Dad makes shocking discovery after testing 'squishy dumpling' toy that parents have been warned to throw away
Niamh Shackleton
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Images
A dad was shocked to find out just how many chemicals a popular children's toy gives off after parents were urged to throw out the plaything.
A safety alert was recently issued about the viral 'squishy dumpling' toy that many kids have been getting their hands on of late.
The warning to parents was issued by The Trading Standards team at Northumberland County Council in the UK, as it was found that some of the toys may contain the carcinogenic chemical, Benzene.
The highly toxic chemical is described as a 'colorless, flammable liquid with a sweet odor' and is reportedly one of the 20 most widely used chemicals in the US, says the American Cancer Society.
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Exposure to chemicals like Benzene has been linked to an increased risk of cancers such as leukemia and other cancers of blood cells.
Northumberland County Councillor Gordon Stewart, Cabinet Member for Public Safety, said in a statement: "The safety of our children must always come first, and we are issuing this important warning to consumers, especially parents - to remain vigilant when purchasing any toys to ensure they are buying the genuine product."
With the warnings in mind, Canada-based dad Jordan Collinet decided to conduct his own investigation into the harms of the toys by using a device designed to detect volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are chemicals that easily evaporate into the air at room temperature.
Jordan popped two of the dumpling toys into an zip-locked bag with the VOC meter to see if they were actually giving off any chemicals – and the results were shocking.
In this instance, the box that the toys were in advertised at being safe for kids aged three and up to use and the dad noted a 'strong chemical smell' coming from them.
"I did not think it would be this bad," Jordan said in the TikTok video, which has now been viewed over 7,000,000 times.
"We are at a serious level. VOCs at 6.7 – in the sixes range – of milligrams per meters cubed."
Jordan later took the meter out of the bag with the toys in to demonstrate what the reading was in his house in general, and the air quality was at around 0.50 TVOC.
The worried dad carried out a similar experiment on a different type of squishy toy, and this particular brand of 'dumplings' maxed out the VOC meter and have the maximum reading of 9.999.
Jordan says he has approached Health Canada to express his concerns about the toys.
UNILAD has previously reached out to one 'squishy toy' manufacturer, RMS International, for comment.