Toxic Chemicals in Our Ponies?

mayanbutterfly

mayanbutterfly

Teeny Tiny Baby Pony
Joined
Aug 30, 2005
Messages
502
So apparently My Little Ponies have PVC additives in them which can include lead, cadmium, organotins, and plasticizers like phthalates. They also contain vinyl chloride, a carcinogen according to the EPA.

PVC also releases dioxins which are really bad for us.

Here's one article that I looked at:

Issue #12: PVC in Christmas Toys and Toxic Toys R Us | The Soft Landing

and here's another talking about toxic toys at Toys R Us

http://chej.org/wp-content/uploads/Documents/2010/ToxicToysRUs.pdf

This is all very upsetting to me because I love ponies and I have been collecting them since I was 4 years old. However, I feel uncomfortable buying them for my 3 year old daughter right now because of the health risks associated with PVC being in toys.

I actually don't know what to do with all of my ponies right now. I don't know how much of a health hazard it is to have them in the same room as I am in. Also, is there much point in keeping them if I think they are unsafe for my daughter to play with?

I have also contacted Hasbro about this issue and I am waiting to hear back from them.

I asked if PVC additives were put into vintage ponies as well because I haven't read anything about that.
 
Last edited:
First off, everything is poisonous at a high enough concentration, including water and oxygen, two things we constantly need to survive. The same goes for plastics in ponies.

People have been collecting and playing with ponies since the 80s, and collectors/fans don't have a high rate of cancer. The people who do have high cancer rates are for things we already know, like living on toxic waste dumps, smoking, working with certain chemicals every day, etc. Chemicals can be dangerous, but at high concentration and by entering the body through some way or another.

Ponies are hunks of plastic. Handling a pony through play, customization, grooming or collecting isn't going to make you sick. Eating a pony, whole or in part, will make you ill in that plastic is not digestible. I'm sure if you eat a pony every day for many years you might get cancer, but of course no one is doing this.

I've had ponies and tons of other plastic toys in my living spaces for years, and I've been fine. Unless your daughter is constantly gnawing on them, she'll be safe, too.

The chemicals that you listed are dangerous when they're ingested at a high rate, like when plastic seeps into baby or water bottles. This isn't going to happen with ponies because, again, we're not eating or breathing them.
 
I was going to say something similar, Phekzhen. Unless the chemicals are ingested, it should be fine. It's not like they're made of asbestos or something that can get into her lungs, etc. unless they are directly ingested, and it's not radioactive.
 
Well there you go.. Just a bit of chlorine. They're probably getting worse exposure in their swimming lessons, even if they ARE eating them!
 
I'd just like to add that sidewalks, roads, floor boards, cement walls all have quite a bit of chemicals in them. I'm quite certain these things are filled with much more chemicals than ponies or toys in general. The human body, even when young, can take a pretty high amount of most toxins in a day (when not being swallowed/chewed on as everyone has reiterated).
 
Well I'm surrounded by PVC anime figures and ponies I'm not adding them in my snack list :) Plus people in the apartment across smoke...I think that is worse >.>
 
I figure something's going to kill me; it might as well be something I enjoy!

But seriously, I really, really doubt, unless you're hacking up ponies into tiny pieces and EATING them on a daily basis, there's much danger there.
 
Since we made it through okay, there's no fear to be had. :)
 
Thanks for the link, I always wondered about ponies. Looks like the g3's fared better then some of the barbie items on that site.

I used to help restore dolls for a lady who collected vintage and antique dolls, and she always used gloves/masks and worked in a garage- keep in mind those dolls often contain lead. So, I picked up some of her habits.

Safety, I'm not concerned about storing my collection. I keep my collection out of reach, in it's own space. To be honest I do always wash my hands after handling vintage toys. Even though we won't be chewing on ponies, you never really know what's left on your hands if the vinyl is breaking down, I don't want that ending up on my pets or in my mouth if I pop a piece of gum later. I am super curious as to what our vintage ponies contain, and are possibly leeching off. hmmm....
 
yea, that is just a bit of chlorine, you probably absorb more than that when you take a shower. you would have to eat the ponies to have any ill affects, don't worry about it,
 
darcerin said:
I figure something's going to kill me; it might as well be something I enjoy!

But seriously, I really, really doubt, unless you're hacking up ponies into tiny pieces and EATING them on a daily basis, there's much danger there.
Click to expand...

Yea, if I die, it might as well be from my favorite pony, Twilight!
 
Sorry for the Frankenbump, but this is something that seriously is on my mind constantly. I do not let my kids play with vintage toys. I have a daughter who was lead poisoned (from my landlord doing repairs) and I had to research all sorts of ways in which children can be lead poisoned. When the county health department inspected the premises they flat out told me to be careful of the vintage toys I had on display (the 1991 collection of SSC). If you want to become a paranoid freak, start reading about what all of the plastic in your home does to you (specifically plastic in your kitchen. We ONLY use glass).

I sold my vintage toy collection (I had a ton of stuff that was stored and not on display). I got rid of ALL of our FP Little People and 99% of our FP toys in general. I allowed my son to keep his Super Friends line of Imaginext and then later found out they are consistently on the top 10 list of bad toys due to the figures being PVC. As much as I try to avoid it, MOST toys are made from it. I steer clear of Disney lines because they are notorious for having really high levels of toxins. I try to check things on healthystuff.org. Most of what my children receive are handmade, organic toys from Etsy or other safe toy lines (like Plan Toys, they are amazing). It is getting harder though because they have taken an interest in some of the main stream stuff (like Barbies and Transformers).

That being said, I really miss having a few ponies so I am going to collect a few. I just plan to keep the collection small and keep it out of the hands of my kiddos. Oh and they are bad for kids to touch because the plastic breaks down over time and leaches all sorts of nastiness that is absorbed through touch. Not to mention kids constantly have their hands in their mouths. So they wouldn't have to eat them as some are suggesting. You never know what a person's toxic load threshold is. One person could bathe in toxins and never had a problem and another person can just be in the presence of them and get sick. You just have to decide if the risk is worth it for you.
 
I understand the concern I really do, I just think when you go outside and inhale you are getting worse contaminates than touching a pony. When you eat processed foods you are consuming plenty of chemicals. When you touch new clothes you are subjected to chemicals. Our whole world is full of both natural and man made chemicals/dangers that could harm anyone on any given day. There are more germs inside your mouth that are a danger to you than you realize. Parasites are everywhere. If you realized just how much you were subjected to just going for a walk or playing in a park you would close your door and never leave the house. Then you would get bored and want those ponies!!! LOL
 
Yea a friend of mine won't have carpet because she says it out gases toxins in the house that could harm her children. I don't have carpet either, but its not because of that. My husband has asthma and dust mites are really bad with carpet.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top