Is hydrogel dangerous for children? Nothing more than a normal toy. Hydrogel balls: pros and cons
Glass vases with multi-colored translucent hydrogel balls, in which indoor plants grow, have ceased to be an exotic novelty.
Hydrogel is polymer material, the granules of which are able to absorb a large amount of water with fertilizers dissolved in it and gradually give it to plants.
Decorative hydrogel or aqua soil is a material in the form of multi-colored granules. Small polymer crystals are poured with water and they turn into soft shiny balls 1-1.5 centimeters in size. The balls are placed in transparent vessels, alternating layers different color and plants are planted in them.
In addition to being used as a substrate for indoor plants, it is used to preserve cut flowers and is used as a decorative air freshener by adding aromatics to water.
It all looks very beautiful and very attractive for children.
Hydrogel is a sterile material, bacteria do not multiply in it and midges do not start. After use, it can be dried and stored until the next time in a box in the form of granules.
Beautiful hydrogel balls will interest any child. For older kids, soaking pellets, watching them grow, and planting plant cuttings into polymer balls can be fun.
But for kids, bright balls are also very interesting. I mean try to eat.
Manufacturers claim that the hydrogel is a completely environmentally friendly product.
The question is, how safe is it for children?
Probably, vases with hydrogel balls are best kept away from kids.
The packaging of the hydrogel does not indicate what this miracle product is made of. There are articles on the net that acrylamide is released during the depolymerization of the hydrogel. Also, acrylamide can be contained as a residual product, a contaminant during production.
Here is one of the unpleasant cases with the swallowing of hydrogel balls by a child:
For several days, doctors fought for the life of one-year-old Alena, who swallowed, at first glance, harmless, small hydrogel balls. They gradually swelled inside the body and eventually completely blocked the intestines. The doctors of the 13th Filatov Hospital had to perform three major operations.
Simple childish curiosity almost led to a real tragedy. One-year-old Alena saw a jar of bright balloons from her older brother and just decided to play. It is reported by "TV Center".
"The child managed to open this jar and swallow three or four balls. In the aquatic environment, these balls increased. They completely clog the intestinal lumen, usually the small intestine. And do not allow the intestine to move further. Naturally, without surgical assistance," said Alexei Smirnov, head of the emergency surgery department at Filatov Hospital No. 13.
Alena came to the doctors in a critical condition - intestinal obstruction, vomiting and bloating. Now behind three operations. The fact that these bright balls are so dangerous to health, the girl's parents did not even suspect. And how to believe, if the so-called "orbiz", on the contrary, are almost recommended for use. They are also used in crop production and as air humidifiers and even as toys - they allegedly develop fine motor skills and simply pleasant to the touch. Attracts and their bright appearance.
At first glance, hydrogel balls can be confused with candy. Small and colorful. No wonder they are so attractive to children. It seems that everything is quite harmless - until you put them in water. After some time, their size may differ from the original one by several tens of times.
HYDROGEL FOR A CHILD: WHAT IS DANGEROUS AND CAN I USE IT IN GAMES?
Why is hydrogel dangerous for a child? Nothing if you follow basic safety precautions. even deflated balloon can be considered a "powder keg", because an inventive kid may well use it as chewing gum. And the good old cubes? In a room where several tomboys have gathered at once, they may well turn into projectiles. So, how should hydrogel orbizes and other water-growing toys be handled?
Make sure that the child does not swallow the small ball. When exposed to a humid environment, it begins to increase in size.
You can not crack the balls, crush them. If the orbis collapsed, it must be thrown away immediately. Polymer particles are unlikely to benefit the children's body.
Arbizes will have to be crossed out of the long list of children's entertainment if the child has an individual allergic reaction.
It is also worth buying growing toys from trusted suppliers, online stores that guarantee the safety of hydrogel balls and provide information about the manufacturer.
WHEN SWALLOWING the hydrogel ball or balls, give the child plenty of fluids to flush out the digestive system. If you swallow a large amount of hydrogel balls, you should consult a doctor.
Lyudmila Zolotykh, doctor of the Dinskaya Central District Hospital
And we left our hydrogel to grow.
Separately, it is very interesting to observe the growth of balls. A very interesting example is a transparent hydrogel in plain water.
At first he was like this.
In about an hour.
After two or three hours he was gone.
And an hour later he appeared above the water. In fact, there is almost no water left.
We analyze the result. After an equal amount of time in different solutions, the balls and grew differently. In water and sugar, they became approximately the same, but salt ones grew very slightly.
Here we have such transparent balls.
With colored balls, everything turned out also not unambiguously. Some grew more, others less, why it happened is not at all clear.
But now we could compare and rank.
Without hesitation, we loaded all the balls into one basin, this was our biggest mistake! The hydrogel begins to release water almost immediately, and since the water was colored, all colors began to mix and turn from bright to darker and not so interesting. Therefore, I recommend either not to mix or to take already colored balls. Tinkering in a bowl of balls is very pleasant and interesting. You can even stomp your feet.
Then we turned into Cinderella and sorted balloons by color. For this game, you should not mix a lot of balls, otherwise it will quickly get bored.
Our yellow balls turned orange as they mixed with other colors.
We decided to create layered compositions in transparent glasses. The faded colors hindered us a little, but we still tried.
This is how we did it.
Elina liked it wrap the balls in plastic wrap, forming figures.
We put a container with transparent balls on top of it. The picture becomes almost invisible.
Add water and the picture is visible again!
We create a mini-world. Since we already had mostly green-blue balloons, the mini-world turned out to be marine.
With great pleasure, the boys acted out plots in which ships sailed, fishermen caught fish, rescuers rescued a drowning man).
Loading. With the help of construction equipment and spoons, the boys loaded the hydrogel into trucks and transported, poured the balls to another place.
Despite the inconvenience, Arthur loaded the balls with an excavator with great pleasure.
Arthur succumbed to only one ball.
After such a game, a lot of torn hydrogel remained. We collect it in plastic wrap.
We wrap. And we start to play mix through the film, crush, roll the gruel.
Whole balls wonder ride down the hill. They jump, so you can even create a whole system against the escape of balls - a separate interesting activity.
You can also try lay out the mosaic but we didn't get that far.
I wonder how they behave hydrogel balls in different solutions? We take: hydrogen peroxide, brilliant green, potassium permanganate, soda, vinegar and iodine. Prepare solutions.
In each we put one transparent ball of the same size.
We leave for 1 hour.
We drain the solutions through a sieve and observe the result. The first ball is soda. The structure is somehow loose by the eye, it has decreased in size.
In hydrogen peroxide, the ball grew even more, smooth and transparent, but soft.
Hello everyone, today I propose to indulge a little in such an entertaining little thing as Orbis balls (Orbeez), from which not only small children, but also adults are delighted. Hydrogel - colored and funny balls that increase several times in size when placed in water.
The product was first released by the Orbeez brand and, although different brands now produce the balls, the name Orbis stuck to the toy
In fact, hydrogel is used almost everywhere:
Hydrogel was invented back in the late 50s of the last century and is used in the form of balls in various fields: in everyday life, in agriculture, in the medical industry.
Thanks to the hydrogel, it is possible to maintain soil moisture even during the most severe drought.
It is added to the packaging of products that must be kept dry, it is also used in baby diapers.
Where to buy hydrogel?
Today, hydrogel balls can be bought at any art store. There is a huge selection on Aliexpress - you can roam there, choosing a hydrogel in the form of balls of various sizes and shapes. I bought Orbis balls at the bazaar, in the souvenir section.
How to grow Orbis balls?
In the package, the hydrogel is a dense small balls with a diameter of 3-5 mm.
Pour into a bowl, add clean water (preferably filtered). I prefer to purify water with an Aquaphor jug filter. This allows the beads to grow transparent without distorting the rich color.
About a glass of balls grows from such a tiny bag, so choose a bowl deeper. Most of all, my 4-year-old son loves to watch the growth process - he runs to the bowl every half an hour to see how much the balls have grown.
For a sufficient increase in size, the balls need 6-8 hours. However, they reach their maximum growth after 12 hours. If you poured water, then do not worry - the balls will absorb exactly as much as they can. They will not burst if you pour water. The exception is the giant orbis - it can crack with an excessive amount of liquid.
What are orbis balls for?
First of all, I took them for educational games with a child. In addition to the growing process itself, which is already quite exciting, you can use the following techniques:
- My son and I laid out the balls by color, studying them at the same time.
- With the help of balloons, orbis son learned to count.
- You can arrange a group "war" by giving the guys ammunition in the form of hydrogel balls. You won't believe how much excitement this game causes for kids.
- But our favorite game is to pour hydrogel balls into a Bruder concrete mixer, imitating sand. It's clean and very intriguing.
Decoration for reviews on Irecommend
Hydrogel balls can be great helpers in decorating testimonials. you can take photos using the hydrogel as a background, add individual balls to the overall composition. looks unusual and attractive.
Hydrogel for flowers
It is very hot and dry here in Tashkent in summer, flowers suffer from such weather. And the balls allow you to brighten up their life a little - on especially hot days, I lay out the hydrogel directly on the ground around the flower. Orbis releases accumulated moisture, moistening and slightly cooling the soil.
Safety
Many are worried about whether hydrogel balls are safe for health, whether there is any harm to the child? If they are not eaten, then when interacting with the skin, they are absolutely intact, since they do not contain aggressive chemicals. There should not be any foreign smell - if it is present, it is better not to let the child play with such balls.
What happens if you swallow orbis? We didn't, I don't know for sure. But I think it's okay - it's a gel that absorbs moisture. Therefore, if you swallow an unswollen ball, it will simply take some water from the intestinal lumen, and if you accidentally eat a swollen hydrogel, then it will come out naturally. But it is better to avoid such situations. Therefore, when playing with balls, you need to be close to the child.
Advantages of hydrogel
- keep their shape and beautiful view for a long time - at least a week if stored in a vase, avoiding sunlight.
- Even if they have dried up during storage, you can repeatedly reanimate them. Just place them in clean water for a couple of hours, and the balls will again acquire a presentable appearance.
- Non-toxic, odorless, safe if accidentally swallowed (but best not to).
- You can indulge in taking breathtaking macro photos.
Flaws
- Quite fragile - with active play they quickly lose their shape, break.
- They dry quickly without moisture (it takes us less than 2 days for this process).
- during active play, in order to maintain a presentable appearance, it is important to periodically rinse the orbis.
I summarize: a very exciting developmental find for kids. Looks beautiful in the interior. Helps to entertain and pamper adults. I definitely recommend.
Shopping with Aliexpress:
On the packaging of the hydrogel I bought, the following composition is written: "space-linked gel of polyacrylamide and potassium polyacrylate." It also says that the gel is absolutely safe for humans and non-toxic to plants (however, acrylamide, which is part of it, is the most dangerous neurotoxin. In addition, acrylamide causes cancer in laboratory animals. It easily passes through the skin and can be inhaled into form of dust.More about this with links to scientific work at the end of the article).
The content is a white powder that swells when water is added.
The content is a white powder that swells when water is added. I poured a layer of 1 mm of hydrogel powder on the bottom plastic cup volume of half a liter, and swollen hydrogel completely filled this glass.
What is hydrogel used for?
With the help of hydrogel, you can create moss graffiti, hydrogel is used in design, and is also added to potted flower crops so that they can be watered less often. It is now fashionable to germinate seedlings on a hydrogel (it really germinates well, especially if instead of water the hydrogel is soaked in a nutrient solution for hydroponics, since the hydrogel itself is inert - without additional nutrition, the plants in it will die after a while).
Seedlings in the hydrogel look beautiful - you can watch how the root system grows
Well, simply the seedlings in the hydrogel look beautiful - you can observe how the root system grows. Many gardeners recommend adding hydrogel to the soil for food crops (cucumbers, tomatoes, strawberries, etc.), I also planned to do this, but first I decided to study information about the hydrogel on the foreign Internet.
Possible danger and toxicity of the hydrogel
Linda Chalker-Scott (Ph.D., Washington State University) in the article The Myth of Polyacrylamide Hydrogels
When the hydrogel breaks down, it releases potassium acrylate and acrylamide. Acrylamide is a deadly neurotoxin
"... Hydrogels are usually presented as pH-neutral, non-toxic, environmentally friendly compounds (in polymerized form). The fact remains that after five years, almost all hydrogel depolymerizes due to natural decomposition processes ... When the hydrogel breaks down, it releases acrylate potassium and acrylamide.Acrylamide is a lethal neurotoxin and has been found to cause cancer in laboratory animals.It passes easily through the skin and can be inhaled as dust...Who is at risk of exposure to acrylamide?Kindergarten workers and gardeners who usually use hydrogels and can be exposed to them when they break down and become toxic Homeowners who add hydrogel-containing mixtures to their yards or compost heaps Dogs, cats, and wildlife that come into contact with these substances are at risk. On a larger scale, there is a risk to the entire ecosystem as acrylamide is water soluble and can easily enter aquifers."
Jeff Schalau (Associate Agent, Agriculture & Natural Resources University of Arizona Cooperative Extension) See Hydrogels: Are They Safe? (the article is in English, translated by Google translator, it may contain inaccuracies, below are excerpts from the article) writes:
In the production of hydrogels, residual acrylamide is present as a contaminant, but its amount is strictly regulated in the USA to a level of no more than 0.05%
"... Some people are concerned about the safety of hydrogels, so I decided to present some scientific information about their effectiveness and safety... How hydrogels will perform in a given situation is very difficult to predict, since the chemical interactions between the hydrogel, the substances that make up the soil, and solutes are complex and occur simultaneously... The effects of cross-linked hydrogels on plant survival have been documented to be variable (unstable) Some researchers have reported increased growth of crops and tree species Other researchers believe that hydrogels did not improve plant survival compared to controls ... In a number of cases, hydrogel-treated plants deteriorated compared to untreated controls and were found to be nutrient deficient... As the name suggests, polyacrylamides are composed of numerous interconnected acrylamide compounds.Acrylamide is a known neurotoxin in the human body and, as also suspected of being carcinogenic. In the manufacture of hydrogels, residual acrylamide is present as a contaminant, but is strictly regulated in the US to a level of no more than 0.05%, or 500 ppm for agricultural use... Given the findings presented above, I cannot recommend the use of hydrogels for home use. gardens. There are several alternative practices that are safe and just as effective. These include mulching, occasional composting, wind protection, etc. "
Given the findings presented above, I cannot recommend the use of hydrogels for home gardens.
You can also check out Super Absorbent Crystals - Are They Really "Super"? (on English language), this article describes in more detail the problems outlined in the articles, excerpts from which are presented above. In addition, many interesting sites can be obtained by asking Google the query " hydrogel toxicity plant growth".
Multi-colored balls, pleasant to the touch, like all children without exception. But are games with orbiz balls safe? Here opinions are divided. Let's try to deal with all the pros and cons.
What is orbiz?
Tiny multi-colored balls that increase several tens of times in water are a hydrogel, or rather, an aquatic soil, which is designed for the needs of gardening and decoration. Otherwise, this product is also called orbiz (after the name of the American manufacturing company ORBEEZ). Initially, orbiz was not intended for children's games. However, as well as pasta, cereals, sea pebbles and other small items that the baby plays with pleasure.
The uniqueness of orbiz balls is that they have the ability to absorb a large amount of moisture, greatly increasing in size. Orbiz are polymer compounds, or cross-linked copolymers. Without moisture, they are in a "collapsed" state, and when water penetrates, they "unfold" - and the balls swell.
IMPORTANT! As a rule, hydrogel sachets, which can be bought anywhere, do not indicate the composition of the substance. But there is information on the net that during depolymerization and after destruction, the balls can release acrylamide, which in in large numbers hazardous to health.
Hence the conclusion - when playing with hydrogel, you must follow certain safety rules, which we will talk about a little later. In the meantime, let's talk about games with these unusual bright balls. You can come up with a lot of them, and this is definitely a pro in favor of orbiz.
Source: instagram @razvivashka_for_kids
Educational games with hydrogel
Slippery, soft, pleasant to the touch multi-colored orbiz balls will help in the development of fine motor skills, the child's imagination, will become assistants in the study of colors, will help to show and explain some of the mysterious optical properties and much more interesting things. Pour dry hydrogel balls with water at room temperature and make sure that it completely covers the growing balls. You can play with them after 2-3 hours, and the orbiz balls will acquire the maximum size in 10-12 hours in the water.
Source: instagram @fun_for_kids_72
In what games can you use orbiz?
- Let the child completely immerse the hands in a bowl of hydrogel and touch the balls with his fingers.
- Transfer the balls with a spoon or a baby scoop from one container to another - this, by the way, will help you more confidently hold the spoon and fork while eating.
- Fill a bottle with a narrow neck, where only 1-2 balls go.
- Take an egg container and arrange the hydrogel balls by color - each cell has its own color.
- Pour water into several containers, color it watercolor paints- each with its own color. Let the kid pour the hydrogel into jars and see that once in the water of his own color, the balls become invisible.
Source: instagram @akitoza
- In a high transparent vase or bottle, put hydrogel balls in layers, by color - it will turn out very beautifully.
- We connect daddy's shaving foam and make beautiful pies (just don't eat!)
- We do together sensory box- V Plastic container pour hydrogel, add small toys, other small items. Let the child take out any toy of their choice by touch. Have a competition who more toys get it.
- Launch the balls into the bathroom without water - they jump very funny and the kids love it.
- Fill a balloon with hydrogel - you get a very pleasant toy to the touch.
Source: instagram @fun_for_kids_72
Hydrogel and children: safety rules
First of all, we recall the obvious thing - you can play with hydrogel only in the presence of adults and under their vigilant control.
It is not necessary to explain that orbiz balls are small, it is very easy to swallow it, shove it into the nose or ear of the baby. The main danger is that orbiz has the ability to increase in size hundreds of times - up to 400! These balls are practically invisible on x-rays or ultrasound, so it is difficult for a doctor to determine the cause of a child’s poor health who swallowed an orbiz ball. And without compliance the strictest rules security is definitely "cons" of games with orbiz.
If you still decide to develop fine motor skills of the crumbs with the help of games with orbiz, remember and strictly follow a few rules.
- Do not give hydrogel to children under 2 years old.
- Make sure that during the game with the hydrogel or after it, the child does not lick his hands and does not touch his eyes. At the end of the fun, hands should be washed with soap and water.
- It is probably not worth reminding that the balls should in no case fall into the child's mouth.
- Make sure that the hydrogel does not get "to the teeth" of pets.
- After playing, collect the hydrogel balls in a container that can be closed with a lid and keep out of the reach of children and pets.
ATTENTION! It is believed that, subject to safety rules, the hydrogel is safe for children. original balls ORBEEZ in diameter - no more than 1.5 cm. If you are not sure about the quality of the hydrogel, it is better to refuse games with orbiz!
The baby swallowed the ball, what to do
Sometimes it takes literally seconds for a baby to put something in its mouth. And here there are no guarantees that this will never happen, not even the most attentive parent will give. What should alert the child's condition?
- Constipation
- Vomit
- Pain in the abdomen, chest or throat
- Increased salivation
IMPORTANT! At the slightest suspicion that a child has swallowed orbiz, consult a doctor immediately! Do not waste a minute: the less time passes, the smaller the ball will be and the easier it will be to get rid of it.
Orbiz for adults
It also happens: the baby did not like the game. For example, it turned out that he was much more interested in messing with colored rice or kinetic sand. But slippery balls are unpleasant to the touch for him. What to do? It's a pity to throw away...
And you don't have to throw anything away.
You can use the hydrogel for its intended purpose - for indoor plants. The substrate is added to the soil in order to regulate watering. When watering ordinary soil in a flowerpot, part of the water is quickly lost - it evaporates, is absorbed by plants or leaves through drainage holes. When hydrogel is added, moisture is retained in the soil much longer. And if fertilizers were dissolved in the water, then they are not wasted. Just do not forget to saturate the hydrogel balls with water before mixing with the ground, otherwise they will push the soil out of the pot when they swell.
