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High Levels of Polyvinyl Chloride in Children’s School Supplies
By GreenCompany | August 4, 2009
The Center for Health, Environment and Justice and Environmental Defence are warning parents to be vigilant this year when choosing back to school supplies. Parents should be aware that their children are being exposed to toxic levels of polyvinyl chloride or PVC in many products being marketed to their children for the upcoming school year.
Parents need to know that polyvinyl chloride is found in many popular back to school products. These products include lunch pails, backpacks, art supplies, binders, rulers, and even clothes. PVC contains toxic and dangerous chemicals which include lead and cadmium. They also have been found to contain phthalates. What makes these chemicals dangerous in school products is that they have been found to leech out or even evaporate from our children’s school products putting them in danger of developmental disorders, liver damage, central nervous system disorders, and they can damage reproductive and respiratory systems.
Parents can rest easy though knowing that they have alternative choices for PVC-free products for their children’s school supplies this year. Many of these alternative choices can be found across North America in popular consumer stores and will be labeled as such. With children especially susceptible to the toxic effects of chemicals released by polyvinyl chloride containing products, it is important parents take the time to source PVC-free products for their children.
In Canada the federal government recently established hard limits on the amounts of phthalates that can be found in vinyl-based toys, but these guidelines do not extend to school supplies and other products that children often come in contact with.
Parents can arm themselves with updated information by reading the PVC-Free Back-to-School Guide. The PVC-Free Back-to-School Guide is being made available by Environmental Defence. Dr. Rick Smith who is the Executive Director of Environmental Defence says of the guide for parents, “The release of this guide comes just in time for back-to-school shopping, and will help parents avoid filling their children’s backpacks with toxic products. Given that many safer PVC-free products are available, parents should try to avoid products made of this chemical concoction.”
The PVC-Free Back-to-School Guide can be downloaded for free at www.environmentaldefence.ca
Category: Green Living, Green News
Tags: chemicals, children, environmental defence, phthalates, polyvinyl chloride, pvc, pvc-free, schoo supplies, vinyl No Comments »