WASHINGTON — Despite a record number of toy recalls and promises of more aggressive testing by toymakers and retailers, toys with high levels of lead and dangerous small magnets are still on store shelves, two public interest groups said yesterday.

The Center for Environmental Health in Oakland, Calif., said that of 100 toys it purchased at Bay Area stores last week, nine had paint that contained lead above the legal limits. One of those toys, a Starletz ceramic tea set, contained more than 20 times the legal limit of lead, which is 600 parts per million. Other toys that had lead included a Dora the Explorer Game Pack, a Disney Princess pencil pouch and a SpongeBob bat and ball set.

The U.S. Public Interest Research Group identified nearly 60 toys in its 22nd annual "Trouble in Toyland" report. The Washington-based group found ornamental zipper pulls for girls that were 65 percent lead by weight and earrings from Claire's that had tiny powerful magnets. If swallowed, the magnets can tear or block internal organs and even cause death. While the magnets have been associated with recalls, they are not illegal.

The PIRG report also listed more than a dozen toys that pose choking hazards because of small parts. They included a "Bob the Builder" Dancing Bob doll with a hammer that can come apart and a Baby Chou Chou doll marketed for children as young as 1 that comes with a pacifier that failed a choke-hazard test.

The toys, most of which were made in China, were purchased at major retailers such as Target, Toys "R" Us and Wal-Mart, as well as at dollar stores.

"Any time we learn of a potential violation of our safety standards, we immediately conduct a retesting," Toys "R" Us spokeswoman Kathleen Waugh said. If a product "does not meet the rigorous safety standards required of our manufacturers, we will hold the manufacturer fully accountable."

KB Toys director of advertising and sales Geoffrey Webb said, "If an identified product doesn't adhere to safety regulations no matter who finds it, whether it be us or CPSC or an independent lab, we move swiftly to remove product from shelves."

In the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission's annual toy safety message, acting head Nancy Nord sought to reassure parents that the agency is working to remove unsafe toys. She noted the Chinese government recently signed agreements to help prevent lead-painted toys from reaching the U.S. "Toys today are undergoing more inspection and more intense scrutiny than ever before," said Nord,

Still, Nord urged parents to read product warning labels carefully and sign up to receive direct e-mail notices of recalls at www.cpsc.gov. A CPSC spokeswoman, Julie Vallese, downplayed the significance of the two consumer groups' findings, calling the outside reports "subjective" and "confusing."

Toy Industry Association spokeswoman Joan Lawrence said she had not seen the CEH or PIRG reports. She said that, in general, the industry has been effective at policing itself.

"Some of the retesting has led to recent recalls we have seen," she said. "The onus is on the importer and the manufacturer, and that's why we're conducting retesting, because we want to ferret out any remaining problems."

The TIA has set up a product safety hot line, 888-88-4TOYS, and Web site, www.toyinfo.org.

Congress is considering requiring all toys be tested by independent labs, a move supported by the toy industry. The industry and consumer advocates hope mandatory testing will do a better job of catching subcontractors that substitute cheaper paint or components without the manufacturer knowing. RC2, maker of Thomas and Friends toys, and Mattel blamed rogue subcontractors for using lead paint on their products.

The marketers of the recently recalled Aqua Dots said it was a subcontractor that replaced a safe glue with a toxic chemical that made several children in the U.S. and Australia ill. Chinese government officials have responded by increasing inspections and shutting down some factories, while complaining about what they see as unfair attacks on items marked Made in China.

Consumer advocates and lawmakers said the problem ultimately rests not with China but the long-neglected CPSC, the federal agency tasked with policing the safety of more than 15,000 types of products, including toys. Budget cuts have left the agency 15 percent smaller than it was just three years ago and kept it relying on antiquated testing facilities.

"At the end of the day, it's the responsibility of the U.S. government to ensure the safety of toys," Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., said. "You can't say to parents, 'Don't worry. We've asked the Chinese to do a better job.' "

Congress is considering overhauling the CPSC. Bills pending in the House and Senate would increase the agency's budget and the size of fines it can levy on companies that don't report safety problems.