U.S. lawmakers to ban toxins from toys

US lawmakers agreed to ban the use of a group of chemicals in toys and other children's products that consumer groups say cause serious health effects, newspapers reported Tuesday.

Congressional negotiators agreed Monday on the wording of a ban after months of wrangling, according to The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal.

The ban, part of a long-debated overhaul of US consumer safety standards, would eliminate certain phthalates used to soften plastic and commonly found in toys, shower curtains and shampoos, The Washington Post reported.

Critics believe the chemicals are linked to reproductive problems, including low sperm counts.

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