Are ABS Plastic Toys Safe?

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Healthy Child

Friday, December 18, 2009

You ask, we answer. Find all of our frequently asked questions or ask your own by visiting Get Answers.

QUESTION:

We have been sent a really great ABS plastic toy. While not a big fan of plastic toys, this one is really cool. It's called ShapeScapeS and I'd like to keep it--as long as it is a safer plastic. I've done research which tells me that ABS is an alternative to PVC but I don't see anything to indicate it as a health hazard for toys. Do you know anything about this plastic for use as a toy involving lots of handling?  Thanks!  

ANSWER:

ABS stands for Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. It is made by polymerizing styrene and acrylonitrile in the presence of polybutadiene--15 to 35% acrylonitrile, 5 to 30% butadiene and 40 to 60% styrene. It can be recycled.   Acrylonitrile is a synthetic monomer produced from propylene (from petroleum, natural gas or coal) and ammonia.   Butadiene is a petroleum hydrocarbon obtained from butane gas.

Styrene is commercially obtained from benzene and ethylene from coal.   The MSDS for ABS plastic pipe gives no health effects but warns that if it is burned, the combustion by-products are toxic. It lists acrylonitrile and styrene as hazardous ingredients, but they are present in very small amounts. Since ABS can have varying amounts of each ingredient, the safety of your toy may not be the same as these pipes.   

I can't say with certainty how safe or harmful your toy may be. As a rule, I recommend toys made from natural materials over plastics to be on the safe side. There are many natural toys available from websites listed on the Toy page of Debra's List.

Debra :-)

This answer was provided by our friend, Debra Lynn Dadd. Hailed as "The Queen of Green" by the New York Times, Debra Lynn Dadd has been a pioneering consumer advocate since 1982, specializing in products and lifestyle choices that are safer for human health and the environment. She is the author of Home Safe Home.

The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and not necessarily those of Healthy Child Healthy World.

Posted by Shawna on 09/12/2011 at 08:43 AM

Hoping someone can provide some guidance as I’ve been doing research on a food dehydrator. I had my search down to the Nesco American Harvest 1000 watt product but couldn’t find any data re: the material used for the drying trays. I emailed customer service and they promptly replied…the trays are made from ABS plastic! :o( Based on what I’ve read on this thread, I am not comfortable proceeding with this purchase! :o( I am not a raw food person…just a mom who wants to make healthy snacks for my twin boys. I know this is one of the dehydrators recommended by the RAW food community but was shocked to read about the products toxicity. I would appreciate some input in terms of alternative products, safety, etc. Thank you in advance!

Posted by matt on 08/24/2011 at 06:51 PM

As a chemical engineer, I can tell you that ABS plastic is not is not inert the chemicals that make up ABS plastic will separate and leech out. This is not just limited to ABS plastic, but any plastic will eventually leach out whatever it contains and is made from. For example let’s look at the plastic polycarbonate, polycarbonate is made up of two chemicals combined together, phosgene and BPA. Over time the BPA separates from the phosgene and leeches out. Polycarbonate is a very durable and structurally sound plastic. In the 90s polycarbonate was considered safe and green and many people drank out of polycarbonate bottles. It is only within the last five or 10 years that we finally discovered that BPA was leaching out in dangerous amounts. ABS plastic is particularly susceptible to leaching because it breaks down quickly when exposed to any heat or sunlight. In fact if you look up the polymer technology and services MSDS sheet of ABS plastic it says that toxins are even released under the normal operating temperatures.

Posted by Janelle Sorensen on 07/12/2011 at 02:44 PM

Thanks Matt. You are correct that the monomers that make up this plastic are quite toxic, but after the polymerization process, ABS is a very inert, safer plastic. Here’s some additional information from our friends at The Soft Landing:
http://guide.thesoftlanding.com/2011/07/11/is-acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene-abs-plastic-toxic/

Posted by matt on 07/09/2011 at 11:35 PM

All three ingredients in ABS are toxic and carcinogenic.
Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS) is used as a hard plastic in many applications like pipes, car bumpers and toys (hard building blocks). ABS uses a number of hazardous chemicals. These include butadiene and styrene and acrylonitrile. Acrylonitrile is highly toxic and readily absorbed by humans by inhalation and directly through the skin. Both the liquid and its vapor are highly toxic. Acrylonitrile is classified as a probable human carcinogen as are styrene and butadiene. The U.S. EPA has classified acrylonitrile as an “Extremely Hazardous Substance.”

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