Can Action Figure Fumes Cause Cancer?
 

Hello mates, I tried researching this and couldn't really find anything. Do action figures release toxic fumes? Maybe on a hot day? Many of us are collectors and have a lot of figs on the shelf, possibly older ones, are they dangerous to us or our children? Are they releasing fumes? I recently got a this in my head and cant seem to shake it. Please, if anyone could provide some helpful input I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

Hello!

I think you can put that worry to rest. Plastic doesn't extrude fumes by itself, it has to physically change its form by melting or burning.

You might smell an unpleasent scent sometimes, especially from factory new products, but if you let fresh air in that's nothing dangerous. Hot days are also no problem, unless of course if gets hot enough for plastic to melt away.

Should you feel actual discomfort in the eyes or throat after being around your toys though, you might want to see a doctor. But if you're feeling fine and air your room properly there's no need to worry about becoming ill from having plastic figures around you.

Thanks I think you're right. Now that you mention it, I remember from my chemistry classes back in the day about the chemical reaction you mentioned, a form change from solid to liquid or gas, in order for fumes to be released.

You also have to remember that these are toys made for children, and there are federal safety regulations that prevent the use of toxic material in toys. Even though there has been the rare toxic toy from major manufactures, like the lead paint used on the Sarge jeep toy from Cars, the materials used in toys are formulated to be non-toxic. If there was a problem with the plastics being used in making action figures, there would have been a recall long ago.

I wouldn't place a great deal of faith in consumer protection agencies safeguarding the population when, here in America, conservative pro-business players actively undermine regulatory bodies at EVERY turn, in EVERY industry. Whether it's Flint and Michigander water (or Mississippi's, or New York's drinking water for that matter), or collapsing buildings outside of Miami (and in New York city), the wellbeing of business interests trumps our safety as citizens. The danger that the OP inquired about is real and short of being a chemist, or having direct experience in the plastics industry, I'd take any attempts to disabuse toxic plastic caution with a grain of salt.

Stay informed. Stay safe. Never take second hand info as unassailable fact and find out for yourself.

2019 saw a deluge of articles about toxic plastics out of China, with the hazard appearing on my radar even earlier circa 2016-17 (this is just a tiny sample):

https://eeb.org/flood-of-toxic-chine...tic%20additive

https://swarajyamag.com/culture/why-...ott-china-call

Even if they do, everything else in this World is killing us to an extent, so just sit back and breathe deep :)

Cancer is not a fun way to die and it often leaves surviving family members financially, physically, and emotionally devastated. Not to mention the exponential increase in suffering when the subject is a child. Some precautions are well worth the effort.

What type of precautions would you suggest? This topic is still bugging me.

Good ventilation comes to mind.

My apologies, I didn’t see this quote until now. Honestly, I’m unsure if I have a good answer to your question. Your question is more generalized, while my response was/is based on my specific experience with low grade plastics often found in counterfit toys. I think, barring some massive collection (not unusual given the website we’re on), that you’ll be ok with toys modestly displayed around your home.

Years ago, I purchased several KO Tamashii Nation effects that were in colors not offered by the manufacturer. They were cool but stunk to high heaven and they had a tacky residue that you could appreciably feel on your fingertips after manipulating them. Learning about some of the threats that I mentioned above and having other toy collectors ask me about the KOs after posting photos, I became a bit more leery. I thought about leaving them out, but I considered that direct sunlight and heat might also exacerbate the problem causing the plastic to ‘gas’ even further. So, I bagged them all up and placed the KO’s in a small metal garbage can (with lid) and sat it down in the furnace room.

After a few years hiatus in taking photos, I’ve returned to the hobby and recently re-opened the bag to use a couple of the effects. The plastic seems to be inert now (more or less) with it stinking far less and the residue being less noticeable. So, yeah, I’m pretty sure bagging all of your toys away for 3 years isn’t a feasible solution, but at least try to air them out and definitely avoid sketchy KO’s. Before I settle into heavy use of the KO’s again, I’ll likely leave them out in the garage for a day or two as a precaution.

Bagging them allows for poor air circulation. I'm currently trying to get rid of the 'smoke odour' on a vintage Battle Beast. I'm just leaving him out to 'air'.

While it might seem counterintuitive and airing them out would likely be a faster process, I can tell you that bagging them up and forgetting them for 3 years accomplished the desired result. The plastic no longer reeks and touching the KOs doesn't seem to leave the same sticky film on my fingertips.

Most Plastics Have A melting point rate above 200 F .In order to release toxic fumes it would have to reach minimum melting temp.
Even still good ventilation is nice idea if you have a wide variety sourced from allover or older products.
Ive had few older mcfrlanes figures that had a strange paint odor when I opened them after being sealed for a decade or more . None of them smell that way after airing out regularly. But I do still have few that feel sticky ,like oil bleeding out the paint .

link has graphs with info on varying properties for common plastics
https://plasticranger.com/7-types-of-plastics/

^Thanks for that link, it's helpful to know and have handy - that said, it appears that plastic doesn't need to melt to release gases; see the second and third links providing info about VOCs. Additionally, see what Jolliet (second link) says about 'plasticizers' and chemicals being released from plastic toys for up to 15 years after manufacture.

Here's some more info that may help illustrate the concern:

https://www.chemistryviews.org/detai..._Plastic_Toys/

https://news.umich.edu/in-this-seaso...-plastic-toys/

https://molekule.com/blogs/all/what-...childrens-toys

https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/features/leadintoys/index.html

More about VOCs...

https://www.sciencedirect.com/scienc...04389420305859