What Is Chemical Migration?
The toy chemical migration test measures the amount of a substance that can transfer from the material into the body if the child mouths, licks or swallows it. EN 71-3 covers migration of specific elements under gastric-acid-like conditions, while EN 71-9 with EN 71-10/-11 define the requirements and analysis methods for specific organic chemical compounds.
Purpose of Chemical Migration
The purpose is to show the toy material is within acceptable limits for child health. Migration testing differs from total content: what matters is not how much is in the material but how much can transfer into the body.
Which Products Is Chemical Migration Applied To?
- Plastic and painted toys
- Wood- and paper-based toys
- Plush and textile toys
- Finger paint and play dough
- Toys intended to be placed in the mouth
In Which Sectors Is Chemical Migration Used?
Standards Related to Chemical Migration
- TS EN 71-3 (migration of certain elements)
- TS EN 71-9 (organic chemical compounds — requirements)
- TS EN 71-10 (organic chemical compounds — sample preparation and extraction)
- TS EN 71-11 (organic chemical compounds — analysis methods)
- TS EN 71-7 (finger paints — requirements and test methods)
- TS EN 71-12 (N-nitrosamines and N-nitrosatable substances)
- EN 71-1Mechanical and physical properties in toys test
- EN 71-2oyuncaklarda yanabilirlik test
- EN 71-3migration of certain elements in toys test
Chemical Migration Conditions
- Material category
- EN 71-3 defines three categories: dry/brittle/powder-like, liquid/sticky, and scraped-off material
- Migration medium
- Dilute hydrochloric acid solution defined in the standard
- Temperature and duration
- At the temperature and duration defined in the standard, simulating gastric conditions
- Measurement
- ICP-MS or ICP-OES; GC-MS and LC-MS/MS for organic compounds
Equipment for Chemical Migration
- ICP-MS / ICP-OES
- GC-MS and LC-MS/MS
- Shaking water bath
- Scraping and sample preparation equipment
- Analytical balance
Sample Requirements for Chemical Migration
- Each colour and each material is a separate specimen
- Coating and paint are assessed separately from the base material
- The material category (dry/liquid/scraped) must be correctly determined
- The specimen quantity is determined according to the test list
Duration of Chemical Migration
Migration, sample preparation and instrumental measurement together take several working days. Duration increases linearly with the number of colours and materials.
Chemical Migration Procedure
- 1The product is separated by component and colour.
- 2The EN 71-3 material category is determined for each specimen.
- 3The specimen is left to migrate in the acidic solution defined in the standard, at the defined temperature and duration.
- 4The solution is separated, stabilised and diluted.
- 5Element concentrations are measured by ICP.
- 6Separate extraction and chromatographic measurement are carried out for organic compounds.
Chemical Migration Acceptance Criteria
EN 71-3 defines separate migration limits for 19 elements across three material categories; the limits are derived from Annex II of 2009/48/EC. For organic compounds, the limits defined in EN 71-9 apply. Current limits are confirmed from the standard's latest edition.
Evaluation of Results
Choosing the correct material category directly affects the result; category limits differ markedly from one another. Scrapable paint is a separate category and is usually subject to the strictest limit. Each colour is reported separately; mixing colours can make a non-compliant product appear compliant due to dilution.
Chemical Migration Report
- Product identification and list of components/colours analysed
- Material category for each specimen
- Standard applied and migration conditions
- Result and limit of quantification for each element and compound
- Limit values compared against
Accreditation
EUROLAB holds internationally recognised accreditation obtained from accreditation bodies party to the IAF and ILAC multilateral recognition arrangements, under ISO/IEC 17025 for laboratory testing, ISO/IEC 17020 for inspection and surveillance, and ISO/IEC 17021-1 and ISO/IEC 17065 for system and product certification. This chain ensures the reports and certificates issued are accepted worldwide.
Whether this test can be offered within accredited scope depends on your product and the standard applied; since accreditation is method-based, the scope is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.
Scope and authorisationsRelated Regulations
- 2009/48/EC Toy Safety Directive Annex II
- (EC) 1907/2006 REACH Annex XVII
Oyuncak Testleri — What Does This Testing Field Cover?
The section below describes the field that the Chemical Migration test belongs to; the conditions and acceptance criteria of this particular test are given in the sections above. The scope specific to your product is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.
Toy testing shows that a product is safe in children's use. What sets this family apart is that risk is defined according to the USER: the same product may be hazardous for a child under 36 months and safe for an older child. Age marking is therefore not a marketing preference but a technical decision that determines which requirements apply, and it is justified in the technical file.
At the centre of the field is the risk of CHOKING. Children under 36 months put objects in their mouths; a part that detaches or is small to begin with can block the airway. Assessment with the small parts cylinder is the fundamental criterion for this group, and the tests examine whether the part detaches after use and misuse.
The logic of the tests is not that the toy must not break but that BREAKING must not produce a hazardous outcome. A child drops, pulls, bites and stands on a toy. Drop, tension, compression, torque, impact and tipping tests are therefore applied, and the resulting new state is then assessed: is the detached part a small part, did the broken surface leave a sharp edge, has the internal mechanism become accessible?
On the chemical axis, MIGRATION is what counts. What is measured in a toy is not how much of an element the material contains but how much of it dissolves and transfers under conditions simulating the mouth. Materials are divided into three categories (dry brittle powder, liquid or sticky, scrapable) and different limits apply to each; the amount of material a child could ingest varies by category.
Flammability is the third axis and is critical particularly for costumes, tents and plush toys: how quickly flame spreads across the surface is measured.
Electrical and battery-powered toys bring additional bodies of work: EN 62115 for electrical safety, the relevant battery standards and Battery Regulation obligations for the battery. For toys containing button cells, making the battery compartment impossible for a child to open has become a separate requirement — a swallowed button cell is a cause of serious injury.
Sound level is an item that is often overlooked. For toys used close to the ear (toy telephones, rattles, cap-firing toys) the sound pressure is limited; the risk of hearing damage is assessed.
Market regimes differ and do not substitute for one another: the Toy Safety Directive and CE marking in Europe, and in the United States the CPSIA with mandatory ASTM F963 and a third-party laboratory certificate (CPC). The United States also looks at total lead content while Europe looks at migration; the two approaches can produce different results.
Method groups in this field
Mechanical and physical
Small parts assessment, sharp edges and points, entrapment, cord and drawstring safety, dynamic strength, drop and tipping (EN 71-1).
Flammability
Rate of flame spread and ignition behaviour (EN 71-2); decisive for costumes and plush toys.
Element migration
Migration of specified elements in the three material categories (EN 71-3).
Organic chemicals
Phthalates, flame retardants, azo dyes, preservatives and fragrances (EN 71-9 and REACH restrictions).
Electrical toys
Electrical safety under EN 62115; heating, insulation, battery compartment and charging safety.
Sound and other
Sound pressure measurements; the requirements of EN 71-4 and EN 71-5 for chemistry sets and chemical toys.
Commonly confused in this field
- Toy safety cannot be demonstrated with a single standard; the mechanical, flammability and chemical parts are assessed together.
- Age marking determines which requirements apply; it must be justified in the technical file and not left to marketing preference.
- An ASTM F963 report is not accepted in a CE file; the requirements and test arrangements of the two regimes differ.
- Migration and total content are different things; the CPSIA looks at total lead while EN 71-3 looks at migration.
- If the material category is chosen incorrectly the limit is applied incorrectly too; the category decision is made before sample preparation.
- For toys containing button cells, battery compartment safety is a separate requirement; passing electrical safety is not sufficient.
Which decisions these results support
- CE marking and the technical file
- Determining age marking and warning texts
- The CPC certificate and mandatory third-party testing for the US market
- Supplier and lot-based acceptance control
- Determining the scope of retesting after a design change
Related Tests
Frequently Asked Questions About Chemical Migration
Does this replace a total lead analysis?
No. Total content shows how much is in the material, whereas the directive limits how much transfers into the body. A material with high total content can have low migration, and the reverse is also possible.
Do I have to test every colour separately?
Yes. Pigments vary by colour, and heavy metal usually comes from a single pigment. Combining colours dilutes the result and masks non-conformity.