LHAMA Art Materials Chronic Toxicity Evaluation (ASTM D4236)

 What is LHAMA?

 On November 18, 1988, the Hazardous Art Materials Labeling Act was officially signed into mandatory regulations. What is the LHAMA test? The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission identified the ASTM D4236 standard as the LHAMA certification standard. This regulation clearly stipulates that any art materials sold in the U.S. market, including crayons, pencils, chalks, inks and glues, pigments, canvas molding clay, etc. stationery items, are required under the Act, which is not limited to children's products, it requires that all art materials be reviewed to determine whether there is any possibility of use or misuse, including reasonably foreseeable use or misuse, and potential risk of chronic hazards through inhalation, ingestion, skin and eye contact, and other exposures. If a material is assessed and determined to be in the category of chronic hazard, appropriate warning labels will be affixed as required by regulations to alert and protect consumers.

LHAMA/ASTM D4236

The American Art Materials Labeling Act (LHAMA), which took effect in 1999, stipulates that all art materials sold in the Northland market must be evaluated for chronic toxicity in accordance with the Act. These art materials include crayons, pencils, chalk, ink, glue , paint, canvas and other common stationery. Even if the art material is not chronically toxic, the "Conform to ASTM D4236" logo should be printed on the packaging and products.

LHAMA came into effect in 1999 and stipulates that all art materials sold in the U.S. market must be assessed for chronic toxicity in accordance with the requirements of the Act. These art materials include crayons, pencils, chalks, inks, glues, paints, canvases, etc. Stationery. The statute requires toxicologists conducting assessments to be accredited by the American Society of Toxicologists (ABT). Manufacturers or repackagers of art materials should provide an ABT toxicologist with the composition of the art materials for analysis to determine whether they may produce chronic adverse health effects. In order to implement the Labelling of Hazardous Art Materials Act (LHAMA), the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued legislation on October 9, 1992 to approve ASTMD4236 as the mandatory standard for LHAMA testing.

For the definition of art materials, on February 13, 1995, CPSC issued a legal document to define art materials:

(1) Pencils, pens, markers, chalks, etc. that can be used for general purposes but not necessarily only for art;

(2) Ancillary tools and devices used in artistic creation;

(3) Surface materials such as colored books and canvases.

However, whether it is defined as an art material does not only depend on the product itself. The CPSC will consider multiple factors when determining whether it is an art material: including packaging, market ownership and sales area. On the other hand, as of August 13, 1995, whether paints, crayons, colored pencils, glues, etc. are sold as part of an art, craft, model, or collectible, or sold separately, as long as they can be used in art, craft, model Or collectibles, CPSC will enforce LAHMA requirements on them.

After the art material has been evaluated by an accredited ABT toxicologist, if the product has the potential to cause chronic adverse health effects, LHAMA stipulates that the following identification must be made: (1) a warning word; (2) a statement of potential danger (3) Name of chronic hazardous ingredient; (4) Instructions for safe handling; (5) Name of allergic ingredient; (6) Access to health information; (7) If necessary, more detailed technical data should be added to the supplementary file

Even if the art material does not have chronic toxicity, the logo of "conform to ASTM D4236" (in accordance with ASTM D4236) should be printed on the packaging and products, so that the consumer knows that the product he buys meets the requirements. This certification requires a toxicologist accredited by the American Society of Toxicologists. A toxicologist will evaluate the product for potential chronic harm to health.