Is the plastic in cheap flashlights, hazardous?

[RipplesOfLife]

I just bought some cheap plastic headlamps from DX, and they have a distinct smell to them (not all that surprised). A plastic flashlight I bought at Dollarama some time ago had this exact same smell.

What is this smell? And is it (plastic and/or odour) hazardous to health?

I don't want to be strapping hazardous materials on my head (or come into contact with them too much).

Thanks

 

[SilverFox]

Hello RipplesOfLife,

I believe what you are smelling is the plastic curing.

You may be able to set the headlamp outside overnight and eliminate most of the smell.

I am not sure if it is considered hazardous or just obnoxious.

Tom

 

[KeyGrip]

Most any consumer plastics will have pthalates to keep them from drying out and cracking, and pthalates happen to be toxic. There's not much to do about it because as a chemical they're ubiquitous. Silver Fox's advice is good.

 

[Sgt. LED]

Don't lick/consume it!
:laughing: Odoban it.

 

[TORCH_BOY]

I wouldn't want to burn it

 

[James S]

yes, but it's not the pthalates that you're smelling. One of the things that is scary about them is that they dont have any taste or smell as far as I know. I do believe that it's just the plastics continuing to cure.

I dont THINK that there is anything to worry about as long as this is just regular plastic stuff that you're smelling. It's possible that it's a bad batch with something nasty in it? This does sometimes happen, like some of those plastic sandals that WallMart was selling that are giving people chemical burns on their feet! I dont know, but let it air out for a while and see what happens.

Generally there is nothing to be concerned about in the amount of any chemicals that you'll encounter by being in the same room with something. Pretty much anything will be well below the toxic threshold. Despite all the talk of random unnamed scary toxins, we're all doing pretty good because there is so little of them. I woudn't want to eat any plastics regardless of whats in them. Even PVC itself is toxic if you grind it up and eat it, but you can wear it next to your skin your entire life and it's fine as it can't get you that way.

Even pthalates aren't anything to worry about. They aren't "toxic" but their action may mimic hormones in the body, so it is possible but not proven in any way that they might cause changes especially in children. But that is in very high doses that you're not going to get from being in the same room with your headlamp or anything else. The concern here is not that they are toxic, but that we're using more and more of them all the time in more products and eventually we will reach the point of exposure where the concern becomes real. So it's important to find alternatives before we reach that point and start to get them out of the system. But you're not going to explode if you are exposed to a tiny amount in any commercial plastic product. And now we're replacing them with new chemicals that we dont know as much about... oh well... darned if you do darned if you dont

 

[RipplesOfLife]

The headlamp that I bought in particular was the one with the laser, I think the plastic smells because of the type of plastic, the quality, and how it was manufactured.

I'm tempted to buy some of the other cheap headlamps from DX, just because of the price. But I'm more than sure that the plastic will not be of any higher quality than the one I recently.

I think the smell of the plastic can be due the plastic being less refined/processed (if that's possible) than the plastic used in more expensive (or "normal" priced) flashlights.

Now, as for curing. Wouldn't the amount of time being on the shelf/display/inventory be more than enough time for any remaining steps to finish up?

 

[James S]

Now, as for curing. Wouldn't the amount of time being on the shelf/display/inventory be more than enough time for any remaining steps to finish up?

I'm not exactly sure. When chemicals are outgassing into a confined space like the packaging they reach a vapor pressure or an equilibrium and stop. Then when you open the package it can begin again.

I tried to actually look up what might be the real cause of the smell, excessive plasticizers or the black dye or strange solvents or what? Unfortunately google is ruined by people that are just complaining of the smell and it's hard to find someone who actually knows what it is. A lot of people claiming it's scary bad deadly cancerous mutagenic and whatever, but then people are always saying that about everything and they dont actually have any real information. The best real information was the discussion of what makes tires smell as to my nose the smell is similar. And even that was not specific. Let is sit for a bit

 

[jnj1033]

It's possible that it's a bad batch with something nasty in it? This does sometimes happen, like some of those plastic sandals that WallMart was selling that are giving people chemical burns on their feet! I dont know, but let it air out for a while and see what happens.

When did this sandal thing happen? I didn't hear about that.

Speaking of a bad batch, I was wrapping Christmas presents at my parents' house this year, when I opened a roll of wrapping paper that smelled strongly like kerosene. We got rid of the roll, but the smell lingered and none of us could stand to be in that room for a while afterward.

:green:

 

[Mercaptan]

Hmm, well... just think of it this way, that 'new car smell' is actually a carcinogenic phenol (used to soften and preserve leather and vinyl). It's a nasty chemical that is easily aerosolized and can cause cancer.

Though, I must say... it smells so good.

Depending on the quality and preparation of the plastic, there is a chance that it could be carcinogenic. Regardless of odds, it's like inhaling byproducts in a chemistry lab - will it immediately kill you? Nah, but it's probably not a good idea to take a huge whiff to begin with.

 

[RipplesOfLife]

Actually, I think the "rubber" parts of the flashlight is the major contributor to the smell. I think the flashlight, which had the same smell, I got from Dollarama had some rubber parts too.

But then, the rubber parts kind of have their own "smell".

Well, they have to cut cost somewhere.

Reminds me off a time when I bought a "swissarmy like" knife. It had a very "unfinished" smell to it.

 

[James S]

When did this sandal thing happen? I didn't hear about that.

some info here

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/flipflop.asp

the links to the pictures are nasty... but like they said, no idea if it was really something bad in there or if she was just allergic or what...

 

[Sgt. LED]

Holy Crap! I new I didn't ever want shoes from Walmart, thanks for giving me a good reason!

 

[RipplesOfLife]

Now imagine, those feet as your forehead, and those sandal straps as the forehead pad of a headlamp.

Can forget about going outside for a long time.

 

[jugg2]

I wouldn't want to burn it

I don't thinks it's a good idea to burn any kind of plastic, the smoke is probably not good for you.:sick2: Although that has never stopped me.:duh2: