BALTIMORE - At first glance, it seems like a harmless toy with no sharp edges or small parts.

But this particular gray knight's helmet had lead paint on it, which also poses a serious danger of choking to small children.

"Lead is a powerful neurotoxin that lowers their IQ and affects the central nervous system," said Jenny Levin, an advocate for Maryland Public Interest Research Group, or MaryPIRG. "We all know toddlers put everything in their mouths."

Levin this week unveiled Trouble in Toyland, the nonprofit consumer interest group's 24th annual survey of toy safety, at Sinai Hospital. The...