As LEGO celebrates 60 years of its brick this year, a scientific study reminds all those who pass their sets from generation to generation that they can potentially pose a health risk to the new owner.
Dr Andrew Turner from Plymouth University (UK) is coming to publish a study which confirms the presence of toxic elements in LEGO bricks dating from the 70s and 80s with high levels of cadmium, a carcinogenic metal recognized in particular as a source of musculoskeletal disorders.
The scientist in question admits that the products tested by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry were not subject to the same standards then as they are today. It is therefore not the composition of these LEGO bricks that is called into question but the fact that they are transmitted to young children over the years, possibly exposing them to levels of toxic elements higher than the standards in force. .
This study focused on 200 second-hand plastic toys, including LEGO elements, and aimed to detect the presence of nine toxic elements including cadmium, antimony, lead, chromium, selenium, barium, and bromine.
Red, yellow or black plastics are the most affected by the presence of these potentially toxic elements for the body.
(seen on the BBC website)