The Ecology Center in Ann Arbor has tested 737 toys for lead, mercury, and arsenic contents.

The result was only one in three toys contained the poisonous element. This is considered to be the lowest result in three years.”Things do appear to be improving, and I think it’s a sign that public pressure and government regulation work. We need more of it to truly protect kids health,” said Gen Howe from The Ecology Center.

She said that the decrease in the amount of toxins is just proof enough that the toys can actually be made without these toxins. She added that it is possible that the toys can be lead free since there are substitutes.

Eighty percent of the toys that Americans purchase came from China. However, Howe says that when it comes to the toxins, it does not matter where the toys were made. “There really is no association between where the toys are made and what we find. Problem is, we don’t have adequate regulations in our country regardless of whether the toys are made here or elsewhere.”

According to the Ecology Center, toxic toys are a symptom of the complete failure of the chemical regulatory system. These toys must not be sold.

The center put up a website to search all 737 toys by product name, UPC code, product type, manufacturer or retailer.

Find an Ann Arbor Toy Manufacturer in the Directory of Ann Arbor, MI.