Marla Cone of the Los Angeles Times has writtten a brilliant (albeit disturbing) article on the many products for sale in the US which have been banned in most other countries as toxic. The piece leads with an example of formaldehyde-laden plywood, sold throughout the US, but illegal even in China, where it is manufactured.
Some of the other big offenders are plastic softeners called phthalates, often found in cosmetics, and lead, which caused Palm's Treo 650 smart phone and Apple's iSight camera to be pulled from the shelves in Europe this summer. Kudos to Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Mattel, Revlon and Orly International, for declaring that all their products, no matter where they are made or sold, will comply with EU standards, the most stringent chemical laws in the world. [ Link : LA Times ]
