Look but don't touch is the message coming from some quarters in relation to PVC toys which contain substances called phthalates. Some countries have begun to ban their use, particularly in children's toys, and there are calls for EU action to regulate their use.
A statement from the European Commission last week encouraged member-states to monitor phthalate use but it did not recommend banning them or removing products which contain them from markets.
If the Commission upholds the views of its expert committees on indications of risk to children from phthalates as they leach from plastic toys, Ireland would restrict the sale of such products, according to the Minister of State for Science and Technology, Mr Noel Treacy.
Phthalates are used as softeners/plasticisers in manufacturing. Both the European consumers' body, BEUC, and the Consumers' Association of Ireland have called for immediate clarification of the risks.
Recent research underlined the need for clarity in measuring chemicals in soft PVC toys, a Consumers' Association spokeswoman, Ms Rosamond Green, of Consumer Choice magazine, said.
She said the EU scientific committee on toxicity, ecotoxicity and the environment had looked at the issue after Danish fears that unacceptable amounts of the chemicals were released when a child sucked a toy made of PVC. Although the committee found phthalate levels were within its guidelines, it admitted that present testing measures "may need revision".
There is no standardised level on which to base findings and present values used by the committee do not allow for a child's additional exposure to phthalates through food or the environment.
Research on laboratory animals has found that phthalates fed to female rats damaged their male offsprings' testicles and sperm count. It is not yet clear how high exposure to phthalates affects humans.
A study on human volunteers is planned in the Netherlands to assess the effects of their exposure to phthalates in toys. It is hoped to compare the results with other findings and establish adequate standards for assessing products.
Meanwhile, the Consumers' Association has advised consumers that if they wished to avoid a PVC product they should not buy goods stamped with the figure `3' in a triangular recycling symbol.
The Irish environmental group VOICE is opposed to another investigation while the sale of soft PVC toys containing phthalates continues. At the very least, a temporary ban should apply, said its spokesperson, Ms Iva Pocock. BEUC has endorsed this view.
The director of the Irish Plastics Industries Association, Mr Reg McCabe, said to his knowledge none of the soft PVC toys involved was manufactured in Ireland, though they may be on sale here. "This does not mean that the issue does not concern us."
Mr McCabe said the PVC industry in Europe believed there was a certain level of hazard associated with a range of industrial materials. The detrimental effects in mice resulted from exposure to a substantial quantity of phthalates and such a risk would equally apply to many substances. There was also no hard evidence linking phthalates and conditions such as cancer in humans. "In my personal opinion, there are no serious grounds for a ban."