NORFOLK, Va. (WVEC) — A recent test found that crayons from the brand ‘Playskool’ have asbestos.
Parents going back-to-school shopping should be aware of toxic chemicals found in this crayon brand. ‘Playskool ‘ crayons are sold at Dollar Tree stores and online through eBay and Amazon.
A Public Interest Research Group, U.S. PIRG, recently tested six different brands of crayons. They picked up a pack of Playskool crayons from a Dollar Tree in Chicago. Kara Cook-Schultz, Toxics Director at U.S. PIRG, said they discovered traces of asbestos in Playskool’s crayons.
“To confirm those results, we also tested a second box of Playskool crayons that we also purchased at a Dollar Tree in Chicago and we found trace amounts of tremolite asbestos," said Cook.
The sale of crayons with any amount of asbestos is legal. The consumer product safety commission legally cannot require companies to recall these products, so the crayons can stay on store shelves, and eventually end up in your child's hands.
Cook said they also conducted tests on crayon brands back in 2015. They found three of them contained asbestos, but since then, they’ve fixed the issue and are now certified non-toxic.
“There’s no reason to subject children to this amount of asbestos. We actually can make crayons without asbestos in them,” said Cook.
Dr. Michael Hooper, a Professor of Medicine at Eastern Virginia Medical School, said the mineral can lead to serious health problems.
“The main thing that's been described is a serious lung disease called asbestosis, which can cause a lot of difficulties in breathing and then there's cancer-related complications,” said Hooper.
He said they haven’t found a direct link between asbestos-containing crayons and cancer, but the mineral should still be avoided.
“We shouldn't tolerate any exposure in our society to inhalation of asbestos if we can prevent it,” said Hooper.
In a statement to 13News Now, Julie Duffy, a spokesperson for Hasbro, which owns the Playskool brand, said:
“Product and children’s safety are top priorities for Hasbro. We are conducting a thorough investigation into these claims, including working with Leap Year, the licensee of the product.”
13News Now also reached out to Dollar Tree on the matter. They plan to keep the product in stores.
In a statement, Vice President of Investor Relations for Dollar Tree Randy Guiler said:
“The safety of our customers and associates is our top priority. Our Company utilizes a very stringent and independent testing program to ensure our supplier products meet or exceed all safety and legal standards. We are aware of the report and have since re-verified that each of the listed products successfully passed inspection and testing.”
Health officials encourage parents to ensure the school supplies or crayons they’re buying for their children are safe. Shoppers should always check the back of the box for an AP label from the Art and Creative Materials Institute. This label means the product is certified and non-toxic.