Dollar stores are a staple for shoppers on a budget or those looking to grab forgotten items quickly. Unfortunately, savings and convenience come at a cost. A new study reveals that many dollar store products contain toxic chemicals, ConsumerAffairs reported.

What's happening?

Experts from the Campaign for Healthier Solutions spent a year analyzing a wide variety of products from Dollar Tree, Dollar General, and Family Dollar. They found almost 50 products, including personal care, baby, beauty, and cleaning items, that contained harmful chemicals. The child and baby products were especially concerning, given how likely young children are to put things in their mouths.

"In nearly every aisle of the dollar store you can still find products containing chemicals that could pose health risks to families and children," said José Bravo, national coordinator of CHS, in a news release. "But we know healthier dollar stores are possible."

Why is this finding important?

America has spent decades investing resources in science and legislation to identify and regulate toxic substances so that they can't harm our families. Shoppers should be able to trust that when they go to the store and choose an item off the shelf, it's safe to use as intended.

When some unknown number of products contain toxins, that isn't possible. Not only are buyers of those specific products hurt, but everyone has to spend more time and energy researching brands and products to find the ones that are safe — an incredible drain on our time and resources while corporations prioritize profit over safety.

"Busy parents shouldn't have to scan the ingredients list of every product they buy to make sure it's safe for our families," Yolanda Brown Alston, director of workforce programs at Harambee House, said in a statement. "Dollar stores need to step up on chemical safety and provide quality products that add value to our communities." 

What's being done about the toxins?

CHS assembled a list of the problematic items it found so buyers can see what to avoid. The biggest concerns were a baby lotion containing diazolidinyl urea, which releases formaldehyde; toys, especially electronic ones, containing lead; PVC or "poison plastic" toys; and the receipts themselves from Dollar Tree and Dollar General, which contained bisphenol-S.

To help you navigate these choices in the future, CHS recommended an app like Clearya to identify safe products. 

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