1,4-Butanediol content of aqua dots children's craft toy beads.
BACKGROUND
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a recall of Aqua Dots (Spin Master Ltd.; Toronto, Canada) on November 7, 2007 due to children becoming ill after swallowing beads from these toy craft kits. Reports suggested that the beads contained 1,4-butanediol (1,4-BD), a precursor to gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), rather than the intended, but more expensive 1,5-pentanediol (1,5-PD). We measured the 1,4-BD and 1,5-PD content of Aqua Dots beads to determine if 1,5-PD had been completely substituted with 1,4-BD by the manufacturer, and if the reported clinical effects from swallowing Aqua Dots beads were consistent with the estimated ingested 1,4-BD dose.


METHODS
In vitro bench research using gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) was performed. Dilute samples of pure 1,4-BD and 1,5-PD in water were used for the calibration of the GC-MS instrument. We then soaked Aqua Dots beads in water for varying durations, and the resultant solutions were analyzed for 1,4-BD and 1,5-PD content.


RESULTS
Aqua Dots beads weighed 79.3 mg each (+/- 0.6 mg, SD), and contained 13.7% (+/- 2.4%, SD) 1,4-BD by weight; this corresponds to a 1,4-BD content of 10.8 mg (+/- 1.9 mg, SD) per bead. No 1,5-PD was detected in any beads.


CONCLUSIONS
Aqua Dots beads contained a surprisingly high amount (nearly 14%) of extractable 1,4-BD. No 1,5-PD was detected, corroborating reports that this chemical had been completely replaced with a substitute that is metabolized into GHB after ingestion. Reports of ataxia, vomiting, seizure activity, and self-limited coma in children are consistent with the ingestion of several dozen Aqua Dots beads.
Suchard
Jeffrey
J
Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California, Irvine Medical Center, Orange, CA, USA. jsuchard@uci.edu
Nizkorodov
Sergey
S
Wilkinson
Stacy
S
D001259:Ataxia / Q000139:chemically induced; D002072:Butylene Glycols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D002138:Calibration; D002648:Child; D003128:Coma / Q000139:chemically induced; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000592:standards; D006018:Glycols / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D010420:Pentanes; D010988:Play and Playthings; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced; D012978:Sodium Oxybate / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000378:metabolism; D012995:Solubility; D014839:Vomiting / Q000139:chemically induced
D002072:Butylene Glycols; D006018:Glycols; D010420:Pentanes; C578469:1,5-pentanediol; D012978:Sodium Oxybate; C039681:1,4-butanediol