Identifying potential chemicals of concern in children's products in a regulatory context: a systematic evidence mapping approach.

Abstract

Background: Children's vulnerability to chemical toxicant exposures demands strong consideration of the chemical composition of products designed for and marketed toward them. Inadequacies in health-protective legislation and lack of mandatory ingredient disclosure in most children's products have created significant gaps in protection and oversight. Scientific literature can provide insight into the chemical constituency of children's products that may be useful for prioritizing future regulatory efforts.

Objective: We aimed to present a proof of concept for applying systematic evidence mapping methodology to identify which chemicals of potential concern have been reported in the scientific literature to be present in products marketed toward children, to inform future research and regulatory efforts.

Methods: We conducted a broad, all-encompassing survey of the available literature from four databases to identify chemicals present in children's products. Using systematic evidence mapping methodologies, we constructed a database of children's products and their chemical constituents (termed "product-chemical combinations") based on a broad survey of current and relevant environmental health literature. Our study focused on chemicals present on the California Safer Consumer Products Program's Candidate Chemicals List, which includes chemicals with one or more known hazard traits. We then conducted an exploratory data analysis of product category and product-chemical combination frequencies to identify common chemicals in specific products.

Results: Our systematic evidence mapping identified 206 potentially hazardous chemicals in children's products, 170 of which were found in toys. In total, we found 1528 distinct product-chemical combinations; 582 product-chemical combinations included chemicals known to be hazardous or potentially hazardous. Ortho-phthalates in plastic toys, parabens in children's creams/lotions, and bisphenols in both baby bottles and teethers were the most frequently encountered product-chemical combinations of potential concern.

Discussion: The frequently reported presence of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in multiple types of children's products raises concerns for aggregate exposures and reveals gaps in regulatory protections for this sensitive subpopulation. Our reproducible and systematic evidence-based approach serves as a case study that can guide other prioritization efforts for transparent regulatory action aimed at improving the safety of chemicals in consumer products. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP15394.