Eek. Half my mothers group has those things. One lady has lined her entire lounge room floor with them :o
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Eek. Half my mothers group has those things. One lady has lined her entire lounge room floor with them :o
We've got one too - do j just assume that if it was bought for $15 from Kmart or Big W then it was made in China?
I was going to get some of these as we've just taken out carpet and put floorboards down. Not now, maybe I'll just get a rug!
My Mum got one For DD1s Birthday but when it was in our paper we both said "throw it out" wish I was on better terms with SIL she has one to so how do I tell her and get her to listen
Which brands? I have ds's playroom floor covered (4 sets!) because they are covering really hard tiles. He doesn't chew on them though. Mine are from kmart? Is it these ones or the crappy ones from the reject shop etc?
i have one of those alphabete ones, all different colours, like a big jigsaw...is that the one? I didnt get it from Kmart, i think ours is just a crappy one from the reject shop in our local area. i wonder if its the same, no idea where it was made......thats very worrying! think we will take ours away just to be safe!
We had these for both DD's and they are now in the attic - I guess I will be putting them straight in the bin now!
If you look at the packaging for most of them they actually say that they're not safe for under 3's. You can buy some from one of the online baby stores which are supposed to be safe - they have swirls rather than alphabet - but they were about $150 from memory so we just went without!
Thanks for posting this Miss.B, I have lots of friends with these mats.
I think I heard about this a few months ago - I packed ours up as soon as I heard, but this was after DS chewing on them constantly when he was younger :(.
It's post's like these that make me glad that I have joined BB. Thank you so much for informing us. I have used these and packed most away except a few left out, now they are all going straight into the bin. My mother bought them for DD1 and she is the person always ringing to tell me about bad products and what is best to use so this really did slip past her.
Can anyone link to the government recall website? I can only find a foam mat recall from 2002 on that site.
ETA: Whoops, re-read the first post, they aren't recalled here yet. I'd be interested to know wht other products are made using those 'ingredients', I imagine if they probed deep enough a lot of mass-produced things would be shown to be dangerous.
:
from http://www.productsafety.gov.au/cont.../itemId/973697
Formaldehyde (CH2O) is a volatile organic compound that:
* is readily soluble in water
* breaks down rapidly
* is produced and metabolised in the human body
* does not accumulate in the human body or environment
* occurs naturally at low levels in many things including plants, smoke and food.
In pure form, even at very low concentrations of below 1 part per million (ppm), formaldehyde is a virtually colourless gas with a pungent odour.
Formaldehyde vapours are flammable, explosive and toxic.
On this page
* Uses of formaldehyde
* Possible hazards
* Monitoring the safety of formaldehyde
* Statistics
Uses of formaldehyde
Formaldehyde is used in:
* manufacturing many materials, such as plastics, foam insulation, fungicides, mirrors, insecticides, petroleum, resins and industrial chemicals
* building materials, such as sheet vinyl flooring, doors, decking
* timber materials, such as MDF, plywood and laminated timber, wall lining and coverings such as wallpaper
* textiles and clothing, such as fabrics, blankets, and clothing finishes designed to gain permanent press and stain resistance
* cosmetics and personal care products, such as cleansers, fingernail varnishes and hardeners, shampoos and conditioners and toothpastes
* household cleaning products, such as carpet and rug cleaners, disinfectants, dish washing liquids, and floor cleaner and polish.
Top
Possible hazards
There have been some concerns in recent years about formaldehyde in clothing and blankets. Consumer products we regularly use have not contained unsafe levels of formaldehyde. Where there is evidence of possible harm, this has only occurred in:
* an isolated incident
* people who are sensitive to formaldehyde
* people who have worked for long periods in places where they are exposed to constant high levels of formaldehyde.
Allergic reactions
* People have suffered dermatitis after wearing clothing that contained high levels of formaldehyde.
* After exposure to formaldehyde in solution form or in resins used in clothing and textiles, people can become sensitive to formaldehyde and develop on-going allergies.
* People who have become sensitised to formaldehyde may suffer:
o asthma
o contact dermatitis.
Skin irritations
* Skin rashes can result from exposure to formaldehyde. Symptoms of temporary exposure to formaldehyde vapour will usually disappear quickly, with no lasting effects, once exposure stops.
Irritation of nerves in the nose and eyes
Breathing formaldehyde vapour can result in irritation of nerves in the eyes and nose. This may cause:
* burning stinging or itching sensations
* a sore throat
* teary eyes
* blocked sinuses
* runny nose
* sneezing.
Cancer
There is an increased risk of rare cancers in situations where people have prolonged, high level exposure to formaldehyde. In 2004, the United Nations International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reclassified formaldehyde from 'probably carcinogenic to humans' to 'carcinogenic to humans'. This was based on evidence of an increased risk to people of nasopharyngeal cancer after prolonged periods of exposure to very high concentrations of formaldehyde. These levels of exposure were hundreds of times higher than any exposure people experience from daily use of consumer products.
Adverse effects on central nervous system
In occupational settings where people have significant daily exposure to formaldehyde they may suffer:
* headaches
* depression
* mood changes
* insomnia
* irritability
* attention deficit
* impairment of dexterity, memory, and equilibrium.
Monitoring the safety of formaldehyde
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NICNAS
The Australian National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme (NICNAS) has assessed formaldehyde. Its review notes that the European Union (EU) Expert Group on Sensitisation categorised formaldehyde as a strong skin sensitiser.
The NICNAS review indicates that formaldehyde solutions:
* can induce skin sensitisation at very low concentrations
* may elicit a dermatological reaction in individuals who have been sensitised.
The review results relate to exposure of the skin to formaldehyde solution rather than gaseous formaldehyde.
The ACCC
ACCC testing conducted in 2007 found no detections of formaldehyde in a range of clothing available in Australia.
The ACCC has provided these interim, non regulatory reference limits for levels of formaldehyde in various products:
* infants' clothing—30 ppm
* clothing specifically marketed as suitable for people with sensitive skin—30 ppm
* garments which contact the skin—100 ppm
* other garments or fabrics—300 ppm.
Australian voluntary standards for wood-based products
Two Australian voluntary standards make specific reference to formaldehyde in pressed timber products and include emission limits. These voluntary standards are:
* AS/NZS 1859.1:1997 (Reconstituted wood-based panels—Particleboard)
* AS/NZS 1859.2:1997 (Reconstituted wood-based panels—Medium density fibreboard).
To gain categorisation as a ‘low-formaldehyde emission’ product, finished pressed-wood products must meet test criteria levels of less than 1ppm formaldehyde.
Most Australian-made particleboards and medium-density fibreboards now meet these requirements and are ‘low-formaldehyde emission’ products.
Improvements in manufacturing and resin technologies, particularly the use of lignin-based adhesives, have also helped manufacturers reduce formaldehyde emissions.
The use of low formaldehyde emission products in newly constructed transportable homes and offices should ensure that indoor air concentrations of formaldehyde from manufactured timber sources do not exceed 50 ppb.
The United States Government Accountability Office
On 13 August 2010 the United States Government Accountability Office released a report on formaldehyde in textiles in the United States. This report provides information on what is known about (1) the health risks of exposure to formaldehyde, particularly from clothing, and (2) the levels of formaldehyde in clothing sold in the United States. The Government Accountability Office analysed government reviews and the medical literature, as well as studies on levels of formaldehyde in clothing, and had a sample of 180 textiles--primarily clothing--tested for formaldehyde by an accredited laboratory. While illustrative of formaldehyde levels that may be found in clothing, the test results from the Government Accountability Office's sample cannot be projected to all clothing sold in the United States. A copy of the report is available from the United States Government Accountability Office website.
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Statistics
* 28 million tons of formaldehyde solution was consumed across the world in 2006
* more than 1 million European Union workers are exposed to some degree of formaldehyde
* an estimated 1.2 to 2.3 per cent of USA eczema sufferers have dermatitis caused by textile formaldehyde resin.
Myths
Level of formaldehyde
It is a myth that garments available in Australia contain high levels of formaldehyde.
Formaldehyde in consumer products
If you have concerns about formaldehylde in consumer products, these tips may help.
Packing ours up right now! Although DD also loved chewing on the edges :(
I think so hun, I bought mine from Kmart and it was definitely made in China and it has the alphabet on it so it's probably the one they are talking about and probably the ones you get in the other shops too. I think I paid $19, they are EVERYWHERE!:
I wonder, would you get a refund if you took it back and said it was unsafe for the baby??????? Guess it's not proven yet and you'd need a receipt. It just makes me angry that they have been selling these toxic things!
damn it! I lined our old living room with it too because I thought it was more safe to let DD crawl on it than floorboards. She has eczema so I cannot get a rug. Very very angry!!
Ive got another mat thats not the abc but one that is a whole piece now. I wonder if that is affected, its most porbbaly made in china as well.
I got rid of a bunch of play dough i got from coles because i didnt realise they were made in china too! and when i opened one it smelt funny,
wrong thread!
dose that include the big 4 square ones? i got dd a tinkerbell mat from kmart last year, but it is the same (or at the least simmilar) stuff they use on the abc ones....
I'm not sure about the mat thats a whole piece hun, but the ones they are questioning are the 'Chinese made foam mats' and 'interlocking alphabet and other design ones'. Maybe it's just the interlocking ones with letters and other designs that are made in China.....:
Hun I'd toss it just in case, it sounds like it's very similar to the ones they are probing now. It's just probably a different theme. I wouldn't risk it.: