Fimo

I got this message from my sister who works at NASA and is an
unlimited source of useful info.

    I love to play with Fimo but always suspected that it might be
    toxic--especially when some casually stored Fimo completely ate
    through the styrofoam container holding it in my cupboard. Fimo
    contains polyvinyl chloride (PVC) mixed with phthalate
    plasticizers. While the phthalate plasticizers make the clay
    soft and workable, they are also associated with potential
    health risks. Phthalates  as a class of chemicals have been
    implicated in birth defects, reproductive problems, nerve system
    damage and other negative health effects. Check out the full
    report <URL:http://toysafety.net/
        toysafety.asp?id2=7508&id3=toysafety2001&>

        **** Moderator's comments: The above URL has been wrapped
        for email. There should be no newline

    They are banning phthalates throughout Europe now.
    Sigrid Reinsch <sreinsch [at] mail__arc__nasa__gov>


                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 16:28
                 Distributed: Tuesday, October 22, 2002
                       Message Id: cdl-16-28-003
                                  ***