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December 2, 2008 8:30:58 AM CST

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lead news stories

10 Stories

 Turf-Makers Sued Over Lead 

As fake grass ages, toxin levels 20 times legal limit

Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Times Sep 4, 08 12:50 PM CDT
(Newser) - California has sued three top turf-makers, claiming they are deliberately hiding the fact that their products contain lead, the Los Angeles Times reports. State law requires labeling of products containing the metal, which gives a "natural" green color to fake grass. Lead can cause cancer, birth defects, and damage to reproductive systems when absorbed through the skin or mouth. More »

More about:  California • health • cancer • lead poisoning • lead • consumer advocacy • birth defect • AstroTurf

Childhood Lead Levels Linked to Adult Crime

Exposure tied to smaller brains for kids who later turn to crime

Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Times May 28, 08 3:01 AM CDT
(Newser) - Childhood lead exposure has been linked to smaller brains and criminal behavior in adulthood, reports the Los Angeles Times. Researchers studying childhood blood contamination in old Cincinnati buildings with lead-based paint discovered that each 5 microgram-per-deciliter increase in blood lead levels by the age of 6 was accompanied by a 50% increase in violent crime. The affect was strongest among males. More »

More about:  health research • lead poisoning • lead • childhood • lead paint

EPA Plans
Tough New
Lead Limits

Safety standards unchanged
for 30 years

Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Times May 2, 08 2:37 AM CDT
(Newser) - The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing stringent new regulations on lead  levels in the air, which have remained unchanged for 30 years. Some 23 counties in the US would be out of compliance once the new standards are established. Lead has been linked to developmental and learning problems in children. More »

Lead Exposure May Speed Mental Decline

Build-up of pollutants seen contributing to memory loss in elderly

Associated Press Associated Press Jan 28, 08 1:15 PM CST
(Newser) - Mental decline is widely considered an unavoidable aspect of aging, but a slew of recent studies link reduced functioning in the elderly to past lead exposure, the AP reports. Common pollutants aren't singlehandedly responsible for memory loss or tremors. But breathing or ingesting lead, pesticides, or mercury early in life can trigger these symptoms of old age prematurely. More »

More about:  elderly • mental health • poison • memory • lead • lead paint

Lead Warning Issued
for Lipstick

Moms' cosmetics could affect children, expert cautions

Boston Globe Boston Globe Oct 12, 07 3:48 AM CDT
(Newser) - More than half of all lipsticks tested in a recent study contained some level of lead, a new report warns. The amounts weren't high enough to cause lead poisoning in healthy adults, but could affect small children, raising concerns for pregnant women and mothers. "There are hazardous levels of lead in lipstick," said a representative for the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, which issued the report. More »

More about:  health • lead poisoning • lead • cosmetics • lipstick • L'Oreal

Prices in Toyland Are Going Up

Consumers will pay for testing toys

Associated Press Associated Press Sep 14, 07 7:04 AM CDT
(Newser) - Toyland is about to become a more expensive place, as price hikes of 10% or more kick in to pay for heightened vigilance by toy makers following the recall of millions of lead-tainted and otherwise unsafe playthings imported from China. The added costs, which  won't kick in until after Christmas, will pay for independent lab testing which American manufacturers and retailers are scrambling to put in place. More »

More about:  China • Wal-Mart • Disney • recall • toys • Mattel • lead • price • Barbie • Toys 'R' Us

Toymakers Play Games With Regulations

Call for more safety testing a cynical move, Slate critic contends

Slate Slate Sep 12, 07 12:01 PM CDT
(Newser) - The toy industry’s new safety-testing push may succeed in rebuilding trust, but it’s likely to leave dangerous ways unchecked—and the big guys know it, argues Slate’s E. Marla Felcher. The current scandals are matters of enforcement, not of the regulations themselves, but the new call for third-party testing looks, superficially, like a step forward. More »

More about:  Christmas • toys • recall • Mattel • toy recalls • product safety • lead

China Agrees to End Lead Toy Imports

After third Mattel recall, Beijing seeks to end fallout

CNN CNN Sep 11, 07 2:10 PM CDT
(Newser) - After three recalls by Mattel and growing nail-biting among parents, Chinese officials have signed an agreement with Washington to stop using lead paint in imported toys, CNNMoney reports. Although the US outlawed sales of lead-painted toys in 1978, Chinese-made products containing the hazardous metal continue to seep into the market. Today's announcement signaled China's desire to preserve its market presence in America. More »

More about:  China • toys • recall • Mattel • toy recalls • lead

SpongeBob?
Not You, Too!

Another recall of 300,000 Chinese toys hits America

Reuters Reuters Aug 23, 07 9:43 AM CDT
(Newser) - Some 300,000 more toys and other children's items made in China have been recalled due to safety concerns about lead. That includes 250,000 SpongeBob journals and address books with lead paint on the metal bindings. The journals, imported by privately held Martin Designs Inc., were sold in US stores from June 2006 to July 2007—for about $2. More »

More about:  toys • recall • Chinese toys • lead • consumer safety • SpongeBob

China-Made Baby Bibs Contain Lead

Tests of Toys 'R' Us aprons finds possible hazard; company claims compliance

New York Times New York Times Aug 15, 07 4:59 PM CDT
(Newser) - Tests by a non-profit agency and the NY Times found made-in-China baby bibs sold at Toys "R" Us contaminated with lead, the paper reported today. After its own recent tests, a government agency did not move to recall the bib; Wal-Mart voluntarily removed bibs made by the same company earlier this year. More »

More about:  China • Wal-Mart • recall • lead poisoning • Chinese toys • lead • Toys 'R' Us • Product recalls

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