What to Do If You’re Concerned about Lead Paint in Your Pet’s Products

Yesterday I wrote how children’s toys aren’t the only thing testing positive for lead paint. So are pet products, like food and water bowls and bird cages. Here’s some things to keep in mind if you’re worried about pet products you have in your household: 1) Check labels. Made in China instantly makes me wary anymore, but that doesn’t automatically mean lead’s in the paint. Also, some products specifically indicated paint used contains lead. 2) If labels are no help and you want to determine if your pet’s bowls or toys contain lead, buy a testing kit. (Options include the … Continue reading

Toxic Toys

Shopping for gifts for kids just got a little bit harder. In a test of over 1200 toys, 35% contained lead, including a Hannah Montana card game and a Go Diego Go! backpack. The tests were performed by a coalition of environmental groups and is available for perusal here. Of the toys tested a mere 20% had no trace of lead or other harmful chemicals. 23 of the toys listed had been recalled this year. Jewelry products were among the toys most likely to contain high levels of lead. Federal standards dictate that a toy should not contain more than … Continue reading