Doubtless you've heard about the Chinese-made toy "Aquadots" that is being pulled for having a compound that metabolizes into GHB. The Washington Post says that the culprit is a simple compound switch:
"Moose Enterprises said Bindeez and Aqua Dots are made at the same factory, which is in Shenzhen in southern Guangdong province. Last week, the government announced an export ban on more than 700 toy factories in the region because of shoddy products. The company said the product is distributed in 40 countries.
The toys were supposed to use 1,5-pentanediol, a nontoxic compound found in glue, but instead contained the harmful 1,4-butanediol, which is widely used in cleaners and plastics. The Food and Drug Administration in 1999 declared the chemical a Class I Health Hazard, meaning it can cause life-threatening harm. Both chemicals are manufactured in China and elsewhere, including by major multinational companies, and are also marketed over the Internet.
It's not clear why 1,4-butanediol was substituted. However, there is a significant difference in price between the two chemicals. The Chinese online trading platform ChemNet China lists the price of 1,4 butanediol at between about $1,350-$2,800 per metric ton, while the price for 1,5-pentanediol is about $9,700 per metric ton."
I doubt there was any malicious intent involved in this. One feels sorry for the poor supply clerk who saw the price difference and jumped at it. Didn't take any med chem courses?
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2 comments:
But no comment on the airmail steak? I mean, i don't think the stories come much funnier (unless you are the cow...)
Madeleine wanted Aquadots for the longest time, so when we found them at Target, I let her get them. She played and played with them, then, as kids are wont to do, set them aside for some time.
I read this article the other night and thought, "Hey, she hasn't played with the Aquadots recently...I can just sneak them out of the house and she won't know."
I came downstairs the next day to find her playing with the Aquadots again. I had to explain to her that they'd make her very sick if she ate them, and with all the Halloween candy lying around plus Thomas' penchant for not having a discriminating pallette, I had to ask her to give up the Aquadots.
And, for a six year old, she took it pretty well.
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