Some Priority Heavy Metals in Children's Toys Imported into Nigeria: Toxic Metals in Imported Children's Toys

Heavy metals such as lead are widely used in toys as stabilizers to bind any free chlorine that might be formed during processing or degradation. Lead is also used in various pigments that color plastic. Heavy metals do not bind to the plastic, existing as a freely mobile and leachable phase in the plastic. As a consequence, lead and other heavy metals are continuously released from toys over time. Contact and pressure, such as that applied during teething or play by children, can increase the rate at which these chemicals leach from the plastic. This is of great concern as heavy metals are known to cause a number of hazards. In the European Union (EU), legislation is in place to control the use of certain toxic heavy metals in toys and other children?s products. In Nigeria, there is no legislation presently for this sector. A total number of 51 toys manufactured from different countries were purchased and studied to determine the level of lead, cadmium, chromium and nickel in the plastic components which was digested with concentrated HNO3 (CPSC-CH-E1002-08 method) and analyzed using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) to determine the levels of heavy metal conc