Toxic Go Go Hamsters Rid Owners And Pets Of Parasites
SCARE story of the day appears on the front page of the Sun. Those Go Go Hamsters should not be eaten raw nor licked repeatedly.
Every year, there’s a big toy scare story. Last year it was Bindeez beads, which contained toxic lead. Before that it was the Chainsaw Hula Hoop. And so on.
Sun Health & Science Editor Emma Morton tells readers:
PARENTS have every right to be concerned about the safety of this sell-out toy.
Thank you, Emma, for the permission to be afraid. What’s the science?
Consumer watchdogs tested the £10 electronic pet for dangerous chemicals and found traces of antimony – which is similar to arsenic – beyond permitted levels.
Go on:
The chemical is restricted to 60 parts per million because it can cause headaches and dizziness. But 93 parts per million were discovered in the fur of the Mr Squiggles version – and 106 parts per million in its nose. The findings – by US consumer group Good Guide – immediately sparked safety concerns.
Just how dangerous are these hamsters?
The results condemned the toy – aimed at three to ten-year-olds – to a rating of just 5.2 on Good Guide’s ten-point safety scale.
That’s sounds like Go Go hamsters are slightly better than half safe?
Russ Hornsby, boss of US toy giant Cepia, disputed the Good Guide findings. He said: “Go Go Hamsters have passed the most rigorous testing.”
You may not like Mr Squiggles, but you cans till buy Chunk, Num Nums and Pipsqueak.
But what is antimony:
According to ATSDR.gov, which is the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, things may not be so grim.
Ingesting large doses of antimony can cause vomiting. We don’t know what other effects may be caused by ingesting it. Long-term animal studies have reported liver damage and blood changes when animals ingested antimony. Antimony can irritate the skin if it is left on it.
Antimony can have beneficial effects when used for medical reasons. It has been used as a medicine to treat people infected with parasites.
Go Go Pets – rub ’em all over your flea-bitten dog or cat. They’re better then they real thing…
Posted: 7th, December 2009 | In: Reviews Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
