Re: Re: lead in diecast- Maurine

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give me this weekend to go thru e-mails and try to locate it-especially if nobody else on the list comes up with it.anacat_11 <anacat_11@...> wrote: Could you email me with the name of the lawyer, the lawfirm or anything you remember about the firm? > >> > I had an interesting conversation yesterday with a> > consumer hotline person at Mattel (makers of Barbie,> > owner of Hot Wheels and Matchbox, king of toys).> > > > Specifically, I called to get the metallury info about> > Hot Wheels. They are all at least 50% metal (die> > cast) with some of the more expensive being close to> > 100%. I know they are not made of ferrous metals> > (iron, steel, nickel) as they are non-magnetic. I> > know they are not made of brass or bronze. I know> > they are not made of copper, silver, gold, platinum or>

> tungsten, or they couldn't sell the damn things for> > $1. They are relatively heavy, so I am guessing they> > are not aluminum or tin, and and they are not zinc, as> > they do not have the look (I work with galvanized> > materials). The list of possible metals grows short. > > I think they are made of an amalgam or alloy and> > suspect they have a large lead content.> > > > A little background... My boy tested relatively high> > for lead way back in '99. As part of the home testing> > that occurs in the aftermath of this (the local health> > dept. MUST identify the source by law), I flaked some> > paint of a Hot Wheel, specifically the black prison> > bus (HW #72) which ran from '95 to '98.> > > > http://www.southtexasdiecast.com/hwguide/images/000/72b.jpg> > > > We had more than a dozen of these cars, because> > everytine we were in a store and there was one on> > display, my boy "had" to have it. (I am sure the good> > people here will understand that when picking your> > battles, spending a dollar to appease an autistic> > child is getting off cheap and easy, even if it occurs> > on a regular basis). And this toy spent more than a> > little time being fondled, carried, and occasionally> > mouthed.> > > > When the testing for the house came back, the paint in> > the living areas was clean, the paint in odd recesses> > showed lead (ppm), the water tested clean, the tub> > tested clean, the dirt in the back yard tested

high> > (parts per ten thousand) and the paint that came off> > that damned bus came back at 2% (ues, that is parts> > per hundred). WTF???> > > > I cannot believe that the paint itself was so high in> > lead. Bridge paint which STILL contains lead is no> > more than parts per million, so the only explanation> > that makes sense is the car itself is made of a lead> > amalgam/alloy and when I used my pocket knife to flake> > paint for testing a small bit of the metal went with> > it.> > > > Getting back to my call to Mattel...> > > > The young lady whom I talked to was unable to find the> > answer in the information the company readily> > provides, and simply stated that their toys comply> > with US law. I said that the law concerned the lead> > content of paint and not the metal itself

(do not know> > whether that was a true statement or not). She put me> > on hold to ask someone with more brass on their lapel.> > > > After a few minutes she was back and repeated the bit> > about complaince and then told me that the metal> > content was "proprietory". I asked why that was and> > she replied that if they told me I might decide to> > start making Hot Wheels myself. I replied that if I> > had the capacity to compete with Hot Wheels I would be> > fully capable of determining the metal content without> > asking Mattel. She agreed that was probably true.> > > > She asked why I wanted to know, and I told her that I> > was concerned about lead in toys with all the recent> > recalls, and that I noticed that Hot Wheels were not> > ferrous, etc. (I did not tell her that I have an> > autistic

child who had dangerously high lead, in part> > from this otherwise delightful product). I ran> > through the list of what they weren't and said that> > doesn't leave much besides lead. She replied "Oh God,> > I hope not". > > > > She took my name, a phone number, etc. and said she> > would apss it up the line and someone would get back> > to me. Hopefully it won't be a visit by a couple of> > goons with broken noses and long coats.> > > > I believe I will find someone who is able to determine> > the metallurgy of these little gems and see what they> > can tell me. Should anyone else on the list decide to> > do something similar, please let us all know exactly> > what it is you find out.> > > > > > >

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