What is slime?
Slime is a gooey, sticky substance made by mixing a compound called sodium Borate, or Borax, with water.
It has a thick, glue-like texture and can be made in a variety of colours.
Originally a toy manufactured by leading retailers Mattel, slime first came onto the scene in 1976 and was made primarily from guar gum, a powdered product extracted from guar beans.
Since then, a number of variations have been created, some multi-coloured and some glittery, with eye-catching and strangely addictive videos of people playing with slime often going viral online.
Is Slime Dangerously?
Parents have been warned that a large number of children’s slime-based toys could contain more than four times the EU safety limit of a chemical called Boron.
After conducting an investigation, consumer group Which? found that eight out of 11 commonly-bought slime products breached EU regulations due to the amount of Boron they contain.
Consequently, the consumer company is advising parents to “approach slime with caution” and has urged them to be wary of homemade alternatives too, as some of they often call for borax, made up of Boron, which is often used as a cleaning product and has been linked to causing serious burns in children.
According to Which?, excessive levels of Boron may also cause vomiting, cramps and irritation and the European Commission warns that high levels may also adversely affect fertility.
Nikki Stopford, director of research and publishing at Which?, said: “‘If you have school-age kids, you’re probably very well aware of the latest slime craze sweeping the playgrounds. Kids love it.
“Parents buying slime for their children should have peace of mind that these toys are safe, so they will be shocked to find that the health of their children could be put at risk by these slimes.
“There must be fundamental changes to the product safety system.
“Manufacturers must stop making unsafe products and the government and retailers simply have to do a far better job of getting anything identified as a risk off the shelves and out of people’s homes.”
How to make Slime?
There are many easy ways to create slime at home. To view this article in deepArround.com you can get a idea.)