Some children’s products sold in South Africa may contain traces of toxic chemicals that were banned globally years ago, a University of Cape Town (UCT) study published in the Heliyon journal has found.
The study – Legacy brominated flame retardants in children’s products in South Africa: Evidence of toxic recycling in a global circular economy – and conducted by Rebecca Mlelwa as part of her PhD research and her supervisor Professor Andrea Rother, both based at UCT’s Environmental Health Division, found chemical signatures associated with persistent organic pollutants in a range of products commonly used by children including Rubik’s Cubes, toy mobile phones, puzzle mats, sunglasses, toy vehicles, and child car seats.
The study focused on brominated flame retardants, including polybrominated diphenyl ethers and hexabromocyclododecane, chemicals once widely used to reduce the flammability of electronic products. These substances were subsequently banned under the Stockholm Convention because of their harmful effects on human health which included endocrine disruption, neurotoxicity and cancer.
Using a handheld X-ray fluorescence spectrometer, the team screened products for bromine and antimony, two indicators commonly used to identify the possible presence of these hazardous chemicals. They analysed 138 new and second-hand children’s products available on the South African market. Products were deliberately selected because they were made from plastic materials previously associated with brominated flame retardants.
Bromine was detected in 38% of the products analysed, with concentrations ranging from 10 to 7 223 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg). Antimony was also found in 90% of these products. Based on estimated decabromodiphenyl ether (DecaBDE) levels, about 85% of products containing bromine exceeded the Basel Convention’s lowest limit of 50 mg/kg, a threshold used to identify waste materials that require careful management.
The highest concentrations were detected in Rubik’s Cubes, a toy mobile phone, and a puzzle mat. Other products showing evidence of contamination included sunglasses, child car seats, toy motorcycles, toy baskets and trolleys, toy stethoscopes, and toy pistols.
According to the authors, the observed chemical patterns are consistent with contamination from recycled electronic waste.
“This study provides preliminary evidence that legacy pollutants are potentially re-entering children’s products through recycled plastics in South Africa,” Mlelwa and Prof Rother say. “The combination of bromine and antimony, together with concentrations that are too low to serve a flame-retardant function, strongly suggests contamination through the recycling process rather than intentional use in these products.”
While recycling is essential for reducing waste, the authors note that it should not come at the expense of children’s health.
The findings are particularly significant because children are uniquely vulnerable to chemical exposures. Their organs and nervous systems are still developing, their bodies are less efficient at detoxifying hazardous substances, and they often spend prolonged periods handling, playing with and, in some cases, mouthing objects.
Previous research has shown that children can be exposed to these chemicals through direct contact with products, by placing toys in their mouths, through dermal contact, and by ingesting dust in contaminated environments.
Mlelwa and Prof Rother say that the study adds to growing international evidence that the global push towards circular economies must be accompanied by stronger safeguards to prevent toxic chemicals from being recycled back into consumer products.
“South Africa currently faces significant regulatory challenges in managing this risk,” they say.
A coordinated response involving the National Consumer Commission, the Department of Health and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment is needed, according to Mlelwa.
Among the recommendations are stronger enforcement of existing legislation, mandatory screening of products before they enter the market, and greater transparency around chemicals used throughout product supply chains.
“Protecting children from exposure to legacy pollutants requires multisectoral action,” Mlelwa says. “Regulatory oversight and product screening will be critical to preventing hazardous substances from continuing to circulate in new products. Transparency and improved public awareness can help people make informed choices when buying these products.”