STOCKHOLM, Jan 23 — Fewer sex toys contain dangerous chemicals than children’s toys, a Swedish inspection authority said in a report today.
In 2015, the agency found dangerous chemical substances, including lead, in 15 per cent of children’s toys in Sweden.
The proportion of surveyed sex toys that contained banned chemicals was two per cent, making these products safer than children’s toys in terms of exposure to chemicals.
“This was a bit surprising,” Frida Ramstrom, an inspector for the agency, told AFP. “This was the first time we did such a study.”
Among the 44 products investigated, one plastic dildo was found to contain chlorinated paraffins, which is suspected of causing cancer, the Swedish Chemicals Agency said.
Ramstrom said tough European regulations over chemical substances in products was a reason behind the safety of the sex toys.
“These products are used close to the body and one (therefore) chooses better chemicals,” Ramstrom said.
It is difficult to determine exactly why more children’s toys contain dangerous chemicals, according to Ramstrom.
But she said many kids’ toys are imported from Asia, making it more difficult to toughen demands over safety of the products.
Three of the 44 examined sex toys, made of leather and bondage tape, contained phthalates, used as a plasticiser, at levels above 0.1 per cent, the agency said.
Phthalates are not banned in sex toys but are on the EU list of chemicals that are of “very high concern”. It can affect the hormonal balance and cause infertility. — AFP
