Scented toys: Exposure of children to fragrance allergens present in toys

Besides hypersensitivity reactions against food or airborne particles children may also suffer from allergies due certain compounds present in consumer products. Nickel and fragrances are among the most frequent sensitizing triggers found in the young. Toys like dolls or puzzles are scented to highlight the product and to stimulate consumers for buying, or to displace unpleasant odors. In the new toys directive a number of fragrances have either been banned from toys or require declaration on the package. Handling of toys containing fragrance allergens entails the risk of getting affected either via skin penetration, inhalation or by ingestion of material. To date, there is a lack of information on the exposure of children to perfumes emitting from scented toys during usage.To evaluate the real exposure of children to fragrance allergens, a series of scented toys specifically advertised to this population was investigated. We established a screening method for identification and quantification of fragrance allergens present in this matrix. Extracts of the material were analyzed by means of GC/MS. In about 74% of all products tested (n = 49) allergenic fragrances were detected. Further, the emission of volatile allergens from toys was determined by HS-SPME-GC/MS either at 23 °C (handling conditions) or at 40 °C (worst case scenario). One goal of our study is to find out whether allergenic fragrances in toys can pose a risk to infants and children via inhalation. The results obtained build the groundwork for further research efforts, e.g. on toxicokinetics of inhaled fragrance allergens in vivo