Lead in pencils

[FaHaD]

Pencil is not lead but graphite (carbon), which is less worrisome. Thus, It is not necessary to check blood levels for lead or worry about lead toxicity or poisoning if pencil lead has caused a puncture wound.


However, some low quality pencils do contain traces of lead coating the graphite. Lead has inhibitory effects on body metabolism and syntheis of molecules, it commonly lead to anemia specially in kids. International hazardous product agencies recommend that pencils with more than 600 mg/kg of lead in the applied coating are prohibited from being sold. handling a pencil is not harmful but it gets harmful when start sucking or chewing teh pencil...most kids do that including us

On september 2nd, in Canada many pencils has made from China has been withdrawn from market because of the high lead content [Link (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1890126/posts)]


I would like to know about teh situation in Oman. Many china kids product are introduced to Oman recently; including toys, pencils, books...

is there is a kind of agency that do product analysis for harmful traces... and if yes... how come we are not informed about the status of teh products we are buying...

[Thalia]

China is going through a bad time at the moment.. and all lenses are on their products which are usually of inferior quality.

If I were you, I'd stay away from their produce. This is something I'm grateful for being in the E.U. for. Quality standards are checked and are not taken lightly. I've seen products going from being sold in suspicious bags with just weight and product name on them to laws being enforced where they have to start stating all the ingredients, expiry and any health warnings. Even if it is a 'home-made' product.

If you guys have a consumer affairs office, maybe they should be the ones you need to ask regarding quality control.

[FaHaD]

actually through my entire life , i never heard any news or announcment from this consumer affairs office in Oman . I knwo it exists but it is hidden somewhere.


there must be a local demand on checking these products....specialy those prsented in open markets, Ramiz....etc

[Shahrazad]

Interesting, thanks FaHaD!

One questions: Is the other pencil with very thin lead (or else) is inserted (not the wooden one - we call it "chick chick pencil because of the sound it makes, lol) Is it considered lead and hazardous? or graphite and safe?

[FaHaD]

Shahrazad,
pencil is basicly made of graphite...but sometime due to poor quality , some lead traces will be found which is hazarduous....it really varies from a company to another.