JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The dangerous mineral asbestos has been found in children's crayons and toys. Breathing in microscopic fibers of the carcinogen has been linked to serious health problems, including lung disease, lung cancer and mesothelioma.
Fortunately some brands of crayons have agreed to keep the mineral out of their products. One local expert recommends parents stick to those brands.
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Cecilia Zamora, a mother of two, says her house is full of crayons. It concerns her that recent testing by the environmental working group found deadly asbestos fibers in several brands of crayons.
"They find it, it can be around wall board old insulation and around different pipes or heating and electrical duct types of insulation things," says Dr. Dawn Sollee with poison control.
DOCUMENT: Report on asbestos in kids' toys
Sollee says asbestos, which can also be found in talc, is typically found in older homes, but it can end up in products such as children's toys as well.
"Crayola is one of those that has committed that their products don't contain any talc and therefore no asbestos," Sollee said.
Out of the 28 boxes of crayons that were tested, four tested positive for asbestos. Those four brands were:
- Amscan crayons from Party City
- Disney Doc McStuffins jumbo crayons from Dollar Tree
- Disney Pixar Monsters University 3 pack confetti crayons from Dollar Tree
- Nickelodeon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle crayons from Dollar Tree
Package labels indicated that the crayons containing asbestos were made in China. Sollee recommends sticking to U.S. brands that have banned the use of the mineral.
"The best thing a parent can do is take a look at the list and try to purchase ones that were tested to not have it," Sollee said.
Sollee says unfortunately if someone inhales the fibers, it typically takes years to see the effects, and there's not much treatment. She says that's why it's so important to make sure your kids aren't using toys with talc or asbestos.
Asbestos fibers were also found by the environmental working group in two of 21 crime lab kits. These kits were sold in either Toys 'R' Us or on Amazon. Sollee recommends parents avoid buying these crime lab kits for their children.
The crime labs that tested positive are:
- EduScience Crime Lab- fingerprint powder from Toys R Us
- Smartlab Catch the Thief Kit- sand from Amazon