Later this month, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Food and Drug Administration and other government agencies will launch a campaign to educate Hispanic communities around the U.S. about lead hazards in the home, including traditional ceramic pottery made in Mexico. The commission also is helping to develop a voluntary standard to limit lead in vinyl consumer products used by children, such as baby bibs. And Consumers Union, a nonprofit consumer-advocacy group, is also looking at ceramic dishware and lunchboxes as part of a research project on lead hazards.
The growing concern over lead in household products comes after several recent recalls involving children's toys that were made in China. Mattel Inc. last month recalled 1.5 million toys believed to contain lead paint or other hazards. And in June, RC2 Corp. recalled about 1.5 million Thomas & Friends railroad toys that were made in China because the surfaces also contained lead. There are other concerns from imported products besides lead: Earlier this year, the deaths of at least a dozen dogs and cats were linked to tainted pet food that came from China.
But lead is a chief concern because of its potential to cause serious health damage, especially in children. If ingested, it can cause learning disabilities, behavioral problems, growth retardation, hearing problems and other problems in children. In adults, lead poisoning can cause abdominal pain, reproductive problems, high blood pressure and heart and kidney failure. Experts say the greatest lead hazard in the home comes from peeling or chipping lead paint.
The recent spate of recalls has left many consumers wondering about the dangers of lead in everyday products. Karlyn Berg, a 61-year-old wildlife consultant from Bovey, Minn., recently went into a big-box retailer and bought some colorful plastic drinking cups and an ice bucket for entertaining friends on her patio. Then she had second thoughts about using them.
''I thought these are so cute, but it's such an unknown,'' she says. ''It's made in China, and it just hit me that this could be another dangerous product.''
U.S. safety officials, however, say that the major concern among food-related items is ceramics. Ceramics can be a problem because the glazes often contain lead, which can help maintain rich color and shine. If the glazes are properly fired, the final product is usually safe. But if the glaze isn't sealed at a high enough temperature, lead can leach from a plate or vessel into the food or liquid, according to Scott Clark, a professor of environmental health at the University of Cincinnati. Research that Clark has done abroad also found brass pots being made in India lined with lead, instead of the usual tin.
The FDA says the lead-tainted ceramics are usually brought into the U.S. from Mexico by individuals. A frequently used vessel or pot that leaches lead could poison a whole family or end up being resold, the agency says. The new program aims to raise awareness through fliers, posters and public-service announcements in U.S. cities with large Hispanic populations.
In the U.S., the FDA has the authority to regulate food contact surfaces and has tight limits on the amount of lead that can leach into food. The agency subjects the imported ceramics it screens to a 24-hour leaching test, says Michael Kashtock, an agency senior adviser for regulatory policy. Kashtock pointed out that while ceramics made in small workshops can pose a risk, most of the imports are factory-produced and sealed appropriately.
Companies often conduct their own tests as well. A spokeswoman for retailer Crate & Barrel, for example, says the company has a network of laboratories all over the world that tests dishes for safety.
Yet consumer advocates express concern that some of the unsafe products can slip through U.S. controls and be brought in small quantities from abroad, turning up in people's homes or specialty shops.
''When you have a market as global as ours has become, it's very difficult to regulate these things,'' says Alex Fidis, a staff attorney for the U.S. Public Interest Research Groups, a federation of state consumer-advocacy groups.
''When you have a market as global as ours has become, it's very difficult to regulate these things.''
ALEX FIDIS
Staff attorney for U.S. Public Interest Research Groups
Be on the safe sideSome ways to avoid lead poisoning at home:
* Maintain the paint in pre-1978 homes, but don't scrape or sand without proper safety equipment.
* Test imported ceramic dishes and cookware with a home lead-test kit, or use them for decorative purposes only.
* Don't let your child use vinyl bibs that are cracked or peeling.
* Get rid of old, plastic mini-blinds, which can create lead dust.
