Asbestos found in children’s crayons, consumer group finds

By Erin Elizabeth

It’s back to school time for kids all over the country but even if your kids aren’t quite ready to go back, it’s still time to buy school supplies. However, parents of elementary school kids take note: Playskool crayons, the brand sold at Dollar Tree, have been found to have trace elements of asbestos. (A spokesman for Dollar Tree said all of its children’s products are independently tested and meet all legal and safety standards. Until they don’t!)

Kara Cook-Schultz, toxics director at U.S. Public Interest Research Group who conducts annual tests of toys and school supplies said that three years ago many more brands came back with asbestos. Now it’s just Playskool.

“Although the Consumer Product Safety Commission acknowledged that it was unclear whether the asbestos trapped in crayon wax posed a danger, it noted that kids sometimes eat crayons and recommended that parents avoid asbestos-containing brands as a precaution. Since then, most brands have revamped their crayon manufacturing process to eliminate even trace elements of asbestos fibers.”