The association UFC-Que Choisir calls Thursday, August 25 parents to avoid the purchase of school supplies with potentially dangerous components and in particular ballpoint pens, a real cocktail of harmful substances in the majority of cases. However, by choosing the simplest school supplies, “we can limit the exposure”explains on franceinfo, Aurelie MathieuCoordinator of Expertise on Hazardous Substances in Supplies at ANSES.
franceinfo: Should we worry about the health of our children if they continue to use ballpoint pens?
Aurelie Mathieu: UFC-Que Choisir and ANSES have clearly identified that there are many dangerous chemical substances in school supplies. On the other hand, no risk assessment has been carried out so we cannot say today whether this entails a risk for children. However, we know that being exposed to many chemical substances is not very good for your health.
How can we limit this exposure for our children?
If we take school supplies that do not include too many artifices, we can limit exposure, for example by choosing supplies without perfumes, glitter or other artifices that would encourage children to chew them, swallow them or snort them.
How to explain that the legislation is so lax when these are everyday objects, used by our children?
School supplies, like everyday objects, are governed by a very general directive and European regulations.
“For certain school supplies that are considered toys, there are European and French regulations that go much further: with substance bans or maximum limits not to be exceeded.”
Aurélie Mathieu, from ANSESat franceinfo
This is the case for supplies that are also toys such as paint, markers or colored pencils. It is for this reason that ANSES recommends applying the regulations on the safety of toys to school supplies, to reduce or even eliminate the majority of hazardous substances in these products.