Recall Alert — Bamboo Plates
Earlier this month, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced a recall of bamboo plates designed for children’s use because of elevated levels of lead and formaldehyde detected in the product. Formaldehyde and lead are both toxic if ingested, and exposure can result in significant adverse health impacts. They can also be absorbed through the thin and porous skin, a characteristic of infants and young children. Other reasons why young children are more susceptible to these types of toxics: • As every parent knows, infants and children put everything in their mouths — food, toys, dirt, rocks, dirty fingers — making exposure more likely. • Children eat more food, drink more water, and breathe more air per unit body weight compared with adults, increasing the risk of exposure to toxic chemicals in their environment, indoors and outdoors. • Infants and children grow and develop rapidly, so their organs and body systems are more likely to be damaged by dangerous ch...