How can safety barriers be repeatedly breached?, "Science Toys" Go Red in the Market Parents | Process | Toys
A series of advertising slogans that are extremely eye-catching for parents, such as "inspiring creativity," "playing with science," and "making children interested in chemistry from a young age," correspond to the emerging "science toys.".
However, behind the colorful "bottles and cans", various safety risks such as injuries and poisoning occur frequently when children come into contact with them. Industry insiders and relevant experts suggest that standard construction should be improved and source management strengthened to ensure the safety of children's scientific enlightenment education.
"Science Toys" Go Red in the Market
Summer has arrived, and I hope to add joy to my child's holiday life while also cultivating their interest in science. Targeting the expectations of parents, some "science toys" have quietly become popular.
When searching for the keyword "scientific toys" on online shopping platforms, a large number of toy products under the name of science education will appear. They mostly imitate various teaching aids or equipment from schools and research institutions, using various colored glass products filled with chemical raw materials for sale. Common ones include alum, baking soda, sodium acetate, and even borax. Some are also equipped with some experimental equipment, and prices usually range from tens to hundreds of yuan.
"Building Creativity through Science" and "Playing with Newtonian Mechanics", the advertising slogans of the merchant's products link these types of toys with science education. Simply clicking on a product shows that its monthly sales are mostly close to four digits, and there are also many consumer reviews.
A product that claims to contain the vast majority of common chemical experiments, including strong acidic and alkaline raw materials.
The reporter asked a merchant about the safety of the product, and the merchant guaranteed that all raw materials have been tested according to national standards, ensuring that they are non-toxic and harmless. But when the reporter asked if the test report could be presented, the merchant did not follow up and reply.
Another online store lists various experimental metal elements, including sodium and lithium, which have more intense combustion reactions. Xia Yang, the general manager of a certain chemical raw material company, told reporters that active metals such as sodium are highly prone to spontaneous combustion, and improper storage and use can easily lead to the risk of fire.
During the visit, the reporter found that some offline toy stores and even bookstores have set up sales areas for "scientific toys". The salesperson explained, "Summer vacation is here, and these products are selling very well."
In fact, many of these toys are "three no" products, and the safety of some chemical materials is also difficult to guarantee. Children who come into contact with or ingest them by mistake are highly likely to cause poisoning and other situations. On the Black Cat Complaint Platform, consumers have complained that their children are extremely uncomfortable due to ingesting experimental materials with unknown ingredients. Previously, there have been several cases of acute poisoning caused by children mistakenly ingesting chemical ingredients such as borax in toys in various regions. Recently, the State Administration for Market Regulation issued consumer reminders, specifically mentioning products such as children's chemical experimental toys, reminding consumers to avoid "three no" products and strictly follow safety instructions when using them.
How can toy safety barriers be repeatedly broken
The reporter's interview found that the safety issues of "scientific toys" mainly focus on the following aspects:
——Some products have unclear raw material channels and may contain harmful ingredients. Xia Yang told reporters that generally speaking, the ingredients of products used in universities and research institutions are relatively more guaranteed. For children's toys, on the one hand, their overall usage is small, the market size is not large, and many legitimate merchants do not have similar business; On the other hand, many raw materials are handed over through multiple stages and eventually flow into toy factories, which may lead to "tricks" in the middle.
"Children's toys generally do not involve toxic raw materials, but there are also some experimental materials that may have an impact on the human body after ingestion." Xia Yang said that some raw materials produced in small workshops may also contain other impurities that have not been completely processed. In the manufacturing and use of toys, non-standard storage and transportation may also change the properties of some chemical raw materials, thereby causing harm.
A product used to display "flame reaction", as its high temperature may conceal the risk of fire.
-- There is still a lack of unified safety standards for specialized categories. Zhang Yuhua, a lawyer from Shanghai Jintiancheng Law Firm, said that my country's current toy safety standards have certain requirements for the chemical and physical safety properties of children's toys. For example, the GB6675 "Toy Safety" national standard clearly mentions that children under 6 years old usually use In the accessible materials and components of products, the maximum migration of migratable elements such as lead and mercury cannot exceed 90 mg/kg, 60 mg/kg, etc.
But for scientific toys, there are currently no specific regulations, and the Consumer Rights Protection Law only provides macro responsibility provisions without specific standards. Therefore, in practical implementation, many small and medium-sized manufacturers may evade scrutiny by using the names of other product categories, or use raw materials that do not meet standards to reduce costs, especially in offline stores, which is a regulatory vacuum.
——Insufficient safety protection for toys increases the risk during use. Industry insiders say that general chemical experimental venues should have good ventilation, be far away from food storage areas, and have stable and heat-resistant experimental tabletops, but home settings are often difficult to meet. At the same time, some chemical reactions are more intense and may be accompanied by phenomena such as liquid splashing, combustion and heat release. Without protective equipment, it is also easy to cause harm to the human body.
Scientific toys should be treated more scientifically
In recent years, regulatory efforts have been continuously increasing to address the safety issues associated with scientific toys. Not long ago, the State Administration for Market Regulation issued a notice to deploy the 2023 Children's and Student Supplies Safety Protection Action nationwide, with a focus on the chemical and physical hazards of toys. Hebei, Jiangxi and other provinces have also successively launched targeted regulatory measures, focusing on safety indicators closely related to children's physical and mechanical safety, chemical safety, etc., and rectifying and cleaning up a batch of illegal and irregular production and sales products.
Being a chemist, conducting a physics experiment, and cultivating children's interest in science is undoubtedly a good expectation. Making "scientific toys" more scientific and safe, and ensuring the physical and mental health of children, requires joint efforts from all sectors of society.
Zhang Yuhua suggests that relevant departments can strengthen special management efforts for scientific toys, increase the frequency of spot checks and testing, and establish a "blacklist" system. We can explore detailed standards for related product categories, providing legal basis for future law enforcement and industry production. Professor Gao Nan from Tianjin University of Finance and Economics believes that online shopping platforms have an obligation to supervise platform merchants, strengthen special labeling for such chemical products, and provide detailed explanations on product specifications, dosage, etc. If children are injured due to substandard products during use, e-commerce platforms should also bear corresponding joint and several responsibilities.
Xia Yang believes that effective experimental protection can greatly reduce the possibility of accidents during the operation process. He suggested that toy manufacturers should be forced to remind consumers in the form of operation manuals, product packaging labels, etc., such as wearing protective equipment such as gloves and goggles during the experiment. "Safety regulations for common small experiments can also be integrated into public science education," Xia Yang said.
In addition, industry insiders also suggest that parents should choose products with "3C certification" printed from legitimate manufacturers when purchasing such toys. At the same time, when accompanying their children in experiments, they should strictly follow the operation manual and relevant safety regulations to avoid various risks.
