Testing Plastic Toys for Toxic Agents in Exeter

In 2017 Greenpeace Russia started Fair Toys project aiming to ban the use of toxiс agents in plastic toys and to reduce plastic toys consumption. After a public poll and consultations with parents community Greenpeace selected 16 popular toys to test for phthalates. The samples were bought in different stores in Russia and other countries of the Eurasian Economic Union. Phthalates are mainly used as plasticisers (or softeners) in plastics, especially in PVC. They are commonly found in human tissues, and children are particularly vulnerable to their impact. There are substantial concerns about the toxicity of phthalates and in particular their hormone-disrupting effects.