Over 70% of plastic toys sold in Chawkbazar, the country’s largest toy distribution hub, contain heavy metals above international safety limits, according to a recent study.

Brightly coloured toys, often the most attractive to young children, showed the highest levels of contamination, revealed the study titled “Toxic Playtime: Uncovering Heavy Metals in Children’s Plastic Toys.”

The Environment and Social Development Organisation (ESDO) conducted the study using advanced X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) technology provided by Philippines-based BAN Toxics.

Seventy hard plastic toys, especially brightly coloured ones (red, yellow, orange), were collected from Dhaka’s Chawkbazar for testing.

Some of the toys examined exceeded international safety thresholds by 10 to 70 times with chromium found at 4,300 ppm (limit: 60 ppm), lead at 2,350 ppm (limit: 90 ppm), mercury at 1,080 ppm (limit: 60 ppm), and cadmium at 640 ppm (limit: 75 ppm).

One particularly alarming case involved a blue toy car manufactured by Aman Toy Garden, which contained lead at 26 times the safe limit (2,350 ppm), mercury at 18 times the limit (1,080 ppm), and chromium at 23 times the limit (1,400 ppm).

Among the brightly coloured toys, 20% contained hazardous PVC plastics and flame retardants. All toys tested from manufacturers such as Aman Toy Garden, Khokon Plastic Products, and Shahjalal Toys Gallery exceeded permissible limits.

The presence of harmful pollutants such as chromium, antimony, lead, mercury, and cadmium poses serious health risks for children, public health experts warned.

Professor Md Abul Hashem, former Chairman of the Department of Chemistry at Jahangirnagar University, said, “These results confirm our worst fears. We are exposing our children to a cocktail of neurotoxins and carcinogens through everyday toys. The levels we are seeing could cause irreversible developmental damage.”

Kazi Sumon, Senior Chemist at the Department of Environment (DoE), added, “These heavy metals act as slow poisons. Prolonged exposure leads to gradual yet severe health impacts, with neurological damage being particularly concerning.

Ensuring children’s safety must be our priority. I commend ESDO for this critical study, which provides a robust foundation for establishing stricter guidelines on safer toys.”

Thony Dizon, Advocacy and Campaign Officer at BAN Toxics, said, “Our study urges alignment of national toy safety standards with global norms, and a ban on all toxic chemicals—not just the usual suspects. We demand strict enforcement, transparent labelling, and crackdowns on hazardous toy imports. Protect children now—no more delays, no more loopholes.”

Syed Marghub Morshed, Chairperson of ESDO, added, “As a nation, we cannot afford to risk our children’s health. These findings expose a systemic failure in regulating toxic substances in everyday products.

The government must immediately enforce strict safety standards, and manufacturers must be held accountable. Safe toys are not a luxury—they are a fundamental right for every child in Bangladesh.”

ESDO recommended five urgent steps to ensure toy safety including quality control, mandatory testing and labelling, inter-ministerial coordination, consumer warnings and accountability and universal health safety.