Some Aspies are hypersensitive to smell.
Originally, squeezing balls made of polyurethane foam was supposed to counter stress. Feeling anxious? For relief, just compress a “stress ball” and then watch it slowly expand back to its original size. At least so went the ads. But now for some parents, squeezing polyurethane foam is creating stress.
Their kids are collecting and squeezing “squishies,” the latest and hottest toy. These are an offspring of stress balls and come in numerous sizes and shapes like ice cream cones, cupcakes, animals and fruits of all kinds. Some squishies are even scented. Squeeze the strawberry shortcake and smell the berries! And that's where the problem lies. That berry may not be the only scent that these squishies are giving off.
Both stress balls and squishies are made of polyurethane, a “polymer” that forms when its component “monomers,” namely isocyanates and polyols, are linked together into long chains. However, there is a great deal of complex chemistry behind that simple description. First, there are diverse isocyanates and polyols that can be used. Then there are the foaming agents, solvents, catalysts, surfactants, cross-linking chemicals, dyes and fire retardants that are involved in producing the final product. Depending on the extent of care taken during the manufacturing process, it is possible that some of these chemicals remain in the product and then “outgas”, or in simple terms give off gas. It isn’t unusual for polyurethane materials to have a smell until the residues dissipate. But until they do, they can have an effect on health.
There is no question that polyurethane products can emit potentially harmful chemicals. The Danish Environmental Protection Agency tested a number of squishies and found they were releasing toluene, styrene and dimethylformamide. Given the complexity of polyurethane formulations, there are probably a lot more chemicals that can outgas.
Source: Squeezing Science Out Of Squishies
23 Jan 2019, 9:39 am
