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 As they grow up, children typically use many different art supplies to explore their creativity. But art and hobby supplies can contain toxic ingredients, such as lead in ceramic glazes and solvents in glues. The hazards associated with such ingredients can be avoided if parents choose art supplies by reading labels carefully.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) regulates art and craft supplies according to two laws: 

• Acute health hazards, or health effects that occur during or immediately after contact or use, are covered by the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA). This law requires makers of art supplies and other potentially hazardous products to test and label products for acute health hazards, including illness or injury from touching, breathing, or swallowing a product, as well as whether it irritates the skin or is flammable or combustible.
• Manufacturers of art supplies must test and label products for longterm health effects like cancer and brain damage under the Labeling of Hazardous Art Materials Act (LHAMA). LHAMA applies to paints, spray paints, solvents, crayons, colored pencils, glues, adhesives, putties and other products sold specifically for art, craft and model-construction purposes. It does not cover paints, adhesives, and solvents sold for household and construction uses.
• Products that have been tested and labeled according to this law will state on the label the words: Conforms with ASTM D-4236
• Under LHAMA, schools cannot provide art supplies with a chronic-hazard warning label to children in grades six and younger. LHAMA gives CPSC the authority to bring legal action against schools that do not comply. The State of California has a List of Art and Craft Materials that May Not be Purchased for Use in Grades K-6. (The law does not forbid these products for use in grades 7-12, however.)

Though these rules appear to cover the bases when it comes to warning of potential hazards from art and hobby supplies, they leave out two important consumer protections.

• These laws do not require that manufacturers list all ingredients.
• There is also no registration or approval process for art supplies (like for drugs and pesticides) that would ensure government oversight. Therefore, there is no guarantee that the labels on art supplies are in full compliance with the law.

Independent Certification

In an effort to reassure consumers that their products are tested and labeled according to regulations, many manufacturers have sought certification by the Art & Creative Materials Institute (ACMI). Companies must pay a fee to become a member of ACMI, so it is a manufacturer-supported organization.

ACMI toxicology staff reviews their members’ product formulas and determines whether they have been adequately evaluated and labeled for acute and chronic health effects, in compliance with regulations, or whether additional tests and labels are needed. ACMI does not conduct any tests of its own, though it may recommend that the manufacturer contract a laboratory to do so. Note that ACMI does not publish or provide detailed information on its standards, which makes it difficult to assess how rigorous they are.

If a product fits the ACMI criteria, it receives one of two certification seals. Many art supplies on the market bear one of these labels:

• AP — Approved Product indicates that ACMI has found that the product has “no materials in sufficient quantities to be toxic or injurious to humans or to cause acute or chronic health problems.”

The logo is round with the letters “AP” in the center. The logo is sometimes accompanied by the word “nontoxic”. The “AP” label is replacing the “AP Nontoxic,” “CP Nontoxic,” “CP,” and “HL/NT” (“Health Label/Nontoxic”) logos, which may remain on some older labels.

• CL — Cautionary Label indicates that the product contains hazardous ingredients, but is fully tested and labeled in compliance with federal law. This seal does not appear on any children’s products.

The logo is an octagonal logo with “CL” in the center. This logo is replacing the “HL/CR” or “Health Label/Cautions Required,” seal.

While the ACMI seals are intended to make it easier for consumers to decipher labels and choose safer products, ACMI is occasionally more generous in granting “Approved Product” seals than some children’s health advocates prefer. For example:

• ACMI certification does not guarantee that a product is completely free of toxic substances, even when the “AP” seal is accompanied by the word “nontoxic”. In fact, the only substances ACMI prohibits are radioactive elements and lead in children’s products, along with substances banned by FHSA. (Flake white lead ceramic glaze is permitted for adults).
• ACMI continues to certify PVC polymer clays as “Approved Products,” even after a 2002 study by the Vermont Public Interest Research Group found that molding this clay leaves residues of phthalates on children’s hands. (See Polymer Clays are a Handful of Phthalates and See  ACMI’s Response .) Phthalates, which soften plastic, have caused birth defects, reproductive problems and organ damage in laboratory tests on animals.
• ACMI certification does not guarantee that a product has been tested for all contaminants. For instance, in 2000, an independent investigation by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer revealed that some crayons were contaminated with asbestos, even though ACMI had certified them as “nontoxic.”

What to Look for on Labels
Precautionary Labels and Health Warnings

• Look for products labeled "low odor". There are now many art supplies, such as markers and pens, paint thinner and clear coatings, that are formulated to produce fewer fumes.
• Look for the signal words, DANGER, WARNING, or CAUTION. For kids’ supplies, avoid products that bear any of these labels. Remember, the least hazardous products do not need a signal word.
• Look for the words “Conforms to ASTM D-4236” on art supplies to ensure that the product is properly labeled for chronic health hazards. Please note, however, that “Conforms to ASTM D-4236” means only that a product is labeled sufficiently, not that it is safe to use. It is especially important that you find this phrase on products that do not bear one of the signal words listed above.
• Look for warnings of specific health hazards. Warnings of acute hazards include “Harmful or fatal if swallowed” or “May cause skin irritation.” Labels for longterm health effects under ASTM D-4236 may warn of cancer, sterility, permanent eye damage, birth defects, allergic reactions, organ damage, or that exposure may be harmful if swallowed, by breathing vapors or dusts, or by skin contact. Any art product with these warnings shouldn’t be used by or around young children!
• Avoid any product with the words "Keep out of the reach of children." If adults use such products in the home, be sure to store these in a safe place, preferably secured in high cabinets that children cannot open (by using locks or childproof door latches).
• Avoid products with ACMI’s CL —Cautionary Label seal. The logo is an octagonal logo with “CL” in the center.

Ingredients

• Look for specific ingredients, followed by their health effects, on the label or packaging. Though the law does not require that all ingredients be listed on art supply labels, it does require that specific harmful ingredients be identified, along with their specific health effects. Some of these chemicals are solvents that may be found in adhesives, spray paints, paint thinners, and paint removers.
• Look for the VOC content, if indicated, in adhesives, paints, and other solvent-based products, and choose products with the lowest VOC. VOCs are volatile organic compounds — breathable gases that vaporize from products while they dry. See What’s on the Label: Paints, Finishes, Adhesives, and other Building Supplies (coming soon!) for more information.

Other Tips

• Don’t rely solely on ACMI logos for help in choosing safer products for children. While ACMI logos can provide some guidance to parents, these logos are not a guarantee of safety.
• Use products only as directed and ventilate well when using art supplies that produce fumes (VOCs).
• Never transfer art materials out of the original container — you’ll lose valuable safety information.
• Take extra care when buying or using foreign-made arts and crafts materials, regardless of what the label says. Other countries’ standards for the definition “nontoxic” may not take children’s special vulnerability into consideration.
• Always supervise children while they are using art and craft supplies. Young children frequently put things in their mouths and are likely to paint or draw on themselves.
• Don’t eat, drink or smoke while working with art and craft supplies.

After using art supplies, wash your child’s hands and your hands as well as the supplies themselves (brushes, surfaces, etc.).

Other Resources:

Art and Hobby Supplies, Washington Toxics Coalition (summary).
Markers and Pens and the Pollutants They Emit, Aerias AQS IAQ Resource Center

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