Amazon is reaching out to families after the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a safety warning on water beads sold on the site. The water beads, often sold in craft kits or as sensory toys for children, contain hazardous levels of acrylamide, a toxic chemical that has been classified as carcinogenic to humans.
The CPSC urged parents on March 19 to throw away any water bead products purchased on Amazon from two sellers located in China, Jangostor and Tuladuo. The agency said it is aware of multiple incidents in which young children, between the ages of 1 and 2, required surgery after ingesting the water beads. Water beads can grow inside the body, potentially leading to life-threatening intestinal injuries, but that’s not the CPSC’s only concern.
“The product warnings highlight that water bead hazards can go beyond ingestion, expansion and obstruction inside a child. Acrylamide is a known carcinogen. The large water beads in CPSC’s warnings contain levels of acrylamide in violation of the Federal Hazardous Substances Act,” the agency said.
The CPSC said neither company who sold the water beads “has agreed to an acceptable recall.” Now, as reported first by BabyCenter, Amazon is contacting customers who purchased the water beads and plans to issue refunds.
“Safety is a top priority at Amazon, and we require all products offered in our store to comply with applicable laws, regulations, and Amazon policies,” an Amazon spokesperson told Romper. “As of December 2023, Amazon does not allow the sale of water beads that are marketed to children, including as toys, art supplies, or for sensory play. Amazon is in the process of notifying customers of the CPSC’s concerns, and issuing refunds, on behalf of our selling partners.”
The Jangostor water beads were sold for about $10 between March 2017 through November 2023. The Tuladuo water beads, sold by Dohuan US on Amazon, were available on the site from March 2021 through November 2023 for $10 to $20.
This isn’t the first time the CPSC has issued a warning on water beads. In September 2023, about 52,000 water beads activity kits sold at Target were recalled after a 10-month-old died from choking.
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