Neighbor News
Why Do Oil Companies Fight to Keep Toxins in Toys?
Protecting a child involves more than physical protection. Hidden dangers may be closer than you think!
Every good parent is concerned with the health and safety of their children. Consideration is given to health, disease, nutrition, safety and schooling. But did you know that the plastic toys that children play with every day, pose a significant danger to their health and wellbeing?
Some chemicals are so dangerous that they have been banned from use in consumer products. Still others have been only banned from use in children's products. But some of the same chemicals that have been banned in children's toys may be used in flooring, where children crawl on and potentially can be absorbed through their skin, ingested or inhaled in dust.
One of the world's largest chemical companies is fighting to continue use of phthalates. Phthalates are chemicals with known endocrine (hormone) disrupting effects.
Children are of particular susceptibility to phthalates, since their neurological and endocrine systems are still developing.
ExxonMobil is the world's largest publicly held gas and oil company. It is unfortunate that many huge companies place corporate interests over those of consumers and of our environment.
ExxonMobil has a significant financial stake in the production of products other than fuel.
More than 25% of their $16 billion net profit in 2015 resulted from the sales of other petroleum-based products, including plastics, batteries, synthetic fibers, household detergents and tires.
One of the chemicals produced by ExxonMobil is the family of phthalates, which are chemicals used to make plastic more pliable.
Congress limited or banned the use of several phthalates in 2008. The Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) was also directed to investigate whether more should be removed from children's products.
In their final report in 2014, the CPSC recommended banning eight phthalates from children's toys. Despite the mandated timeframe of 180 days that was imposed in 2014, the CPSC has yet to finalize their ban.
Instead, ExxonMobil continues to insist that these product produce no harm. They have been lobbying very hard to reverse the committee's decision.