Survey of emissions of volatile organic chemicals from handheld toys for children above 3 years

NILU has, on behalf of the Norwegian Environment Agency, performed a screening study to identify volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) emitted from handheld toys for children. The goal was to identify individual VOCs emitted from toys at room temperature and to evaluate what impact the toys may have on the composition and concentrations of VOCs in indoor air. 12-30 individual VOCs were identified in each toy and 65-143 individual VOCs were detected with a concentration higher than 1 µg/m3. VOCs emitted at high concentrations and/or with hazardous properties were cyclohexanone, aromatic VOCs (xylenes, toluene, ethylbenzene), cyclic siloxanes and 2,2,4-Trimethyl-1,3-pentanediol diisobutyrate (TXIB). A regulated hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC-141 b) was also detected from 5 toys. The toys with high concentrations of cyclohexanone and cyclic siloxanes affected the composition and concentrations of VOCs in indoor air.