2. Toys and Painted Children’s Items
Discount plastic toys and painted play sets continue to present concerning chemical exposure risks. Young children are especially vulnerable because they explore objects by mouthing them.
A 2022 screening by the Ecology Center’s Healthy Stuff Lab found that 53% of 226 dollar store items tested contained at least one chemical of concern.
The worst single result was a children’s toy car sold at a Texas Dollar Tree, which carried 174,000 parts per million of lead in its solder.
In December 2025, New York’s Division of Consumer Protection flagged a toy truck set sold at Dollar General with up to 1,000 parts per million of lead in its taillight coating.
That is 11 times the federal limit of 90 parts per million, and the state asked federal regulators for a national recall.
Well, it’s obvious you folks writing this article are pretty well off! Like, go to some other place, clip coupons, etc. Well, what you don’t understand is maybe you only got a buck and no way to get across town to a “better deal” or maybe you don’t have a paper to clip coupons anyway! I know you make a living by pointing out awful mistakes people make by shopping at where ever, but it’s better buying something there than getting mugged on a bus to a better deal. Also some of us like cheap stuff. If I knew you and you were sick I would go to the Buck store and buy you a get-well card for 50 cents. I would feel I did my duty and I’m sure you throw all your cards, especially some cards, away immediately so we both would be happy, and yes you could drive me across town in your new SUV to buy a really good hammer! I’m sure you do that all the time for folks like me just there to buy a cheap bar of soap!
Thank you for the info — I will pass it on to my daughter who shops at dollar stores
for many items — I am aware of less than adequate sizes and products !
I appreciate the low cost of a few items though !