Los Angeles  - The world's largest toymaker, Mattel, has agreed to pay 12 million dollars to settle lawsuits that it sold toys containing lead paint, the company said Monday.

As part of the accord with 39 US states, Mattel agreed to implement new guidelines reducing the maximum lead content in paint from 600 parts per million to 90 parts per million.

The settlement was filed in a Boston court following a 15-month probe of Mattel for selling tainted toys made by subcontractors in China. The toys included top sellers such as Chinese-made Sesame Street dolls, Dora the Explorer accessories and dozens of other products shipped to the US last year.

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission ordered the recall of more than 2 million toys made by Mattel and its Fisher-Price subsidiary.

Mattel has "taken steps that go beyond current requirements to give parents greater confidence that the Mattel toys that they buy this holiday season will be the safest ever," the toymaker said. (dpa)