[Material labeling of soft plastic toys and plasticizers in polyvinyl chloride products]

We investigated the labeling and content of plasticizers of soft plastic toys. First, we investigated material labeling in 96 products purchased in fiscal years 2000 and 2001. Among these products, 43% of those purchased in fiscal 2000 and 68% of those purchased in fiscal 2001 were labeled. We then investigated the kinds and amounts of plasticizers in 73 soft polyvinyl chloride (PVC) toys. Three kinds of phthalates and six other kinds of plasticizers were detected in the soft PVC toys. Diisononyl phthalate, di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, diisononyl adipate, and O-acetyl tributyl citrate were detected at high frequency, and in large amounts. The average total content of all plasticizers was 280 mg/g for the products purchased in fiscal 2000 and 227 mg/g for those in fiscal 2001. In fiscal 2001, antioxidants, 4-nonylphenol, and bisphenol A were investigated in addition to plasticizers.