistent brominated flame retardants prohibited globally by the Stockholm Convention. It is an endocrine disruptor and potential carcinogen. Previous studies have shown that it interferes with thyroid hormone transport function. Alarmingly, some of the highest levels of TBBPA have been detected in toy samples. Children under the age of five and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to endocrine disruptors,” explains Jindřich Petrlík, head of Arnika’s Toxics and Waste Programme.
TBBPA often enters products unintentionally, as a contaminant from recycled e-waste plastic used in cheap toys and other consumer goods from unknown brands.
One Chemical is Banned, Another Emerges
Bisphenols are another group of hazardous substances that should have no place in children´s products. These chemicals are proven to disrupt hormonal systems in children, with scientific studies linking them to health effects such as reduced IQ, cognitive impairment, and obesity. About 50 structurally similar substances belong to the chemical group of bisphenols. Currently, only bisphenols classified as CMRs (carcinogenic, mutagenic, or reprotoxic) are banned in toys, while those that act as endocrine disruptors remain permitted.
At the end of 2024, the EU Commission took a significant step by banning BPA and other hormone-disrupting bisphenols from food packaging and materials that come into contact with food.
The EU is now working to amend the Toy Safety Regulation by proposing a ban on the entire group of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). This approach aims to prevent the replacement of one harmful substance with a similarly toxic alternative. For example, in thermal receipt paper, BPA has often been replaced by structurally similar and equally harmful bisphenols like BPS or BPF. To safeguard children, banning the entire group of bisphenols in toys is crucial.
“Parents should prioritize toys made from natural materials or purchase from European manufacturers with stringent chemical policies that go beyond current regulations by restricting entire groups of harmful substances. However, the best solution for the EU market is a comprehensive ban on endocrine disruptors in toys,” adds Karolína Brabcová, head of Arnika’s consumer safety projects.
Looking Ahead
The position of EU Member States will play a critical role in the legislative process, which is expected to conclude in the first half of 2025.
If you’re curious about potential sources of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in your home, try Arnika’s web-based CheckED app. It can help identify items and goods in your household that may be emitting toxic substances and provide guidance on reducing your exposure to harmful chemicals.
