A group of researchers have found high levels of lead in one of the most popular toys around the world.
Fidget spinners, which were originally touted as a therapeutic tool for kids with ADHD, have become a worldwide sensation in the last few years. Some estimates put fidget spinner sales past half a billion dollars in just April and May this year.
But the toys have also been in the news for other reasons lately: In both the U.S. and Denmark, scientists have found that the toys contain unsafe levels of lead.
Earlier this month, scientists at an independent lab in the U.S. tested 10 fidget spinners and found that four of them had elevated lead levels — one of the toy’s had a part that contained lead at more than 400 times the legal limit.
The fidget spinners tested were bought at Walmart and online at Amazon.
Recently, the Danish Consumer Council’s Think Chemicals organization also tested 12 of the toys and found that two contained unsafe levels of lead and three had “excessive” levels of nickel.
The group pointed out that the toys were sold with a “CE Certification label,” meaning that they are supposed to conform to healthy, safety and environmental protection standards for the EU.
Think Chemicals’ manager said that the tests confirmed that the rush to sell fidget spinners while demand is high has led to manufacturers cutting corners with product quality and safety.
