Your kids colorful plates and bowls could be exposing them to a cancer-linked chemical

Your kids’ cute plastic plates and bowls may survive just about any fall — but what’s hiding inside them could be far more troubling than a tantrum that sends the dishes flying.Turns out, a potentially cancer-causing chemical linked to kidney and reproductive problems is widely used in the shatterproof tableware marketed to children.Now, a growing number of countries are scrutinizing its use, as advocates warn that young, still-developing bodies could be especially vulnerable to its health effects.The chemical, melamine, is a synthetic compound rich in nitrogen.When combined with formaldehyde under intense heat and pressure, it forms a hard, lightweight plastic that is tough to chip, crack, scratch or shatter.It’s also easy to mold into virtually any shape, color or design, making it especially popular for children’s dishware.In the US, melamine is approved for use in a range of products, including cups, plates, bowls, utensils, paper goods, industrial coatings and food packaging.Despite its many advantages for manufacturers, melamine has come under scrutiny over safety concerns, particularly the possibility that it can seep into food and drinks.Those concerns are fueled in part by its cancer classification.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) considers melamine “possibly carcinogenic to humans.”That designation is based partly on animal studies, including research that found urinary bladder tumors in male rats fed high doses of melamine over extended periods.Even so, the IARC says available research has not established a direct link between melamine exposure and cancer in humans.In the US, the Environmental Protection Agency has also found the evidence insufficient to determine whether melamine causes cancer in humans.But cancer isn’t the only potential health risk.At high levels, melamine consumption has been linked to serious kidney problems, including kidney stones and kidney failure.One of the most alarming examples came in ...