On September 9, 2024, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has proposed to add requirements for water beads under the Safety Standard for Toys (16 CFR 1250). Stakeholders can submit their comments by November 8, 2024.

● Scope

Water bead toys and toys that contain water beads.

Water bead means a various shaped water absorbent polymer, such as, but not limited to, polyacrylamide and polyacrylate, which expands when soaked in water.

● Proposed Requirements

1. Physical requirement

Water beads as received or water beads removed from a toy, which are small parts, shall not expand more than 50% in any dimension, and Expanded water bead can completely pass through the 9.0 mm diameter funnel test gauge without external forces.

2. Chemical requirement

Water beads shall not have more than 65 µg acrylamide extractable from 100 small water beads (defined as <4 mm across the smallest diameter of the bead prior to hydration) or from one large water bead (defined as ≥4 mm across the smallest diameter of the bead prior to hydration).

3. Labelling and instructional literature requirements

Water bead toys and packaging of toys that contain water beads shall include the following warning: 

Packaging of toys with contained water beads, such as squeeze balls filled with water beads shall include the following warning:

Instructions shall have the same warning labels that must appear on the product packaging, with similar formatting requirements. Signal word and safety alert symbol shall contrast with the background of the signal word panel, and the warnings shall contrast with the background of the instructional literature. 

URL：

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/09/09/2024-19286/safety-standard-for-toys-requirements-for-water-beads

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