You’d never thought you’d have to beware of plastic toys! But a toy called The Extrusion Bean key has caused seventeen primary students to be hospitalized last month. A substance found in the toy has caused the kids to suffer from diarrhoea and vomiting. According to The Straits Times, the kids bought the toy at a school fair and played with it just before they ate snacks using their hands.
The hazardous substance is phthalte. It is an esther of phthalic acid and used for making plastic more transparent,durable and flexible. Also, it is often used to soften PVC. Plastic manufacturers usually use phthalte because it is cheap. However, many countries have already banned its use because of health concerns.
The China-made toy that the kids have played with contained traces of the hazardous substance which apparently rubbed off on their hands. Experts say that it can cause infertility or even death when ingested in large amounts for a long period time.
The public is urging health authorities to be more vigilant in monitoring toy items that are brought in from other countries as they may contain unsafe substances. I think that parents should be more careful when buying toys for their kids. Also, they should warn their kids against buying toys at fairs or small shops.