Eraser Toxicity

September 1, 2014, by Debra Lynn Dadd

Question from Emily

I'm researching Iwako Japanese erasers and they claim they are lead, phthalate free and made with recyclable non-pvc materials. They say their erasers are made from four materials: base, softener, filler, and stabilizer. They don't mention what is in these materials. What is your opinion on their toxicity.

Debra's Answer

In the more than thirty years that I have been researching toxic chemicals in products, this is the first time anyone has asked about erasers.

Just a little history, because it's interesting...before there were erasers, people would remove pencil marks from paper by rubbing them with bread. Then it was discovered accidentally that natural latex rubber (
produced by a tree called Hevea Brasilienesis) did a better job. The first commercial erasers were made from natural latex rubber.

The problem was that natural latex was perishable. Then in 1839, an industrial process called "vulcanization" was discovered. This adds sulfur or other equivalent additives to natural rubber to make it more durable. Rubber erasers then became more common.

Today most erasers are made from synthetic rubber, which is made of many different chemicals including styrene and butadiene.

But natural rubber erasers are still made and sold in art supply stores. Look for an "artgum" eraser (anyone with a latex allergy should not use this eraser).

Pink rubber erasers are made from synthetic rubber, iron oxide colorant, and probably some other ingredients.

Soft white erasers are made from vinyl, which is why Iwako is saying "no PVC." Since phthalates would be present in the PVC, that's why they are saying "no phthalates." Same with lead, lead is often an ingredient in PVC.

Iwako erasers are made from synthetic rubber, which I found at
www.iwako.com/IWAKO/toysafety/index.htm

Iwako is claiming its erasers are "nontoxic," or at least some of their resellers are. I can't agree that SBS synthetic rubber is nontoxic.

So that's the story on most common erasers.

Read more about how erasers are made at www.madehow.com/Volume-5/Eraser.html