Another Chinese Recall

Originally posted by ThichHeaded
Ohh so they are bitching lead is on toys eh??

How about those cool light up shoes you buy your kid, do you know those have Mercury in them?

ya along with a long list of other products.. So let me see here...

Lead = Bad
Mercury = good?

It isn't the difference between mercury or lead that they are concerned about. In california (where this is being investigated by a very close aquaintance of mine) they are both covered equally under prop 65. aka, the same warnings have to be put out for products that contain either one, and if they don't have warnings, the same legal action will be taken.

The concern is that the lead is in dolls made for infants and toddlers. What do kids (especially infants) do with little dolls? Carry them around in their hands, put them in their mouths, etc. Shoes don't carry this concern because they stay on kids' FEET, and the mercury is on the INSIDE, so theres virtually no risk for ingestion (unless they... break?) unlike paint which is on the outside.

so that is the difference. its not the chemical, just the high risk of ingestion.

posted by kaptain disfunct

posted by ThichHeaded
Ohh so they are bitching lead is on toys eh?? How about those cool light up shoes you buy your kid, do you know those have Mercury in them? ya along with a long list of other products.. So let me see here... Lead = Bad Mercury = good?

It isn't the difference between mercury or lead that they are concerned about. In California (where this is being investigated by a very close acquaintance of mine) they are both covered equally under prop 65. aka, the same warnings have to be put out for products that contain either one, and if they don't have warnings, the same legal action will be taken.

The concern is that the lead is in dolls made for infants and toddlers. What do kids (especially infants) do with little dolls? Carry them around in their hands, put them in their mouths, etc. Shoes don't carry this concern because they stay on kids' FEET, and the mercury is on the INSIDE, so there’s virtually no risk for ingestion (unless they... break?) unlike paint which is on the outside. so that is the difference. its not the chemical, just the high risk of ingestion.

The FACT is there should be ZERO tolerance for LEAD and for MERCURY. It is only because manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers, send more MONEY to W-DC than you or I, that we are debating health issues resolved decades ago. Families with children are still renting units that have lead based paint inside. Grandfathered. And this is 2007. We have known about the harm of lead poisoning since the 1930s and we know why we have called them MAD HATTERS for a hindered years.

It’s all about money. Nothing more, nothing less.

[edit on 8/9/2007 by donwhite]

the problem is, the health issues were never "resolved." Yes, we know the risks, yes, the government takes action when we find them. The thing is, lead and mercury make great products. Before we knew the health effects, manufacturers took advantage of the cheap, glossy paint, accurate (cheap) thermometers, and cool looking shoes that they could make. Now, that the dangers of these chemicals are common knowledge, the challenge lies in cleaning up old sites where chemicals were used. One reason why this case in China is such a big deal is that we don't put lead on new products anymore. The supplier just wanted to make the manufacturing process cheaper. So yes, it is all about money, but it has nothing to do with DC- just some guys who wanted to make cheap paint.

posted by kaptain disfunct
Now, that the dangers of these chemicals are common knowledge, the challenge lies in cleaning up old sites where chemicals were used. One reason why this case in China is such a big deal is that we don't put lead on new products anymore. The supplier just wanted to make the manufacturing process cheaper. So yes, it is all about money, but it has nothing to do with DC- just some guys who wanted to make cheap paint.

I disagree in part. First, it is W-DC that owes us protection, not Beijing. The story related that the CPSC - Consumer Product Safety Commission - has but 100 investigators. Where 10,000 could be kept busy both here and around the world, if we could get over the Reagan-esque theory that government is the problem, not the solution.

It is still true, you cannot have your cake and eat it too.

[edit on 8/9/2007 by donwhite]

Here is the end of the chapter of this story for at least one person.

Zhang Shuhong, who ran the Lee Der Industrial, killed himself at a warehouse over the weekend, days after China announced it had temporarily banned exports by the company, the Southern Metropolis Daily said.

Lee Der made 967,000 toys recalled earlier this month by Mattel because they were made with paint found to have excessive amounts of lead. The plastic preschool toys, sold under the Fisher-Price brand in the U.S., included the popular Big Bird, Elmo, Dora and Diego characters.

posted by RedGolem
Here is the end of the chapter of this story for at least one person. Zhang Shuhong, who ran the Lee Der Industrial, killed himself at a warehouse over the weekend, days after China announced it had temporarily banned exports by the company, the Southern Metropolis Daily said. Lee Der made 967,000 toys recalled earlier this month by Mattel because they were made with paint found to have excessive amounts of lead.

RELAX. Mr R/G and others. I assure you that the PRC - Peoples Republic of China - and the PLA - Peoples Liberation Army - will do for the American consumers that which our own government (under the Reagan edict that government is the problem) refuses to do for us. They will stop the abuses.

What I cannot understand is our constant reference to EXCESSIVE amounts of lead in toys, food and paint. I heard it again today on CNN. ANY lead is excessive! Like radiation, there is NO safe level. (I have never heard FOX as I have it OFF my remote channels. There is no gain in saturating yourself with blatant pro-Cheney War Good, Islam Bad, and caveat emptor capitalist propaganda).

[edit on 8/13/2007 by donwhite]

Not quite the end of story i'm afraid. Looks like round two as opposed to a finale. Time to lock up the kidos toys until the actual products are listed. AGAIN

NEW YORK - Mattel Inc. is set to announce the recall of a Chinese-made toy as early as Tuesday because it may contain excessive amounts of lead paint. The expected announcement would mark the second recall involving lead paint by the world's largest toy maker within two weeks.

news.yahoo.com...

posted by jefwane
Not quite the end of story I’m afraid. Looks like round two as opposed to a finale. Time to lock up the kids toys until the actual products are listed. AGAIN

And for me, I say again, quoting from the article, “ . . because it may contain excessive amounts of lead paint . . “

Constant references to lead based paint using the term EXCESSIVE iimplies there are some LESSER quantities of lead that can be ingested without harmful effects. That is NOT true. There is no acceptable minimum amount of lead a child can safely ingest.

We are “blaming” China for not enforcing their new product safety laws. What the Hey! We are not enforcing our own product safety laws either thanks to the Reagan Revolution and the denuding of governmental regulatory agencies. If you liked Reagan, then you should LOVE this. Let’s put the blame where it belongs, in W-DC and NOT in Beijing.

Where are our media people? Do they really work for the Wal-Mart/China connection? My question has long been, “which will own the world first, China or Wal-Mart?”

[edit on 8/14/2007 by donwhite]