AUBURN – Community Concepts will offer free testing of toys for the presence of lead from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, at the Auburn Mall.

Parents are encouraged to bring up to 10 toys to the testing site at the Auburn Mall community fair, where licensed lead technicians will check each toy for toxic levels of lead paint. Staff will be on hand to answer questions and provide information about lead poisoning.

Recent toy recalls have increased awareness of the dangers of lead poisoning. Children are at greater risk of poisoning because of their size, and because they are still growing and developing. Babies and children often put their hands and toys in their mouths, increasing risk of ingestion.

Children with elevated lead levels in their blood may suffer from learning disabilities, lowered IQ, stunted growth, and a variety of even more serious health and behavioral problems. In the United States, about 900,000 children ages 1 to 5 have blood-lead levels above normal range.

Community Concepts provides lead testing and abatement services throughout much of Maine. Four licensed lead technicians test homes and apartments for the presence of lead, and assist with a safe lead removal plan.