Children Toys Research Articles

Extremely high levels of PBDEs in children’s toys from European markets: causes and implications for the circular economy

BackgroundWith the high influx of low-cost plastic toys on the market, there is growing concern about the safety of such toys. Some of these plastic toys contains hazardous chemicals like polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) due to the use of recycled plastics in new toy manufacturing. Here, we investigated if toys marketed in Europe are compliant with EU directives to assess the safety of currently used children's toys and identify implications of PBDE content in toys.ResultsEighty-four toys purchased from international toy retailers were screened for bromine using X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and 11 of those with bromine content higher than 500 µg/g were analyzed for ten PBDEs using GC–HRMS. PBDEs were detected in all 11 toys. Ʃ10PBDE concentrations ranged up to 23.5 mg/g (with a median concentration of 8.61 mg/g), with BDE-209 being the most abundant compound (4.40 mg/g). Eight samples exceeded the EU’s Low POP Content Limit (LPCL) of 500 µg/g for the Ʃ10PBDEs by 6–47 times and the Unintentional Trace Contaminant (UTC) limits of 10 µg/g for Deca-BDE by 12–800 times.ConclusionsPBDEs were up to percent levels, suggesting direct recycling of flame retarded plastic, e.g., e-waste plastics, into toy components. This is a call for concern and requires intervention from all stakeholders involved in the toy market. Overall, the occurrence of non-compliant toys in the EU market, as indicated in this study is primarily attributed to gaps in regulations, inadequate legislation for recycled plastics, the rise of online sales, complexities in global and national supply chains, and economic challenges. Failure to address these issues will hinder the efforts of the plastics industry to transition into a circular economy. This suggests that more actions are needed to address gaps in cross-border enforcement, and stricter sanctions are required for toy manufacturers who fail to adhere to regulations and safety standards.

Exposure to benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) leads to increased double-strand break formation and germline dysfunction in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), a plasticizer found in a wide range of consumer products including vinyl flooring, carpet backing, food packaging, personal care products, and children's toys, is an endocrine-disrupting chemical linked to impaired reproduction and development in humans. Despite evidence that BBP exposure perturbs the integrity of male and female gametes, its direct effect on early meiotic events is understudied. Here, using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, we show that BBP exposure elicits a non-monotonic dose response on the rate of X-chromosome nondisjunction measured using a high-throughput screening platform. From among the range of doses tested (1, 10, 100 and 500 μM BBP), we found that 10 μM BBP elicited the strongest effect on the germline, resulting in increased germ cell apoptosis and chromosome organization defects. Mass spectrometry analysis shows that C. elegans efficiently metabolizes BBP into its primary metabolites, monobutyl phthalate (MBP) and monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP), and that the levels of BBP, MBP, and MBzP detected in the worm are within the range detected in human biological samples. Exposure to 10 μM BBP leads to germlines with enlarged mitotic nuclei, altered meiotic progression, activation of a p53/CEP-1-dependent DNA damage checkpoint, increased double-strand break levels throughout the germline, chromosome morphology defects in oocytes at diakinesis, and increased oxidative stress. RNA sequencing analysis indicates that BBP exposure results in the altered expression of genes involved in xenobiotic metabolic processes, extracellular matrix organization, oocyte morphogenesis, meiotic cell cycle, and oxidoreduction. Taken together, we propose that C. elegans exposure to BBP leads to increased oxidative stress and double-strand break formation, thereby compromising germline genomic integrity and chromosome segregation.

Biocomposite materials from natural rubber/polylactic acid blends reinforced rubberwood sawdust for producing children's toys

Biocomposite materials are prepared by blending natural rubber (NR) and polylactic acid (PLA) reinforced with rubberwood sawdust (RWS). This study aimed to investigate the effects of PLA grade, NR/PLA blend ratio, and RWS content on flexure, tension, hardness, and water absorption characteristics, including thermal stability. The RWS content significantly affected the physical and mechanical properties of the biocomposite materials. The increasing additions of RWS from 30 to 50 wt% increased the mechanical modulus, hardness, and water absorption but decreased the thermal stability of the biocomposites. Polymer blended with an NR/PLA ratio of 30/70 reinforced with 30 wt% RWS exhibited the highest mechanical strength, whereas a blend ratio of 40/60 was found to be reinforced with 40 wt% RWS. The polymer matrix blended with a higher PLA content resulted in superior biocomposite properties. Thus, the biocomposites with an NR/PLA ratio of 30/70 had better properties than those with a ratio of 40/60. Further, biocomposites with PLA grade of low melt flow rate (6 g/10 min) improved their properties more than that of a high melt flow rate (80 g/10 min). Therefore, the appropriate formulation of biocomposites for producing children's toys is a blend ratio of 30/70 with 2003D PLA grade of low melt flow rate and reinforcement with 30 wt% RWS. The tensile, flexural, and compressive forces of a toy boat prototype were 70.08, 104.9, and 124.8 N, respectively, while the specified standard is 69.0, 69.0, and 113.5 N, respectively, thus meeting the requirements of the American Society for Testing and Materials F963.

Radical Play: Revolutionizing Children's Toys in 1960s and 1970s America

Radical Play: Revolutionizing Children's Toys in 1960s and 1970s America

Analysis of Children's Toys for Developing Five Senses based on Sustainable Design

Analysis of Children's Toys for Developing Five Senses based on Sustainable Design

Designing safe recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE) for child toys

New high-density polyethylene (HDPE) manufactured from different percentage of post-consumer recycled HDPE milk bottles was studied through two static and dynamic migration tests using saliva simulant to assess the potential hazard to children. Sixty-nine compounds were identified, including several additives used in PE synthesis such as alkanes, alkenes, antioxidants and plasticizers as well as non-intentionally added substances (NIAS) like degradation products such as 2,6-di-tert-butyl-1,4-benzoquinone, 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol, phenol, 2,5-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl)-, 3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, and 3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyacetophenone, or various residues from flavoring agents, cleaning products and essential oils. Some of these compounds as the isomers p and o t-butylcyclohexyl acetate, 3-Octanol, 3,7-dimethyl- and thujanol acetate (3-) pose a potential risk to children, as their concentrations exceed the recommended Cramer values for high percentages of recycling. This suggests improving recycling processes by incorporating advanced cleaning to remove residual products and contaminants.

Emotional AI in education and toys: Investigating moral risk awareness in the acceptance of AI technologies from a cross-sectional survey of the Japanese population

Emotional artificial intelligence (AI), i.e., affective computing technologies, is rapidly reshaping the education of young minds worldwide. In Japan, government and commercial stakeholders are promulgating emotional AI not only as a neoliberal, cost-saving benefit but also as a heuristic that can improve the learning experience at home and in the classroom. Nevertheless, critics warn of a myriad of risks and harms posed by the technology such as privacy violation, unresolved deeper cultural and systemic issues, machinic parentalism as well as the danger of imposing attitudinal conformity. This study brings together the Technological Acceptance Model and Moral Foundation Theory to examine the cultural construal of risks and rewards regarding the application of emotional AI technologies. It explores Japanese citizens’ perceptions of emotional AI in education and children's toys via analysis of a final sample of 2000 Japanese respondents with five age groups (20s–60s) and two sexes equally represented. The linear regression models for determinants of attitude toward emotional AI in education and in toys account for 44 % and 38 % variation in the data, respectively. The analyses reveal a significant negative correlation between attitudes toward emotional AI in both schools and toys and concerns about privacy violations or the dystopian nature of constantly monitoring of children and students’ emotions with AI (Education: βDystopianConcern = − .094***; Toys: βPrivacyConcern = − .199***). However, worries about autonomy and bias show mixed results, which hints at certain cultural nuances of values in a Japanese context and how new the technologies are. Concurring with the empirical literature on the Moral Foundation Theory, the chi-square (Χ2) test shows Japanese female respondents express more fear regarding the potential harms of emotional AI technologies for the youth's privacy, autonomy, data misuse, and fairness (p < 0.001). The policy implications of these results and insights on the impacts of emotional AI for the future of human-machine interaction are also provided.

PERANCANGAN START UP DIGITAL ENT BABY EQUIPMENT AND TOYS RENTAL DENGAN METODE USER DESIGN CENTER

The digital start-up ENT Baby Equipment and Toys Rental was founded with the aim of meeting families' needs for baby equipment and various toys that can be rented for a certain period of time. Because the use of equipment, equipment and toys for babies and children is relatively short and not everyone can afford it, this rental service is very helpful for those who have limited funds. ENT can be accessed via the ENT Mobile Apps application online with the aim of making it easier for consumers to choose the items they want to rent without having to come directly to the equipment rental place. ENT is affiliated with several trusted and registered baby equipment and toy rental partners. In this way, ENT will bridge between consumers and rental partners for baby equipment and children's toys. The design method uses the User Center Design method, while the business process analysis uses the SWOT method and needs analysis uses the TELOS analysis method. Based on Usability Testing using the Usability Heuristic method approach, the average indicator assessment was 86%. This shows that the ENT digital start-up application gives an intuitive and user-friendly impression so that it can be accepted and easy to understand by users.

Unboxing the child influencer paradoxes: a research agenda

ABSTRACT Child toy unboxers unintentionally and intentionally participate in paradoxical practices. The child influencer industry, shaped by ideological conflicts, is a foreign topic in the marketing domain despite its popularity. Drawing upon paradox theory, this conceptual article investigates three main paradoxes of child toy unboxers by addressing the following research questions: What are the paradoxical tensions that manifest in child toy unboxing industry? What research directions will prove fruitful for advancing our understanding of these paradoxical tensions and its implications for child toy unboxing marketing? Departing from the traditional perspective that positions opposite elements as separate and exclusive worlds, the disposition of these paradoxes provides new insights into the complex world of child influencers. This paper presents new research prospects and implications that promote socially responsible child influencer marketing.

TINDAK PIDANA TIDAK MENGGUNAKAN LABEL BERBAHASA INDONESIA PADA BARANG YANG DIPERDAGANGKAN DI DALAM NEGERI OLEH PELAKU USAHA

Criminal acts are acts that meet the elements of guilt and against the law that have been stipulated in the law and customary norms that apply in society. The reality in community is that there are many violations of the obligation to use Indonesian language labels on goods traded domestically by business actors. The results showed violations of these provisions both in the form of food and beverages such as rice, sugar, sausages and in the form of non-food such as electronic goods, spare parts, children's toys and others, with empirical evidence in the form of permanent legal force decisions. The purpose of this study is to find the causes of violations of the obligation to use Indonesian language labels on goods traded domestically by business actors. Provisions regulating the obligation of business actors to use Indonesian labels on goods traded domestically are contained in Law Number 8 of 1999 concerning Consumer Protection and Law Number 7 of 2014 concerning Trade. The research concluded that some business actors are not aware of these obligations, do not support government programs and lack of supervision, so it is necessary to continuously socialize the law, effective and fair law enforcement and strict government supervision by involving ministries and other relevant agencies and institutions. The method used is a normative research method and the data are collected by library reseach and analized by qualitative method.

The catalysts for synthesis of citrate esters plasticizers and the application of citrate esters plasticizers

The latest research progress in citrate esters plasticizers at home and abroad was introduced. The advance in the catalysts for the syn thesis of citrate esters plasticizers and the application of citrate esters plasticizers were reviewed in detail. The catalysts for the synthesis of citrate esters included sulfonic acid, solid super acid, heteropolyacids, ionic liquids and inorganic salts. The citric acid ester plasticizers were applied in the fields of food packaging, children's toys and medical instrument. The development prospects of citric acid ester plasticizers were outlined.

Implementation of The Consignment System at Lucky Jaya Mart Store: A Review of Islamic Business Ethics

This study aimed to determine how the Lucky Jaya Mart store carried out the business behavior towards its business partners and the implementation of the consignment sales system with the three product consignors of different categories of goods entrusted and reviewed according to Islamic Business Ethics. Using observation and interviews with Lucky Jaya Mart store, the consignor of chips products, the consignor of accessories and children's toys products, and the consignor of sweetbreads products as research data. The researcher used a qualitative approach with literature studies on relevant scientific works to analyze the business activities carried out by the Lucky Jaya Mart store. Based on the study results, Lucky Jaya Mart store had done business well. All activities were considered ethical regarding conducting business using a consignment sales system and the relationships between people involved. There were no parties who felt aggrieved in this collaboration system. On the contrary, all parties involved felt their rights and obligations were fulfilled so that ongoing business relationships could occur harmoniously.

Assessment of bisphenols in children's toy and baby products in the Middle East

A major concern from the scientific community has been raised since evidence of Bisphenol A (BP-A) can leach out from the products where they are incorporated as well as its endocrine disrupting effects observed in animals and humans. BP-A and several related chemicals such as Bisphenol AP (BP-AP), Bisphenol B (BP–B), Bisphenol S (BP–S), Bisphenol AF (BP-AF), Bisphenol (BP–P), Bisphenol Z (BP-Z) were analyzed in this study. BP-A and BP-S were the only bisphenols detected in the samples analyzed in this study. The median (range; mean) concentrations of BP-A found in this study was 321 ng/g (11–200932; 4893 ng/g). The analysis was carried out by sonicating 0.1 g of a cryo-milled sample aliquot in methanol followed by UPLC-MS/MS determination. High concentrations of BP-A were found in several products labeled as BP-A free such as nursing bottles which are particularly problematic from the children's exposure point of view. This study presents the first reliable bisphenols in children's toys and baby products commercialized in the Middle East. There is, however, a need to continue monitoring these compounds, especially in low-cost toys, and the so-called BP-A-free products, which appear to have high levels of target contaminants and can pose an exposure risk for infants and children in the region.

Evaluation of particle and volatile organic compound emissions during the use of 3D pens

This study investigated particle and volatile organic compound (VOC) emission rates (ER) from 3D pens, which are increasingly popular in children's toys. Nine filaments and two 3D pens were evaluated using a flow tunnel, a scanning mobility particle sizer, a proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer for particles, and a thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometer for VOCs. Results showed that the ERs varied with the pen type, filament, and brand. The particle ER was highest for acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), followed by polylactic acid (PLA) and polycaprolactone (PCL). Notably, ERs of 83 % and 33 % of ABS and PLA filaments exceeded the maximum allowable particle ER (MAER; 5 × 109 particles/min) for 3D printers but were lower than the VOC MAER (173 μg/min in the office). Different filaments emitted diverse VOCs; ABS emitted styrene and benzene, PLA emitted lactide, and PCL emitted phenol. While particle ERs from 3D pens were comparable to those from printers, the total VOC ERs from 3D pens were slightly lower. Caution is warranted when using 3D pens because of potential health risks, especially their prolonged use, proximity to the breathing zone, and usage by children. This study highlights the need for considering particles and VOCs when assessing the safety of 3D pens, emphasizing awareness of potential hazards, particularly in child-oriented settings.

Presence of hazardous chemical elements in low-cost children's toys: A risk to their development in early childhood

ObjectivesThe objectives of the current study was to study the presence of hazardous chemical elements (Ba138, Cd111, Cr52, Pb208, As75, Co59, Cu63, Mn55, Ni60, Se82, Sr88, Zn66 and Hg202) in low-cost children's toys, and the effect of color types on chemical element concentrations. MethodsChildren's toy samples were analyzed using microwave digestion and inductively coupled plasma/mass spectrometry (ICP/MS) method. Samples were prepared into small pieces, and 500 mg of homogenized sample was used for digestion by means of digesting regents HNO3 (65 %, 5 mL) and H2O2 (35 %, 1 mL). During the digestion process, the pressure was held constant at 90 bar and the temperature, hold time, and power were varied 150–170-40° C, 10–30-5 min, 70–90-0 %, respectively. The main operating conditions of ICP/MS were: spray chamber temperature (−20 °C), RF Power (1450 W), nebulizer gas flow (0.9 L/min), auxiliary gas flow (0.8 L/min) and plasma gas flow (14.85 L/min). Samples and blanks were analyzed for 30 s and system was operated in standard mode. ResultsThe excellent method performance was achieved in terms of limit of detection (LOD, 0.001–14.89 µg/L); limit of quantification (LOQ, 0.003–45.12 µg/L); correlation coefficient (R2, 0.975–0.999) with relative standard deviation values (RSD, 0.70–4.98 %). Chemical elements were found in all the toys (0.01–742.72 ng/g) except sample S2 where only Hg202 was found (0.01 ng/g). Outcomes revealed that the Hg202 was present at a very low level (0.01 ng/g) while Zn66 was present at very high level (742.72 ng/g). Furthermore, the toys contamination was also found to be color-specific, with significant amount of chemical elements was found in black type car sample (S5, 946.98 ng/g) whereas other color type samples constitute lower amounts (0.001–210.53 ng/g). Low-cost toys designed for children's use are found to contain chemical elements that should be addressed in the course of action. As a result of exposure to high amounts of chemical elements in toys, children have a high chance of developing cancer.

Accelerated Development of a COVID-19 Lateral Flow Test in an Academic Setting: Lessons Learned.

The COVID-19 pandemic further demonstrated the need for usable, reliable, and cost-effective point-of-care diagnostics that can be broadly deployed, ideally for self-testing at home. Antigen tests using more-detectable reporter labels (usually at the cost of reader complexity) achieve better diagnostic sensitivity, supporting the value of higher-analytical-sensitivity reporter technologies in lateral flow.We developed a new approach to simple, inexpensive lateral flow assays (LFAs) of great sensitivity, based on the glow stick peroxyoxalate chemistry widely used in emergency settings and in children's toys. At the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, we had the opportunity to participate in the pandemic-driven NIH Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) initiative aiming to develop a deployable lateral flow diagnostic for SARS-CoV-2 nucleoprotein based on our novel glow stick-inspired light-emitting reporter technology. During this project, we screened more than 250 antibody pairs for analytical sensitivity and specificity directly in LFA format, using recombinant nucleoprotein and then gamma-irradiated virions spiked into negative nasal swab extracts. Membranes and other LFA materials and swabs and extraction reagent components also were screened and selected. Optimization of conjugate preparation and spraying as well as pretreatment/conditioning of the sample pad led to the final optimized LFA strip. Technology development also included optimization of excitation liquid enclosed in disposable droppers, design of a custom cartridge and smartphone-based reader, and app development, even a prototype reader usable with any mobile phone. Excellent preclinical performance was first demonstrated with contrived samples and then with leftover clinical samples. Moving beyond traditional academic focus areas, we were able to establish a quality management system (QMS), produce large numbers of customized LFA cassettes by contract injection molding, build in-house facilities to assemble and store thousands of complete tests for verification and validation and usability studies, and source kitting/packaging services and quality standard reagents and build partnerships for clinical translation, regulatory guidance, scale up, and market deployment. We were not able to bring this early stage technology to the point of commercialization within the limited time and resources available, but we did achieve strong proof-of-concept and advance translational aspects of the platform including initial high-performance LFAs, reading by the iPhone app using only a $2 plastic dark box with no lens, and convenient, usable excitation liquid packaging in droppers manufacturable in very large numbers.In this Account, we aim to provide a concise overview of our 18-month sprint toward the practical development of a deployable antigen lateral flow assay under pandemic conditions and the challenges and successes experienced by our team. We highlight what it takes to coach a technically savvy but commercially inexperienced academic team through the accelerated translation of an early stage technology into a useful product. Finally, we provide a guided tutorial and workflow to empower others interested in the rapid development of translatable LFAs.

Research on Innovative Design of Children's Toys Based on the Influence of Electronic Products on Children

Research on Innovative Design of Children's Toys Based on the Influence of Electronic Products on Children

The History of Vertical Flight and Air Medical Transport.

Vertical flight was sought-after by scientists for centuries, finding early beginnings in children's toys and slowly developing into the modern helicopter. For centuries, true success was elusive, and many machines failed to achieve safe, controlled flight. Despite slow progress, vertical flight enthusiasts were unrelenting and continued trialing new concepts until one finally rose above the rest. As technology advanced, the critical role of helicopters in medical evacuation became apparent. Throughout recent history, continuous progress in vertical flight technology has led to widespread and multifaceted use of helicopters in civilian and military medical operations.

Steel Production Process in CV. Tiga Putra Jaya Sejahtra

The construction services business is an activity in the economic, social and cultural fields which has an important role in achieving various targets to support the realization of national development goals. CV. Tiga Putra Jaya Sejahtra is a company engaged in the steel construction industry which provides the manufacture of fences, trellises, balconies, canopies, stair railings, rolling doors, children's toys, folding doors, light steel, galvalume, water towers, iron roofs. The purpose of this The implementation of this activity is to observe the production process of making hollow fences and the result of this activity is to find out how long it takes to make hollow fences, the costs that will be needed and the preparation of the BOM for hollow fences.

Children's toys no longer: a porcine model study of the lethality of modern air rifles.

We observed modern spring-loaded air rifles reaching velocities similar to small-bore rifles, raising concerns about their potential lethality. After encountering two life-threatening thoracic injuries in our practice, we conducted a study to assess the injuries that a commonly available air rifle could cause in a porcine cadaver model. We conducted shooting experiments from 5 and 10 metres away using a .22 calibre spring-loaded airgun, firing five shots into the anterolateral chest on the left side at both distances. Additionally, we repeated the experiment with ten shots into 10% ballistics gel behind an explanted chest wall to evaluate chest wall penetration reliability. Out of the ten combined shots, six resulted in lethal or potentially lethal injuries, including multiple cardiac injuries. Moreover, we observed chest wall penetration in 9 out of 10 shots, with an average penetration depth of 106mm. Non-life-threatening injuries appeared to be influenced by shot location rather than an inability to penetrate the chest wall. Our study raises significant concerns about the potential lethality of unrestricted air rifles in New Zealand. With muzzle velocities comparable to small-bore rifles, these firearms should be reconsidered in terms of regulation and possibly restricted to gun license holders.