CBS is facing a lawsuit for its CSI-themed toys, which a California-based asbestos awareness group says contains the toxic chemical.
The complaint filed Friday by the non-profit Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization claims the CSI crime scene kits contain "substantial quantities of tremolite asbestos ... one of the most lethal forms of asbestos," reports Reuters.
New York-based manufacturer Planet Toys Inc. and CBS are identified in the lawsuit, which aims to remove the carcinogenic toys from the market, or would require them to be packaged with a printed warning on the label.
The asbestos is alleged to be found in the kit’s fingerprint dusting powder. The product was pulled from shelves late last year, but Planet Toys concluded there were no traces of the cancer-causing agent after thorough testing.
Also calling for civil penalties and refunds for all purchasers of the kit, the non-profit group says the manufacturers violated state law by failing to inform consumers of the hazardous material found within the product.
A CBS spokesperson told Reuters the company demanded Planet Toys recall the product and has since ended the licensing agreement with the manufacturer.
