By: Catherine Cueto

Children usually play with this round small marble glass to pass the time or forge friendships. 

However, the traditional marble game, known locally as "holen," is now the subject of a Department of Environment and Natural Resources study to determine if they pose a health hazard.

DENR Acting Secretary Jim Sampulna said they will are moving to conduct such a study after a non-government organization, BAN Toxics said that marble toys have toxic effects.

According to BAN Toxics, some marble toys or holen, have traces of cadmium.

The World Health Organization said that cadmium exerts toxic effects on the kidneys and the skeletal and respiratory systems and is classified as a human carcinogen.

"We need to inform and caution the public, especially mothers and children, of the dangers which come from small but terrible marble toys that are sold in the market. They are choking hazards and exposure to these toys may also cause cancer," said BAN Toxics campaigner Thony Dizon.

The same group said that the marble toys they examined also did not carry any labeling information required by Republic Act No. 10620 or the Toy and Game Safety Labeling Act of 2013.