Toxic Chemicals in Our Ponies?

[banditpony]

Since this sort of on topic... What about dyes in general? Are there any dangerous dyes? Like maybe some plushes are dyed with some bad chemicals too? Just curious.

D': Is there any 100% "safe" toy? Or is it all like 99.9% safe.

[appletini]

Since this sort of on topic... What about dyes in general? Are there any dangerous dyes? Like maybe some plushes are dyed with some bad chemicals too? Just curious.

D': Is there any 100% "safe" toy? Or is it all like 99.9% safe.

Not sure about the rest of your question, (I know there are dangerous dyes, just not which ones or in what) but I can say there is no such thing as a 100% safe toy. Everything has something in it that is harmful, if you take it to the extreme, eating any kind of food or even breathing is technically detrimental to your health. The one has the potential to be riddled with either natural or man made chemicals, while the other causes you to take in continuous small amounts of carbon dioxide.
Neither ever really effect you but as you can see it sounds as if each one is killing you off right away and it needs to be fixed or else, "Oh noes! You'll die faster!"
I would say almost all toys that pass for being put on shelves (almost mind you, not all) are as safe for play as your going to get. As someone pointed out earlier, even wood toys contain their own hazards. It's about moderation and smart thinking. The only times those toys will be dangerous are if you melt them into a puddle and then suck up the air they give off or if you chew it into oblivion. Even then, you'd have to have a good amount for it to leave a permanent mark.

[kamakazee82]

i don't think any of us are "shrugging this off" ... just trying to put in a realistic manner ...

... yeah they shouldn't make anything that is crazy super duper unsafe that just by looking at it you die ... but if you want plastic ... then well, there it is ... you either have plastic or you play it safe and avoid all plastic in EVERYTHING ...

and ont hat site that "tested ponies for chemicals right ont he bottom of their page is their "potection from legal comebacks", because i'm sure they've had it with all their misleading fear mongering ...

"NOTICE: HealthyStuff.org ratings do not provide a measure of health risk or chemical exposure associated with any individual product, or any individual element or related chemical. HealthyStuff.org ratings provide only a relative measure of high, medium, and low concentrations of several hazardous chemicals or chemical elements in an individual product in comparison to criteria established in the site methodology."

A RELATIVE MEASURE TO WHAT!? they are telling you there is a "medium risk" but that it's not a health risk or chemical exposure risk ... just a "risk"? WTF?! LMFAO

air is bad too because again it contains radon and a bunch of other toxic gases and poisons ... dirt is bad because it too has poisons in it ... wood is bad because it contains NATURAL poisons and will pick up toxins from the air and soil and water ...

if the OP is going to rail against "toxic ponies" why don't they rail against ALL items containing plastics? removing ponies from one's life won't make ANY kind of difference in anything ... the exposure will still be there EVERYWHERE in EVERYTHING from things people use EVERY DAY ... worrying about toxic ponies makes as much sense as worrying about your child picking up a lump of uranium on the playground ... moot ...

a pony is just as harmful as the shoes on your feet, the clothes on your back, the computer you use, the phone you use, the mp3 player you listen to, the food you eat, the car you drive, the bus you ride, the subway you take, the home you live in, the bike you pedal, the soil in your garden, the products you use on your skin/face/hair, and the air you breathe ... there are so many other places to tackle the "reduce your exposure" that could and would make a MUCH bigger impact on yourself ... why point at ponies that in normal use are NO THREAT ... where as a vehicle IN NORMAL USE emits carbon monoxide on top of being a death trap on wheels? or the cell phones and other electronic devices that are being linked to several kinds of cancers IN NORMAL USE?

... it just seems like a really strange and microscopic part of a bigger problem ... like the Titanic is sinking, but the maiter d is only concerned because he can't keep the glasses on the table kind of thing ... i'm not "shrugging it off" i just know there are much bigger fish to fry when it comes to this ... that's what i'm concerned with, that people are freaking out over a very microscopic part of a much bigger problem ... like treating a symptom instead of the disease ...

[Stormness_1]

I think it's great that you're taking an interest in what your child is playing with. Sadly a lot of parents I see pay little attention to their children, so it's lovely to see someone so caring. It's good to question things!

Science says a lot of things 'could' cause various ailments, illnesses, and diseases, and 'may' increase our risks of getting these things, but they're normally extreme. We also need to think about where this information has come from, as you will find that sometimes studies have been financially backed or created by a company in order to promote a product or service.

I think that if the toys were really unsafe and harmful chemically, then they would have been recalled.

I personally didn't like the website you provided regarding chemicals.  I especially disliked the traffic light system down the side. In my opinion websites like that are responsible for scare mongering, as the information about chemicals can easily be misrepresented and taken out of context.

This.

I'd say that website's system of HIGH, MED, LOW is of things tested and found to be below acceptable levels. So the ponies are safe, and a high reading might mean they are only just below recommended standards, which are pretty darned miniscule to begin with. I personally think that this is seriously misleading. saying that something has a 'HIGH' risk in all caps is definitely fear mongering, when in fact both the manufacturer AND the relevant government bodies of several countries/states/territories have found to to be safe in the case of internationally distributed products like most toys. Ponies, for instance have been tested and found to be absolutely within the realms of safe for children all around the world. No reputable testing body has ever claimed them to be unsafe.

While there are billions of dollars at stake, the rush to find a replacement for PVC would be akin to the space race, and there would be even more money in that. Imagine having a the only 'safe' material formula known to man! The fact is, there is no huge rush to replace PVC, because it holds no credible serious threat to our health. Scientists are working on it, but it's not the national priority of every world power, as it would be if that were the case.

Sorry for the rant, I just seriously hate these websites. I had a uni lecturer give us a task on our first day. He gave us a chemical-sounding name and told us to google it and go through, site by site in order of the results and document the search for what that substance actually was. Upon the initial hits, most of us were horrified. Whatever this substance was, the things it could cause and do to our health were mind-blowing.. I hoped I'd never have the misfortune to come across it. As I worked through to the second page of google results, I was dumbfounded. The substance of which we'd all been to terrified was water. Just went to show you that when you research, the misleading information is abundant everywhere. Find reputable sources. Whistleblower websites are usually talking something they know nothing about!

[BerryPunch]

i don't think any of us are "shrugging this off" ... just trying to put in a realistic manner ...

... yeah they shouldn't make anything that is crazy super duper unsafe that just by looking at it you die ... but if you want plastic ... then well, there it is ... you either have plastic or you play it safe and avoid all plastic in EVERYTHING ...

and ont hat site that "tested ponies for chemicals right ont he bottom of their page is their "potection from legal comebacks", because i'm sure they've had it with all their misleading fear mongering ...

"NOTICE: HealthyStuff.org ratings do not provide a measure of health risk or chemical exposure associated with any individual product, or any individual element or related chemical. HealthyStuff.org ratings provide only a relative measure of high, medium, and low concentrations of several hazardous chemicals or chemical elements in an individual product in comparison to criteria established in the site methodology."

A RELATIVE MEASURE TO WHAT!? they are telling you there is a "medium risk" but that it's not a health risk or chemical exposure risk ... just a "risk"? WTF?! LMFAO

air is bad too because again it contains radon and a bunch of other toxic gases and poisons ... dirt is bad because it too has poisons in it ... wood is bad because it contains NATURAL poisons and will pick up toxins from the air and soil and water ...

if the OP is going to rail against "toxic ponies" why don't they rail against ALL items containing plastics? removing ponies from one's life won't make ANY kind of difference in anything ... the exposure will still be there EVERYWHERE in EVERYTHING from things people use EVERY DAY ... worrying about toxic ponies makes as much sense as worrying about your child picking up a lump of uranium on the playground ... moot ...

a pony is just as harmful as the shoes on your feet, the clothes on your back, the computer you use, the phone you use, the mp3 player you listen to, the food you eat, the car you drive, the bus you ride, the subway you take, the home you live in, the bike you pedal, the soil in your garden, the products you use on your skin/face/hair, and the air you breathe ... there are so many other places to tackle the "reduce your exposure" that could and would make a MUCH bigger impact on yourself ... why point at ponies that in normal use are NO THREAT ... where as a vehicle IN NORMAL USE emits carbon monoxide on top of being a death trap on wheels? or the cell phones and other electronic devices that are being linked to several kinds of cancers IN NORMAL USE?

... it just seems like a really strange and microscopic part of a bigger problem ... like the Titanic is sinking, but the maiter d is only concerned because he can't keep the glasses on the table kind of thing ... i'm not "shrugging it off" i just know there are much bigger fish to fry when it comes to this ... that's what i'm concerned with, that people are freaking out over a very microscopic part of a much bigger problem ... like treating a symptom instead of the disease ...

ALL OF THIS.

[Winter Bones]

When I was very young, far too young to be capable of critical thinking, I would shove a multitude of plastic toys into my mouth just to see how many I could fit. It never gave me cancer, but it did give me the superhuman ability to fit six cue balls between my cheeks and impress all my friends at parties.

All (attempted) jokes aside, I do believe it's not something to be worried about. I think we would be seeing many more abnormal affects right now if such products were highly toxic. Plastics have been around for quite a while now, and are used everywhere. In fact, the keyboard I'm using to type this is hard plastic!

[NoPonySpecial]

if the OP is going to rail against "toxic ponies" why don't they rail against ALL items containing plastics?

  I agree that there's nothing to worry about unless you actually digest plastic on a daily basis, but really, no one here is "railing" on plastic. MayanButterfly is just worried. In fact, I don't think MayanButterfly has posted at all since the first page.
  Hasn't anyone else gotten a fear in their head even though it's silly, or seemed serious until you learned more, and worried/panicked about it? I know I have!

[EmBee]

When I was very young, far too young to be capable of critical thinking, I would shove a multitude of plastic toys into my mouth just to see how many I could fit. It never gave me cancer, but it did give me the superhuman ability to fit six cue balls between my cheeks and impress all my friends at parties.

All (attempted) jokes aside, I do believe it's not something to be worried about. I think we would be seeing many more abnormal affects right now if such products were highly toxic. Plastics have been around for quite a while now, and are used everywhere. In fact, the keyboard I'm using to type this is hard plastic!

I know it's none of my business (and off topic, sorry) but please don't do that!  While it's impressive if you make a mistake you could choke.

I try not to worry about the dangers of PVC in my ponies.  I have OCD myself and I don't need anything else to fret about. It would be quite difficult to eliminate these things from our homes and lives.  While reduction would lessen the risk I agree that all the worry about filtering out this stuff is so stress inducing (for me) it almost defeats the purpose.

-Em

[Winter Bones]

I know it's none of my business (and off topic, sorry) but please don't do that!  While it's impressive if you make a mistake you could choke.

I try not to worry about the dangers of PVC in my ponies.  I have OCD myself and I don't need anything else to fret about. It would be quite difficult to eliminate these things from our homes and lives.  While reduction would lessen the risk I agree that all the worry about filtering out this stuff is so stress inducing (for me) it almost defeats the purpose.

-Em

No need to worry EmBee, it's hyperbole for humor's sake. I have a habit of telling tall tales that is very hard to kick, and it has caused me more trouble than any cue balls have to date. It's very nice of you to show so much concern, though.

Now bowling balls on the other hand... Okay, I'll stop.

Edit: Now that I think about it, I should start a thread on this...

[mayanbutterfly]

Very interesting topic! I actively try to minimize toxins in my environment (for example, I mix almost all my cosmetics and hygiene products myself from scratch), but I haven't thought about them being in my plastic toys. I avoid keeping food and drink in plastic containers, but I guess it might be a risk to just hold or be around such plastics.

Have you heard back from Hasbro about it yet? Depending on what they say, perhaps if enough people email them about it, they could take steps to make their toys safer and less toxic?

It saddens me to see so many people shrug this off. Yes, you can't go through life being all paranoid and avoiding anything that makes you happy - but toxins in our environment is a huuuge issue which is just recently starting to get enough attention. Think about all of the health problems people in western societies have. If many stem, at least partially, from this issue, don't you think it's wise to take some interest in it and do something about it?

I appreciate your comment.  I have been trying to minimize the toxins around my family as well.  I actually do all sorts of things like eating organic food, being really picky with the soaps and cosmetics I use, and trying to use less plastic to store food in and so on.  I'm just concerned that ponies apparently have phthalates coming out of them and I am unhappy to learn that they have PVC additives in them because the process of making PVC releases dioxin into our environment which is bad for all of us.

Something that I want to figure out here would be... are vintage ponies more safe for kids to play with because they may have off gassed or something like that?  Or maybe they were made with out PVC additives? 

Also, I need to decide if I should buy more of the current Friendship is Magic My Little Ponies new from the store.  A big part of why I was buying them was so my daughter could play with them.

I haven't herd anything back from Hasbro yet. 

I know that there are toxins all around us, but I don't think there's anything wrong with minimizing our contact with them.  Also, I think it's fair to be concerned that there are toxins in the toys we give to our children.

If anyone else is feeling the same concern that I am, then maybe you can write to Hasbro about your concerns as well.

So far I'm defiantly feeling uncomfortable with fakies, because many of them are obviously lower quality than MLP and I think it's more likely that their manufacturers are cutting corners with production.

Edit:  I just wanted to add that some plastics are less toxic than others, like #2 food grade plastic is supposed to be less toxic than #3 PVC... so I'm not really saying that all plastics are evil here.  I think some are better than others.  This is why TY started using PE pellets in their beanie babies instead of PVC pellets.

[SourdoughStomper]

I sometimes wonder if the toxins in so many of our every day ordinary objects are responsible for my badly functioning thyroid. Something I probably will never know, I suppose.

[mayanbutterfly]

I sometimes wonder if the toxins in so many of our every day ordinary objects are responsible for my badly functioning thyroid. Something I probably will never know, I suppose.

These two chemicals are listed as affecting the thyroid on the website I was looking at that started my thinking about all of this
Decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE)
and
1,2,5,6,9,10-Hexabromocylcododecane (HBCD)

If you want to read more they are listed at the bottom if this page:
http://raisingnaturalkids.com/2011/11/25/tis-the-season-for-clean-toys-green-toys-and-toys-made-close-to-home/

[NovelNerd]

Short reply here, but I try to take all things from the net with a grain of salt. Many things are posted now with skewed infotainment and some persuasive articles can get pretty nasty. I was only able to read the first article. The other wouldn't open, but I would say of you're concerned do more research. I wouldn't put a lot of stock in just a few articles. Always of course do what you believe is best for your family. I do feel a some others it will be difficult to avoid toxic substances with so much being harmful.

[EmBee]

I know it's none of my business (and off topic, sorry) but please don't do that!  While it's impressive if you make a mistake you could choke.

I try not to worry about the dangers of PVC in my ponies.  I have OCD myself and I don't need anything else to fret about. It would be quite difficult to eliminate these things from our homes and lives.  While reduction would lessen the risk I agree that all the worry about filtering out this stuff is so stress inducing (for me) it almost defeats the purpose.

-Em

No need to worry EmBee, it's hyperbole for humor's sake. I have a habit of telling tall tales that is very hard to kick, and it has caused me more trouble than any cue balls have to date. It's very nice of you to show so much concern, though.

Now bowling balls on the other hand... Okay, I'll stop.

Edit: Now that I think about it, I should start a thread on this...

Hahah wow it would help if I noticed the small print, wouldn't it???  I believed your story  because I saw a man who could swallow and regurgitate pool balls on a talent show... phew! 

---

Glanced around the raisingnaturalkids link, very interesting.  I know this isn't really the most important thing, but I'd have a realllly hard time explaining to my future kids why they couldn't have this toy or that toy they really wanted.. 

-Em

[kusuriurikun]

If you are concerned about your baby maybe chewing on the ponies, give her soft plush ones until she is older not to do so.

Ah but stuffed animals contain polyester, or PET, made with things like anitmony which is toxic to the lungs heart liver and skin [skin cancer is the most common cancer in the US]. If you trust the government, the anitmony is deactivated, but how many recalls on products that were once deemed safe do we need to have before we stop trusting the government?

jghfrehgjrfh EVERYTHING CAN BE DANGEROUS
PICKING UP A BABY CAN BE DANGEROUS

In my case, there's actually a non-negligible chance that my being alive will eventually cause me cancer.

You see, I am a likely carrier of something called Lynch Syndrome, which is basically a genetic disease where some of your genes that kill off cells that "go rogue" as a kill-switch...don't work all that well (in the case of the syndrome that runs in my family, the technical term is "missense errors" aren't caught all that well--in layman's terms, sometimes the genetic code can stutter in such a way to cause pre-cancer or cancer, and folks with Lynch syndrome don't catch these "genetic stutters" as well as other folks).

What this means for me (in practical terms) is that I have something from a 50 to a 75 percent chance of developing SOME kind of gastrointestinal or endocrine cancer over my lifetime--something like 50 percent chance of colon cancer, and a lesser chance of endometrial cancer, pancreatic cancer, and a number of more obscure ones.  (This is actually the less severe of two major genetic colon cancer syndromes--there's one that's worse in that you are downright guaranteed to get either colon or breast cancer over your lifetime.)

There is literally nothing to be done about this, as an aside, save for me getting yearly checkups (including colonoscopies--urgh) so that they can catch stuff when it goes precancerous before it goes into full-blown cancer (and a big problem)--much like people have to check their skin for melanomas, I have to have...other parts of me checked for "funny looking polyps" and the like.

I could avoid every carcinogen known to man, stuff myself with nothing but antioxidants, and I will still have an even shot of getting cancer over my lifetime because my genes are broken in that respect.  (I also have a near-certainty, if my entire maternal side of the family is any guide, of developing diabetes--yup, there's a genetic syndrome there, too.  Nothing to be done about that, either--have had relatives who were born and raised on diabetic diets and still went into adult-onset diabetes severe enough to require insulin.)

Having two genetic syndromes (one a genetic cancer syndrome, the other a familial metabolic syndrome) really does tend to put things in a bit of perspective--no, I don't recommend people go breathing in Pony Fumes on a regular basis, and I don't recommend going on a dioxin bath, but as long as babby doesn't have some serious genetic disorder regarding DNA repair (and you'd know of babby did, because you'd have a very strong family history of cancer including some fairly weird ones like heart cancer) and is not given carte blanche to gnaw on the toys, she should be OK. 

If you're particularly worried about outgassing from vinyl and PVC, you probably should take the ponies out and sit them in a well ventilated room for a few days, and of course don't put the ponies in the heat (which is not all that good for them anyways ).