"They Play With These All Day"...Hazardous Substances Found in Popular Elementary School Toys

7 Out of 20 Products, Including Wakbbuball, Exceed Safety Standards
Seoul City Requests Ban on Sales of Products Surpassing Limits

Recently, it was found that certain popular "Wakppu Ball" products—clay toys coated in wax and marketed with a usage age limit of 14 years and older—were found to contain hazardous substances.

According to a report published by Yonhap News on August 31, Seoul City conducted safety tests on 20 products, including Wakppu Balls sold with an age limit of 14 or above. As a result, the city announced on August 31 that seven of these products contained hazardous substances that exceeded the limits set by children's product safety standards.

Distribution of Tactile Product Warning Signs. Seoul City

The items tested by the authorities were labeled for users aged 14 or older, but they are in fact products that are highly likely to be used by children. The tests were conducted based on the safety standards applicable to children aged eight and above.

The products tested included 13 tactile Wakppu Ball items, 3 party supplies such as balloons, 2 keychains, 1 sticker, and 1 acrylic marker. Of these, hazardous substances or physical safety warnings were identified in 7 items, including 5 tactile products, 1 sticker, and 1 keycap keychain.

In three tactile products, phthalate plasticizers—known to cause endocrine disruption—were detected at up to 164.2 times above the permissible levels for children's products in the surface or decorative elements. Plasticizers in packaging materials such as zipper bags were present at levels up to 142.7 times higher than the standard, and the carcinogen cadmium was measured at 1.5 times the limit.

A "migration test," simulating products being placed in the mouth to check for the release of harmful substances, showed that formaldehyde, methanol, and boron exceeded threshold values in two items. Formaldehyde can cause irritation to the eyes, nose, and skin; methanol may result in headaches or dizziness; and excessive exposure to boron can negatively impact reproductive function.

Based on these test results, Seoul City has asked online platforms to suspend sales of imported products purchased from overseas sites that exceed the safety standards for children's goods. The city has also distributed notices to elementary schools to prevent parents from mistakenly purchasing products labeled for ages 14 or older as children's toys. In addition, warning notices and banners have been distributed and posted at toy markets and other locations.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.