非營利的環境健康及消費者保護團體上週在2份報告中提出，在孩童的背包、雨衣、塑膠餐盒和玩具中含有高濃度的鉛；此外，美國聯邦消費品安全委員會也宣布要回收含鉛量過高的兒童首飾和學校用品。因此，家裡有兒童的消費者應該對這些發現提高警覺，多注意今年假期季節的購物清單。
位於加州奧克蘭的環境衛生中心以及線上草根團體MomsRising.org，委託檢驗實驗室針對兒童用品進行了含鉛量的測試，測試檢驗出很多塗料的含鉛量遠高於600ppm（百萬分之一）的合法範圍。雖然公衛專家現在表示暴露於含鉛環境是沒有安全範圍的，但是聯邦政府還是採行了限制含鉛量的標準值。
測試也發現在4大受歡迎的背包中，其含鉛量都在3,700ppm以上，甚至高於9,100ppm，包括了湯瑪士小火車背包（Thomas and Friends backpack）、愛探險朵拉後背包（Dora the Explorer）、迪亞哥包（Go Diego Go）和Hello Kitty巧克力貓包等。
而6歲以下的孩童特別容易受到含鉛量對於健康的不良影響，因為他們的大腦和中樞神經系統還沒真正發展完成。
對他們而言，即使接觸到非常低的含鉛量都會造成智商能降低、學習障礙、注意力無法集中、行為問題、發育遲緩、聽覺受損和腎臟受損等問題；萬一暴露在含鉛量高的環境下，可能會造成孩童弱智、昏迷、甚至鉛中毒死亡。
High levels of lead in children's backpacks, rain ponchos, vinyl lunchboxes and toys are documented by nonprofit environmental health and consumer protection groups in two reports this week. In addition, the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission announced recalls of children's jewelry and school supplies with illegal levels of lead. The findings serve as warnings to shoppers with children on their lists this holiday season.
The Center for Environmental Health, based in Oakland, California, together with the grassroots online group MomsRising.org commissioned lab tests of children's products for lead. Many tested way above the legal limit for lead in paint - 600 parts per million. The federal limit applies although public health experts now say there is no safe level of exposure to lead.
The testing found lead levels ranging from 3,700 ppm to more than 9,100 ppm in four backpacks - Thomas and Friends backpack, Dora the Explorer, Go Diego Go, and Hello Kitty's "Chococat."
Children under the age of six are especially vulnerable to lead's harmful health effects, because their brains and central nervous systems are still being formed.
For them, even very low levels of exposure can result in reduced IQ, learning disabilities, attention deficit disorders, behavioral problems, stunted growth, impaired hearing, and kidney damage. At high levels of exposure, a child may become mentally retarded, fall into a coma or die from lead poisoning.
全文及圖片詳見 ：ENS
