Campaign to Halt the Import of Chemical-Emitting Smelly Plastic from China

[Amaterasu]

From:  http://dynamics.org/Altenberg/CURRENT_AFFAIRS/CHINA_PLASTIC/

No, you're not alone to find that there is a horrible-smelling chemical coming from that item you recently bought that was made in China. New chemicals appear to have entered the Chinese manufacturing stream since around 2005 or so that are now flooding into US markets in a variety of products. Try Google on ["made in China smell"]. Something in the nature of the problem has prevented a widespread response — US toxics laws are inadequate, most people are either oblivious to odor, are too busy, stoic, in denial, passive, or resigned, to do anything, or believe that the chemicals will "air out", or don't realize this is a new problem, or — most dangerously — think it is "normal". This Web site is created in the hope of changing that. Below is a description of how I came upon this issue.

Friend sent this link to Me.  Both Our spidy senses are telling Us someOne's using Chinese goods to poison Humans...

[Littleenki]

Thats disturbing, Amy...recently my wife brought home some bungee cords, and they reek bad! I washed them and they still smell like some kind of toxic chemical...made in china..go figure.

They went promptly in the trash.

Good post..shared it with several folks and on FB, too!

Cheers!

[Amaterasu]

Good work, LE.

Yeah, I so rarely get anything new, so I have not had the problem recently, but I do remember getting some shoes a few years back...  Gag.

[deuem]

I will put the Deuem nose to work but I can say as of today I have noticed anything. Maybe I am just used to it.

If you have any products in mine I can check them out. Sniff them out sort of speak.

My new keyboard and mouse smell ok. Well the keyboard does smell a little like coffee. Glad I got the water proof one this time.

Hey Littleenki, is that what happened to my old shoes? The bungee cords, were they solid or wrapped?

[Littleenki]

Dueum, they were the skinny ones with the cheap removable hooks..straight outta harbor freight.

rubber core, with fabric stretchy outside..multi colored with stripes. typical bungee fare.

In the landfill now though, keeping your shoes company.

Le

[deuem]

Ok Littleenki, I have a store down the street that sells these. I even have a few on my bike for tie downs.
The next time I am in that store I will grab a hand full and give a good wiff.


I am wondering how ever if this smell is bug spray?

Many containers are forced to spray the goods so that bugs from one country do not get to another.

I know that shipping wood either way is this way. maybe they took it across the board.

If it is done on a fabric the smell will be there for a long time.

If it is done on plastic, then one wash should remove the order.

This is something one would have to test.

Deuem

[Littleenki]

Hey, Dueum, I agree, it may be bug spray or some kind of preservative to allow the products to sit on ships and in warehouses for a while, without degradation.

Most likely some type of dangerous preservative though, as anything that smells like this cant be good!LOL!

I found one of the bungee cords that I hadnt thrown out, it was holding my grass catcher onto the fence for my lawnmower...it hangs in the sun and rain for about a year now, and the smell is still as potent as ever.

Took a good whiff..and it seems to smell like a slightly smoky smell, with a benzene hint.

Definitely not a fine wine!LOL!

The benzene hint is quite nauseating, and the smokiness is very obvious..Im sure they havent been burned as they have color still..so to me that is just another aspect of the chemical makeup of the rubber or sheating.

Pretty nasty though, and this one wont ever get a shot at coming into the house again!

Cheers!

[Amaterasu]

The friend who pointed Me to this issue said that some boots He got He washed with soap and water, trying to get rid of the smell, and even after a very thorough washing (He's a chemophobe, so You know He worked hard at it!), the smell did not dissipate.

If it was sprayed on, One would think the washing would eliminate the bulk of the problem...

[Littleenki]

I would hope washing would remove it..but it seems to be embedded in the material itself..Yuck!

I hope they figure it out, before everything smells like benzene and smoke!

Le

[Somamech]

I'll be on the smell out here in Oz in local big box hardware stores (no use naming them here as you guys wont know the names as they are not american names and pointless to this discussion)

I have not smelt this smell mentioned in wooden box's manufacutered from cheap ply wood at work that is for sure where some of our prototypes come from.

I've also not smelt this pungent smell in local big box hardware shops.

So coming from an Australian perspective if it helps?  Our wooden box deliverys which happen on a daily basis from Mainland China are not smelling and they contain plastic products.  Sometime they may contain crap though, but that goes for most of the planet no matter where its made

[Littleenki]

I'll be on the smell out here in Oz in local big box hardware stores (no use naming them here as you guys wont know the names as they are not american names and pointless to this discussion)

I have not smelt this smell mentioned in wooden box's manufacutered from cheap ply wood at work that is for sure where some of our prototypes come from.

I've also not smelt this pungent smell in local big box hardware shops.

So coming from an Australian perspective if it helps?  Our wooden box deliverys which happen on a daily basis from Mainland China are not smelling and they contain plastic products.  Sometime they may contain crap though, but that goes for most of the planet no matter where its made

Australia may have a different shipping time or requirement which doesnt allow for the addition of certain chemicals..hard to tell.

The worst smell Ive sensed is from those bungees, and as someone mentioned..the local Harbor freight stor.very strong in there..I onder if it affects those who work there in the long run?

Le

[Amaterasu]

It's also conceivable that China is only shipping the "bad" products to the US of A...  How big a beef is there between Australia and China...?

[Littleenki]

It's also conceivable that China is only shipping the "bad" products to the US of A...  How big a beef is there between Australia and China...?

Hmm, i didnt think of that...

Doesnt China need us healthy though, were their cash cow..

Le

[Amaterasu]

I think They don't need ALL of Us healthy.  And then there are timelines to consider - perhaps They expect conflict over Iran, and by making many of Us ill, They weaken Us.

[Littleenki]

I think They don't need ALL of Us healthy.  And then there are timelines to consider - perhaps They expect conflict over Iran, and by making many of Us ill, They weaken Us.

Another great point, the lock is being picked...
Le