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As "wax bubble balls" — wax-coated clay toys — grow popular among children, parents are being urged to exercise caution after harmful substances were detected in products labeled for ages 14 and older.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Monday that safety tests on 20 wax bubble ball products sold on the market and labeled for ages 14 and older found that seven exceeded hazardous substance limits set under children's product safety standards.
Although the products were labeled for ages 14 and older, the city applied safety standards for children aged 8 and older on the grounds that young children are likely to use them in practice.
The tested items included 13 tactile products such as wax bubble balls, three party supplies including balloons, two keychains, one sticker and one acrylic marker.
Tests found hazardous substances or physical safety concerns in seven products: five tactile items, one sticker and one keycap keychain.
Phthalate plasticizers — chemicals that can disrupt the endocrine system — were detected on the surfaces or decorations of three tactile products at levels up to 164.2 times the children's product safety limit.
Phthalate plasticizers were also found in packaging materials such as zipper bags at 142.7 times the permitted level, while cadmium, a carcinogen, was detected at 1.5 times the limit.
Leaching tests, which simulate a child placing a product in their mouth, found that two products exceeded safety thresholds for formaldehyde, methanol and boron.
Formaldehyde can irritate the eyes, nose and skin, while methanol can cause headaches and dizziness and may affect the nervous system at high concentrations. Excessive exposure to boron can affect reproductive function.
One product also tested positive for the preservatives chloromethylisothiazolinone (CMIT) and methylisothiazolinone (MIT), both of which can irritate the skin.
In one sticker product, phthalate plasticizers were detected on the adhesive backing at 176 times the children's product safety limit, and cadmium at five times the limit.
A keycap keychain shed a small battery during tensile testing.
The city said measures must be taken to prevent children from easily accessing batteries in toys, as a child swallowing one could lead to a serious accident.
The full safety test results are available on the Seoul Metropolitan Government's website at seoul.go.kr.
Based on the findings, the city has asked overseas online platforms to halt sales of products that exceeded children's product safety standards.
It also directed elementary schools in the district to send notices home to parents, warning them not to let children mistake products labeled for ages 14 and older for children's toys.
Informational materials were distributed and banners posted at the toy street in Changsin-dong, Jongno-gu, and other locations.
The city plans to conduct safety inspections of children's school supplies and backpacks sold on overseas online platforms in September.
husn7@heraldcorp.com
