A Beautiful Less
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Blog
    • Beauty
    • Health & Wellness
    • Lifestyle
  • Shop
    • Beautycounter
  • Contact Us

A Beautiful Less

Experiencing more by living with less

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Blog
    • Beauty
    • Health & Wellness
    • Lifestyle
  • Shop
    • Beautycounter
  • Contact Us
Health & Wellness

Harmful Toxins Found In Common School Supplies. And It’s Perfectly Legal.

by Michelle Johnson August 16, 2018
written by Michelle Johnson August 16, 2018
School Supply Recall

Back-to-school season can be stressful but parents and teachers shouldn’t have to worry about the harmful toxins in our school supplies. Dangerous toxic chemicals have recently been discovered in several supplies and this hasn’t been the first time.

And it’s completely legal.

While some school products include toxins that could hurt children, they are not banned by the government. It is completely legal to have asbestos in crayons and phthalates in some school products. Recently, the U.S. PIRG (Public Interest Research Group) required the testing of 27 school supplies from numerous store retailers and published this report indicating several school supplies currently on the market have alarming toxic chemicals.

The list of supplies on the U.S.PIRG report included:

• Playskool Crayons (Labeled “non-toxic” on the packaging) Contained Asbestos.
Asbestos is linked to cancer. If ingested or inhaled, asbestos can cause severe damage to a person’s health, including lung cancer and mesothelioma.

Recall Playskool crayons

• Jot 1 Inch 3 Ring Blue Binder – Tested positive for Phthalates.
Phthalates has been linked to cancer, asthma, lower IQ scores, childhood obesity, infertility, early puberty, irregular fetal growth, diabetes and ADHD.

Jot 1 Inch 3 Ring Blue Binder Recall

• The Board Dudes Dry Erase Marker & Expo Dry Erase Marker Scented Ink – Found traces of BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene).
BTEX, which refers to four chemicals that have been linked to sexual reproduction issues, kidney, liver, and immune system damage. One of the four chemicals is benzene which is a carcinogen.

Expo scents markers recall

The Board Dudes Dry Erase Marker Recall

There is more…

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in April 2018 recalled water bottles coated with paint containing high levels of lead and in May 2018, also recalled Colorations™ brand extra-large crayons. The red crayons in the multi-color sets can contain glass, posing a laceration hazard.

Children’s backpacks, lunch boxes and rain boots are showing that they may contain higher levels of toxic chemicals than the government allows in toys according to a study that was released by the Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CHEJ). Several of these items contained high levels of phthalate used to soften vinyl plastic. For a full list of items from this study you can read it here.

How many times have we seen our toddler with a crayon in their mouth? As a parent, we know we have way more to stress about in raising our children.

So, what you can do?

If you’re buying school supply or art materials, look for the “AP label” that comes from the Art and Creative Materials Institute.

If you see this label:

AP Seal for safe products

you know the product has been tested and certified to be non-toxic. If there is no label, you can also check for a manufacturer’s “children’s product certificate” on the item, which confirms that the product has been tested and meets the specifications set by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Being aware of and mindful of the potential presence of toxins when buying supplies for children with growing bodies is important since they can be highly toxic through simply breathing or ingesting these harmful products. We also need to continue to support the Consumer Product Safety Commission, a federal agency, and urge them to continue to test more school supplies for unsafe chemicals because when we send our kids to school, we shouldn’t have to worry about toxic supplies they are potentially using.

 

Resources and image credits: 

https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/08/health/dangerous-chemicals-school-supplies-trnd/index.html

https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2018/base-brands-recalls-water-bottles-due-to-violation-of-lead-paint-standard-recall-alert

 

0 comment
0
FacebookPinterestEmail
Michelle Johnson

previous post
Sick and Tired of Feeling Sick and Tired?: Your thyroid might be to blame
next post
Flawless in Five: The 5 Minute Face Tutorial

You may also like

Does Mom Really Know Best?

August 4, 2018

Are You To Blame For Your Thyroid Disease?

October 17, 2018

Sick and Tired of Feeling Sick and Tired?:...

August 13, 2018

Safer, Natural + Effective Ways to Fight Acne...

January 9, 2019

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

About Us

About Us

3 Sisters + Mom

Michelle, Julie, Lindsay & Patty

Despite our different paths in life, we share the same passion for leading fulfilling and beautiful lives. We're best friends too, which means we share everything! And now, we're on a mission to share how we experience more in life by living with less and help others to do the same!

Categories

  • Beauty
  • Health & Wellness
  • Lifestyle
  • Mom Life

Keep in touch

Facebook Instagram Pinterest

Instagram

No images found!
Try some other hashtag or username

SUBSCRIBE

Let's connect! Subscribe to our newsletter for updates, tips & promotions. We promise to never send spam!

Popular Posts

  • 1

    Are You To Blame For Your Thyroid Disease?

    October 17, 2018
  • 2

    You Are What You Apply: The Filthy Five

    July 24, 2018
  • 3

    5 Gift Ideas Under $25 for Your Friends, Coworkers and Neighbors!

    December 8, 2018
Promotion Image

Like Us!

Facebook

Recent Posts

  • Safer, Natural + Effective Ways to Fight Acne For All Ages

    January 9, 2019
  • 2018: The Year of Women

    December 31, 2018
  • Healthy Christmas Side Dishes and Appetizers

    December 19, 2018

On Pinterest

Us On Instagram

No images found!
Try some other hashtag or username

Get In Touch

Let's connect! Subscribe to our newsletter for updates, tips & promotions. We promise to never send spam!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Email

@2018 - A Beautiful Less, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Theme by PenciDesign


Back To Top