Gardening Tools May Contain Toxic Chemicals

Gardening may be the last activity that one would describe as “dangerous,” but garden tools that contain dangerous chemicals may be making it just that.

Researchers for the Ecology Center tested about 200 common garden tools - such as gloves, garden hoses, shovels and kneeling pads. They found that two-thirds of the tools contained high levels of dangerous toxic chemicals such as phthalates, lead, and bisphenol A (BPA). These chemicals ranked of “high concern,” according to CNN.

Many of the chemicals found in the tools have been linked to impaired learning, birth defects, liver toxicity, and other health problems. Phthalates and lead were found at levels that exceeded standards set by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in the hoses and gloves that were tested.

Phthalates – which are used to soften plastic - have been associated with adverse developmental issues and birth defects.

"Gardening products, including water hoses, are completely unregulated and often fail to meet drinking water standards that apply to other products, yet again demonstrating the complete failure of our federal chemicals regulatory system," said Jeff Gearhart, the research director at the Ecology Center.

If you or a loved one has been harmed by an unsafe product, contact Sokolove Law for a free legal consultation and to find out if a product liability lawyer may be able to help you. Call us today at (800)-561-7154.

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