CPSC Describes Testing Procedures for Phthalates in Children's Products

February 11, 2009

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has posted a notice on its website describing the testing procedures its laboratory (LSC) will use to test covered children’s items for compliance with the phthalate bans of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA). The ban, which became effective on February 10, 2009,limits six types of phthalates (DEHP, DBP, BBP, DINP, DIDP, and DnOP) to 0.1% (1000 ppm) in covered products regardless of when they were manufactured.

In the notice, the CPSC states that its basic approach will be to grind the sample to a powder by cryogenic milling, dissolve it completely in tetrahydrofuran, precipitate any PVC polymer with hexanes, filter and then dilute the solution with cyclohexane, and analyze by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The CPSC notes that while this method will be sufficient for most consumer products, adjustments may be necessary for products made from certain materials.

The CPSC also identified three alternative methods for measuring phthalate concentrations that are acceptable for certification testing, as long as the sample preparation method described in the document is performed prior to the alternative analysis. The acceptable alternative methods are: ASTM D 7083-04; EPA 8061, and Health Canada Method C-34.

To view the CPSC’s complete notice, click here.