Trick or treat? Beware of toxic Halloween toys, says EcoWaste group

It’s Halloween, make sure the tricks and treats you buy are free from harmful chemicals. A toxics watchdog group that calls itself EcoWaste Coalition warns the public about Halloween costumes and toys sold in the market that may contain poisonous heavy metals. Its members bought assorted Halloween things in Manila and Quezon City and found that most of the items contained too much lead, a harmful element that can cause diseases if ingested. The group analyzed these in their lab using an X-Ray fluorescence spectrometer. If only that gadget was readily available at homes, we could check lead content in all the things we buy ourselves.

[Philippine Star]