Determination of Metals in Children’s Plastic Toys using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry

Abstract

Children’s health and safety may be compromised if exposed to metals through contaminated toys. Hence, evaluation of the quality of the toys available in markets is essential to protect children. This study undertaken to identify the presence of metals contents in plastic toys and compares the results with the national and international limits. For this purpose, 56 types of popular children’s toys marked were purchased from the UAE markets and the metal contents were estimated in 156 toy samples by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) technique. The results reveal that Ti, Fe, Zn and Mg were present in all types of toys. At the same time, other metals such as K and Na in 54 types of toys, Cr in 51 types of toys, Al in 50 types of toys, B, Ba and Ca in types of 49 toys, Mn in 41 types of toys, Cd in 40 types of toys, Ag in 39 types of toys, Ni in 25 types of toys, Pd in 23 types of toys, Cu in 18 types of toys, Bi in 4 types of toys and Co in 3 types of toys were also detected. Furthermore, Pd and B concentrations in 3 types of toys, while Zn and Ba concentrations in two types of toys exceeded the permissible limits. Toxic stabilizers and colours added to PVC during manufacturing are responsible for the existence of such elements in plastic toys. However, additional research is required to establish the role of metals in toys, identify potential risks to children’s health and propose regulations.