Determination of elemental toxicity migration limits, bioaccessibility and risk assessment of essential childcare products

Abstract

Children especially infants are particularly sensitive to contaminant exposure, they are exposed to toxic substances including heavy metals via multiple pathways, i.e. food, air, water, soil and childcare products. To date, determination of metal bioaccessibility in teethers and feeding teats is missing in the literature; therefore, it is vitally important to assess their metal bioaccessibility and characterise the risk for children. The aim of this study is to determine the migration levels of toxic elements in teethers and feeding teats of different brands as a measure of metal bioaccessibility and characterise the risk for children exposed to these products. The migration limits of several heavy metals (Al, As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cu, Cr, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, Sr, Zn) in different brands of teethers and feeding teats were determined simultaneously using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) adopting a protocol in the European standards for safety of toys. With the exception of Pb, the migration limits of all elements in all brands of teethers and feeding teats were below the specified limits. However, in the case of Pb, the migration was above the specified limits in all samples except one brand of feeding teats. Risk assessment expressed as hazard index (HI) was calculated for detected elements and all samples. Although HI was below 1.0 for all samples except one sample, the high Pb concentration would pose a considerable risk to children. Therefore, we recommend a more thorough research and risk characterisation taking into consideration the factors that affect HI values. Graphical Abstract Determination of metal bioaccessibility and risk characterisation of teethers and feeding teats ensure children safety against metal toxicity.

Analysis of Hazardous Elements in Children Toys: Multi-Elemental Determination by Chromatography and Spectrometry Methods

“…This can be associated with the usage of mercury as a catalyst in specific chemical reactions during plastic manufacturing in China [ 2 ]. Compared to previous legislation on potentially harmful chemicals in children’s products, the migration limits of elements are significantly lower [ 27 , 35 ]. Possible exceedances usually refer to cadmium and lead-like factors commonly used as a stabilizer to prevent creating free chlorine radicals in materials made of PVC and also to reduce the cost of plastic [ 6 , 8 , 36 ].…”

“…The presence of Cr(VI) in toys sold in the European Union (EU) is strictly limited by the Toy Safety Directive (2009/48/EC) which ensures the safety of children by minimizing their exposure to potentially hazardous or toxic toy products, bearing in mind the young children’s tendency to mouth objects [ 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ]. Part 3 of the standard—EN71-3+A1:2014-12—entitled “Migration of certain elements” subsequently outlines the migration limits of 18 elements from various categories of toy products, to enable the testing of toys for its compliance with legal provisions [ 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 ]. Toy materials are divided into three categories: I: Dry, brittle powder-like or pliable materials; II: Liquid or sticky materials; III: Coatings and scraped-off materials.…”

Occurrence and dietary exposure assessment of heavy metals in baby foods in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

“…The intake values were assumed as results of dry (as sold), undiluted infant formula and cereal‐based meals, without considering the use of water in the process. Other sources of exposure to heavy metals might contribute to increased exposure, for example, drinking water, ready‐to‐eat purees in jars, gruels, baby juices, artificial toys, feeding bottles, pacifiers, and teethers (Aboel Dahab et al, 2016 ; Koester et al, 2021 ; Mania et al, 2015 ). Compared to adults, infants and toddlers tend to eat larger portions of food with smaller body weight ratio; exposing such sensitive group to higher dietary risks associated with toxic elements under investigation (Gu et al, 2020 ; Mielech et al, 2021 ).…”

Manganese in the Diet: Bioaccessibility, Adequate Intake, and Neurotoxicological Effects

“…Bioacessibility studies are also important for evaluating the concentration and consumption of essential elements in specific foods, for example, baby foods, where special attention should be given to monitor the amounts of organic and inorganic constituents, including Mn . Studies have demonstrated that the bioacessibility of Mn in infant formulas depends upon the type of food present in the formulation.…”