Three of them exploded. I really don’t recommend buying this kind of toy for children!

Balloons are many children’s favorite toys.

Go to the amusement park and buy a balloon to tie around your wrist?

When you go to the hospital for treatment, can I buy you a balloon and ask you to listen to the doctor?

Watching the children happily playing with balloons, we didn't expect that there was a hidden danger in it...

01

What is in the flying balloon?

Helium that won't explode?

When we were young, the people born in the 1980s and 1990s played with hydrogen balloons. After learning "second grade knowledge", we know that hydrogen is a highly flammable gas.

For safety reasons, GB/T 27708-2011 "General Technical Requirements for Inflatable Toys" points out that inflatable toys must not be filled with hydrogen or other flammable, explosive, toxic or harmful gases.

To achieve the effect of a balloon floating in the air, the balloon should be filled with helium. As an inert gas, it will not burn if it encounters an open flame.

So, what is the actual situation? Are merchants charging safer helium?

Explosive hydrogen!

The director of Dad Review bought several balloons from three stores in front of a children's hospital in Hangzhou.

When purchasing, we asked the store what kind of gas was filled in the balloon.

They all pledged solemnly:

"Helium won't explode even if it breaks."

"Now that there's no hydrogen, it won't explode, don't worry."

"Whoever dares to sell hydrogen in front of the hospital, I will close down the hydrogen store!"

After experiments, we found that the balloons sold in the three physical stores were filled with flammable hydrogen. The high temperature generated by the explosion was unbearable even if wearing heat-insulating clothing.

What’s even more terrifying is that the lit balloon will melt and stick to the surface of the object and continue to burn, making it difficult to get rid of it.

News reports of people being injured by hydrogen balloon explosions are not uncommon.

If it is so dangerous, why do businesses still use hydrogen?

Because hydrogen is cheap and helium is expensive, the cost of a hydrogen balloon is only a few cents, while a helium balloon costs about 5 yuan. But compared with the price of a balloon of 20 to 30 yuan, is 5 yuan too much?

Here, Dad Review would like to advise the merchants not to make money by dirty tricks!

It has to be said that it is difficult to distinguish between hydrogen balloons and helium balloons. As parents, we can only be more careful when our children play with balloons.

02

What is in the flying balloon?

In addition to inflatable floating balloons, ordinary rubber balloons are also a source of joy for children.

Blow up the balloon repeatedly, twist the long balloon into various shapes, and a group of children chase after a balloon to hit it...

Some parents also let their children improve their lung capacity by blowing balloons.

After all, rubber balloons are toys that children's hands and mouths will directly touch, so we purchased four popular balloons online and sent them to the laboratory for testing.

According to the national standard GB/T 39498-2020 "Guidelines for the Control of the Use of Key Chemical Substances in Consumer Products", the N-nitroso compounds in all four rubber balloons exceeded the standard.

Among them, the N-nitrosamine in No. 3 exceeded the standard by 58 times!

Under certain conditions, nitroso compounds will be converted into nitrosamines, which are highly toxic and carcinogenic and can enter the body through oral and skin contact.

Is it possible that we can only deprive children of the joy of playing with balloons?

Dad’s review has no intention of creating anxiety. If a child plays with balloons occasionally, it is unlikely to cause a big impact on his or her body.

As a dad who always protects his children, we have also prepared ways for children to play with balloons more safely——

03

Last words

Whenever we mention balloons, we think of the good times spent with family and friends, the wonderful time spent with parents at the playground, the afternoon of crazy play with friends on the playground, and the symbol of hope released at the sports meeting...

These beautiful memories should not be associated with danger, explosion, and poison!

May every child have a wonderful childhood! May every merchant be able to make good products with empathy and live up to their conscience!

Make every child safer!

Editor | Tang Tang

Design | Damao