A Des Moines woman is working to raise awareness about toys that might be contaminated with lead. Linda Burgess, a grandmother of three young children, is inviting neighbors and friends to her home tonight for a lead testing demonstration.
"Children put stuff in their mouth all the time," Burgess says, "and the lead that they’re finding in these toys…I think it’s ridiculous." Burgess is a member of the United Steelworkers Women of Steel, which has organized lead-screening tests in 17 cities across the U.S. this week.
Burgess is asking parents to bring a toy to her home tonight and she will show them how to test the toy for lead. The United Steelworkers Union is offering lead screening kits for free, as long as they last, from one of two websites – Stop Toxic Imports or Protect Our Kids .
Since June, nearly 46 toy products made overseas have been recalled for excessive levels of lead. Burgess is urging parents and caregivers to visit the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s websi te and make sure they don’t have any toys on the agency’s recall list.