Potentially hazardous substances identified in inflatable pool toys
Inflatable toys and swimming aids, like bathing rings and arm bands, often have a distinctive smell which could indicate that they contain a range of potentially hazardous substances. Some of these compounds, which include carbonyl compounds, cyclohexanone, phenol and isophorone, might be critical in higher concentrations in children's toys, say researchers. Ref. Source 6f.
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And it's not just the way they manufacture stuff these days, it's also the where. Many of these toys are made in countries that don't have our standards and then somehow manage to find their way into our country… even though they don't meet our safety standards.
I personally always loved the smell of inflatable pool toys when they've been sitting in the water in the sun for a while. That was the smell I associated with swimming and fun. I'm not really surprised that it could be hazardous; lots of people love the smell of gasoline and that's pretty toxic too.