By Ashley Roberts
WSLS10 Reporter
Published: May 6, 2008

Several big name companies call on the services of a local testing lab to make sure their products aren’t contaminated. 

Polymer Solutions Inc. in Blacksburg tests materials for contamination; materials that are in products children use everyday like toys, baby bottles and bibs.

The owner, Jim Rancourt, tells 10 on your side they’ve been hired by several U.S.—that import materials from China—to test their products for consumer safety. “A lot of the corporations are taking proactive steps to do more testing than they had originally thought was needed to assure that the materials that are being imported are safe.”

Rancourt says just last December, a toy tested positive for butane diol. It’s a chemical that transforms into the date rape drug when it’s swallowed.