Synopsis-
“The researchers observed that the continuous influx of calls is proof that the voluntary criteria that detergent makers accepted in 2015 and 2022 have not gone far enough to protect youngsters.”
A recent study alerts us to the ongoing health risks that colourful detergent pods pose to young children. Every 44 minutes, a call regarding a young kid injured by exposure to a liquid laundry detergent pod reaches U.S. poison control centres.
The researchers observed that the continuous influx of calls is proof that the voluntary criteria that detergent makers accepted in 2015 and 2022 have not gone far enough to protect youngsters.
Senior researcher Dr. Christopher Gaw, an, emergency medicine physician with the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, said, The voluntary standard, public awareness campaigns, and product and packaging changes to date have improved the safety of these products, but a high number of children are still exposed each year,”
Liquid laundry pods dissolve in water and dangerous for kid’s use
Because liquid laundry detergent pods dissolve in water, when they come into contact with a child’s moist hands or mouth, they may unleash their hazardous contents. Although the exact cause is yet unknown, researchers found that liquid pods have shown to be more harmful than conventional liquid and powder detergents.
According to data from the National Poison Data System, during the course of three recent years, U.S. poison centres received 36,279 calls regarding liquid detergent laundry pods.
A child under the age of six was engaged in 87% of the calls, and almost all of them (99%) took place at home. Fortunately, only 6% posed a significant risk to health, and the consumption of detergent pods was linked to just nine fatalities. Seven of the nine adults who died were above the age of 70.
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Dr. Gary Smith, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s, said,“Requiring that all liquid laundry detergent packet packaging be PPPA-compliant would be an important next step in reducing child access to these products. In addition, each laundry packet should be individually wrapped with child-resistant packaging, which would provide important layers of protection for this highly toxic product.”
