Endocrine disruptors, carcinogens… No less than 40% of school supplies contain substances toxic to health, according to the consumer association.
- The UFC Que Choisir advises to avoid buying and using ballpoint pens given the cocktail of harmful substances found in all the references tested
- School supplies are not subject to any specific regulations and are not currently required to mention the presence of allergenic substances.
Chewing your Bic pen or getting ink on your fingers, dangerous for the health of students? Yes, if we are to believe the consumer association UFC-Que Choisir.
Harmful substances
According to their study with alarming results published this Thursday, 40% of ballpoint pens, erasable rollerballs or gel pens, ink cartridges for fountain pens, markers, highlighters and colored pencils… – in short, everything we found in schoolchildren’s pencil cases – expose them to harmful substances, in particular skin allergens, carcinogens or endocrine disruptors.
Among the 36 articles tested, the most present on the shelves are the inks used by the manufacturers which are particularly toxic. In half of the cartridges tested, there are indeed allergens, isothiazolinones, used in cosmetics, detergents, detergents and paints which can cause allergic contact dermatitis.
Among the references that contain “with particularly high levels“, appear the ink of “Stabilo Boss “Original Fluo”erasable ballpoint pens”Pilot “Kleer” black‘and rollerball pens’Pilot “Frixion medium“. Carcinogenic substances were found in 4 ballpoint pens out of the 6 tested by the association, in particular in the “Big “Crystal original” black“, the “paper Mate “Inkjoy” blue” and the “black eco pack“Bought at a B&M store.
We also find endocrine disruptorsa substance that interferes with the functioning of hormones, in the varnish of Cultura colored pencils where the presence of a “phthalate included in the European list of substances of very high concern” has been identified.
So many elements that prompted UFC-QUE Choisir to ask the European authorities “to extend without delay to all school supplies the protective regulations which apply to toys”.
Healthier supplies
This worrying news a few days before the start of the new school year is not new: “We had already launched a first alert on school supplies six years ago, after having carried out a test with catastrophic results. Today, we realize that the authorities and the manufacturers have not made any efforts“, deplores Elisabeth Chesnais, journalist at What to choose in 20 minutes.
However, it is possible to use healthy supplies. The UFC-Que Choisir has identified several: highlighters with Amazon yellow flat reservoir “Basics”the markers “Crayola “Ultra-washable‘or the colored pencils’Bic “Kids evolution“‘.
While the cost of the start of the 2022 school year amounts to 208.12 euros for a pupil entering sixth grade, according to the annual report of the Families of France associationUFC-Que Choisir recalls that “thePrivate label articles (private label) (which obtain) compared to the products of major brands comparable or even better ratings for certain articles, (…) can, on occasion, have real advantages“. These include highlighters “Sketch” Leclerc and the medium markers and refills for black erasable rollerballs from the Carrefour brand.
