For the holidays, the health authorities remind once again that Slime paste is dangerous for the health of children and adolescents who handle it.
A few days before Christmas, ANSES, the DGS and the DGCCRF are once again warning of the risks associated with the preparation and handling of Slime, a colourful, sticky and elastic kneading paste, very popular with children and adolescents.
Toxic to the central nervous system
Damage to the skin and nails, burns, redness, eczema, itching… “Repeated and prolonged handling of this paste can cause sometimes severe skin irritations and allergies”, indicates the press release. Some solvents can also cause eye and respiratory tract irritation and are toxic to the central nervous system. Fertility and embryofetal development may also be affected.
From January to May 2018, the number of cases reported doubled compared to the number of cases recorded for the whole of 2017. Last May, a first alert was launched following reports of cases of skin lesions by the Centers antipoison, the Revidal-Gerda dermato-allergology vigilance network and the AllergOS network.
The risks associated with homemade preparation
“The health authorities draw particular attention to the risks associated with the “homemade” preparation of Slime which exposes users to direct contact with products diverted from their use, such as detergents and glues”, explain the experts. “In addition, the importance of respecting the precautions for use indicated on the ready-to-use forms and on the “toy” boxes sold commercially is recalled.
At home, the tutorials recommend the use of the following products:
– as polymers: aqueous solutions of polyvinyl alcohol present in glues, mainly paper glues available to the general public. Transparent or white, they can be sold in large capacity bottles (up to 5 kg);
– as a cross-linking agent: boron, in the form of boric acid or borax incorporated directly in powder or present in solutions for eye wash or for contact lenses or even laundry detergents;
– as dyes: colored solutions or glitter gels from stationery products, food dyes, textile dyes, etc. ;
– as a “blowing” agent: shaving foam, added to give a lighter, airier appearance to Slime (fluffy Slime).
14 products withdrawn from the market
The DGCCRF continues its checks in order to remove from the market slime pastes that do not comply with the regulations: to date, out of 44 products sampled in 2018, 14 contained a boron content higher than the authorized limit, and have already been withdrawn from the market and recalled.
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