EcoWaste Coalition Finds Kiddie Boxing Gloves Not Safe to Play With
Boxing gloves with high phthalate content.
Boxing is definitely not a child’s game, especially when the punching gloves are packed with harmful chemicals.
Amid the frenzy surrounding the upcoming Pacquiao-Mayweather boxing bout, the environmental and health watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition cautioned parents from buying kiddie boxing gloves containing chemical plasticizers banned in toys.
“While boxing, a collision sport, is not recommended for children, some parents may find themselves buying gloves for their boys to have fun with as the clash between the two boxing giants nears,” said Thony Dizon, Coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition’s Project Protect.
“Adding to the undeniable child safety issue, especially if played without adult supervision, is the presence of undisclosed hazardous substances in some boxing gloves,” he pointed out.
Dizon’s group, which has been tracking hazardous substances in children’s toys since 2011, warned that some kiddie boxing gloves violate the regulatory limits for phthalates, the toxic chemical plasticizers used to soften polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic.
Phthalate exposure has been linked to genital abnormalities in boys such as deformed penises and undescended testicles, as well as to infertility and low sperm count later in life.
Out of the three samples of boxing gloves bought by the EcoWaste Coalition from Divisoria and Quiapo retailers and then analyzed by SGS, a global testing company, two were found to violate the 0.1% limit for phthalate DEHP in toys:
1. A
“Toys Ultimate Spiderman” boxing gloves” costing P100 had 9.05% DEHP
2. A “People’s Champ” boxing gloves and punching bag costing P130 had 3.16%
DEHP
The third sample, a “Speed Games New Toys” boxing gloves, worth P120 had no detectable phthalate.
The third sample, a “Speed Games New Toys” boxing gloves, worth P120 had no detectable phthalate.
Boxing gloves with no detectable phthalate.
Health authorities in Europe, North America and even in the Philippines have taken action to restrict phthalates in children’s toys because these chemicals are known endocrine disruptors deemed harmful even at very low exposures.
Health authorities in Europe, North America and even in the Philippines have taken action to restrict phthalates in children’s toys because these chemicals are known endocrine disruptors deemed harmful even at very low exposures.
To prevent and reduce childhood exposure to these chemicals, the Department of Health in 2011 banned phthalates BBP, DBP and DEHP in excess of 0.1% by weight in children’s toys, while phthalates DIDP, DINP and DnOP above 0.1% are banned in children’s toys that could be placed in the mouth.
To protect children from phthalate exposure, the EcoWaste Coalition urged the health authorities to sternly enforce the restrictions on phthalates in toys and to order the withdrawal from market of non-compliant products.
Quoting from the booklet on endocrine disrupting chemicals published by the Endocrine Society (www.endocrine.org) and IPEN (www.ipen.org), the EcoWaste Coalition said that “phthalates act by interfering with androgen (testosterone) production. Because androgens are critical to male development, including genital development, boys are thought to be most vulnerable to exposure.”
“However, androgens also play important roles in females, making phthalates relevant to both sexes,” the Endocrine Society and IPEN publication said.
Studies have associated exposures to phthalates to a variety of health problems such as birth defects, reproductive disorders, asthma, diabetes, obesity and cancer.
Exposures occur through ingestion, inhalation and skin contact.
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