Hazardous chemicals in outdoor and indoor surfaces: artificial turf and laminate flooring.

Background: Synthetic materials, increasingly used for indoor and outdoor surfaces including homes and playgrounds, may contain toxic chemicals. Infants have a higher potential of exposure to chemicals in these materials, which may pose a risk to their health.

Objective: To understand potential risks related to outdoor surface coverings, based on a review of the literature and regulations, and to assess levels of hazardous chemicals in surface coverings in Israel.

Lead in children's jewelry: the impact of regulation.

Background: In 2016 we identified a regulatory gap in Israel reflecting a lack of restrictions on lead in children's jewelry. We conducted surveys that found high levels of lead in children's jewelry. Following the findings, a new standard restricting lead content was introduced in 2018.

Lead in spray paint and painted surfaces in playgrounds and public areas in Israel: Results of a pilot study.

Exposure to low levels of lead in children can cause cognitive deficits (reduced IQ) and behavioral changes such as reduced attention span and increased antisocial behavior. There are no mandatory limits on lead in paint in Israel, with the exception of paints used on toys and children's furniture. However, paints in playgrounds and public areas may be a source of exposure to lead in young children.

Regulation of chemicals in children's products: How U.S. and EU regulation impacts small markets.

Toys and children's products may contain trace metals and organic compounds that are potentially harmful to the health and development of infants and young children. Intergovernmental organizations and individual countries regulate chemicals in consumer products, but a coordinated international approach is lacking. This paper examines the implications of chemical regulation in children's products in large markets for a smaller market, namely Israel.

Concentrations of trace metals, phthalates, bisphenol A and flame-retardants in toys and other children's products in Israel.

Trace metals and synthetic chemicals including phthalates, bisphenol A and flame retardants, are widely used in toys and childcare products, and may pose acute or chronic adverse health effects in children. In Israel, certain chemicals are regulated in childcare products, but there are still regulatory gaps. We tested regulated and unregulated contaminants in 174 item parts from 70 childcare items with potentially high oral or dermal exposure, including 22 children's jewelry items, 14 toys, 7 diaper-changing mats, 6 baby mattresses, 7 baby textiles and 14 feeding and bathing items.