Hazardous toys still on U.S. store shelves: groups

By Karey Wutkowski

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two consumer groups called on Tuesday for tougher toy oversight by the U.S. government's product safety agency, saying they had easily found toys in stores with high lead levels and other dangers.

Starletz tea sets, Disney Princess pencil pouches and Dora and SpongeBob bats and balls tested positive for lead despite recalls of millions of Chinese-made toys this year for lead paint and other hazards, the Center for Environmental Health told reporters by telephone.

The Starletz porcelain tea sets had the highest lead levels, 20 times what would be allowed in paint, the group said. A Dora Game Pack also tested positive for lead.

Separately, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) said it too had found toys violating U.S. standards and urged lawmakers to pass legislation to strengthen the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and virtually ban lead in toys.

"This year we've all been shocked by the millions of recalls by famous name manufacturers," PIRG consumer program director Ed Mierzwinski told a news conference. "The CPSC is a little agency with a big job that it simply cannot do with limited resources."

Lead can cause developmental delays and behavioral disorders in children. It can also be toxic.

Michael Green, director of the Center for Environmental Health, said his group's two part-time researchers had found the lead-tainted toys, adding: "This is an appropriate role for government."

Green said several of the toys were bought at retailer Target Corp.