f2016

No, you're not crazy or overly sensitive — there really 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 (and now global) 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, followed by responses to this web page, and other reports from the web on the problem.

In the summer of 2007, on my last day in Beijing after teaching at a science summer school, I took a stroll and came across a music store. I ended up buying a low priced violin and traditional Chinese hulusi. The hulusi case, pictured here, put out an odor I had never smelled before. It reminded me of something though... and that was the sheep dip I had used raising sheep in 4-H as a child in California. I had no idea as a kid what sheep dip was — it was just something you used to keep your sheep clean. I later looked it up and it was some kind of organophosphate pesticide solution.

On the flight home, I tossed the hulusi case in my day pack, and carried it and the violin on the plane, putting the violin in the overhead compartment. As the long flight wore on, I started noticing that an odor similar to the hulusi case was coming from the violin case.

When I arrived home, the smell of the hulusi case had permeated my day pack, and months after retained the chemical odor. The violin case kept outgassing this smell as well, and would smell up a whole car or bedroom that it was in.

The next year when I was back in Beijing, I bought another, better violin, and its case had the same odor, with the greatest intensity coming from the black rubber-like feet on the case. I removed them, and put them in a plastic Ziploc bag. The smell passed right through the wall of the bag. I put a second bag around the first, and the smell passed right through the second wall. This was a really creepy chemical.

I searched online for any other reports of smelly plastic from China. In 2008, I found very few. But by late 2010, there are very many reports. The production of this smelly Chinese plastic therefore appears to be fairly recent. My own experience is that I had never encountered this odor before 2007. The earliest reports I find among product reviews is 2007. It seems to be present in synthetic rubbers and coated nylon fabrics. Some respondents to this Web site report problems going back longer.

So, based on the evidence, my guess is that Chinese manufacturing plants started using some new chemical process to produce synthetic rubber-like plastic around 2005 or so, and that many new plants are being built that employ this process.

In the past three years, smelly plastic from the People's Republic of China is now infiltrating markets all over the United States for a wide variety of products. See my list of some items, below.

I recently went shopping for a suitcase, and had to search very hard before I could find models that did not have this chemical smell.

I am a longtime owner of TravelPro suitcases — first, a RollAboard model from 1994, then Walkabout models from 2002 and 2003. None of these put out any kind of odor. Today, almost all brands of luggage (even Swiss Victorinox) are now made in China. The Delsey Helium Fusion I bought seemed o.k. in the store, but in my car, the chemical odor filled the vehicle. I returned it. Walking toward the Sears luggage department, from twenty feet away I could smell the chemicals outgassing from the collection of suitcases. The only model I found without a chemical odor was the TravelPro Crew 7. And indeed, the Crew 7 line is not made in China, but in Thailand. The Walkabout Lite 3 model by TravelPro is made in China, and has a strong chemical odor. However, it is a different odor from that of the violin case and Delsey bag. So, I am referring to the original odor as "Chemical A", and the TravelPro Walkabout 3 Lite odor as "Chemical B". I have encountered Chemical B coming from the foam pads on the bottom of desk lamps made in China, and from an office chair. See below.

Recently, I have tried to find a ukulele gig bag, and all of them are made in China and all of them exude "Chemical A". Rooms in several music shops I've visited where the bags and cases are stored all reek of "Chemical A" or "Chemical B".

Now, it's long known that some plastics outgas smelly chemicals. New vinyl outgasses toxic vinyl chloride and other chemicals, which may be injurious [PDF]. Old waterproofed nylon raingear and tents can smell awful (like vomit). Polyurethane foam in mattresses outgasses chemicals that many people are complaining about. I learned from one forum that cellulose acetate butyrate handles on old tools can put out malodorous butyric acid. But this wave of synthetic material now inundating the United States, and presumably the world, from the People's Republic of China appears to have new chemicals we have not encountered before. Who knows whether they are safe? They smell terrible, they ruin the scent environment wherever they are brought. I do not want to have this smell in my life. But I am running into more and more products where all the models I can find have this chemical.

I have written to product manufacturers and some government agencies to bring attention to this issue, but have not seen any action taken. So I want to help network other concerned citizens and get some action taken.

WHAT TO DO:

Contact me if you have encountered any of this smelly plastic from China and would like to join forces in bringing attention to this issue.

2019: August 23, 2019 I saw your website on plastic from China, and thought I'd share one more item/story for your long list. People who have purchased a Bosch dishwasher over the past year are complaining of the smell. Many are saying it smelled from day one. Nobody knows what the smell is. I found their forum because I've been trying to figure out what I can do about the Bosch dishwasher I bought five months ago. It has smelled since the day it was installed. At first I thought the smell would go away after a few days, but it's still there. Today it occurred to me that the smell is like plastic. And then I found this forum where many people who bought a Bosch dishwasher are complaining of the same thing, although none of them have thought it might be the plastic materials inside the dishwasher. I'm trying to figure out if there's anything I can do about it, but I don't think there's anything easy. Some people on the forum mentioned getting together a class action lawsuit, but I have no idea how to even communicate with all the people on there, and I don't know about lawsuits. There's probably nothing I can do about the immediate situation, but I saw your website and thought I'd contribute one more bit. Here is the URL for the forum on the Bosch dishwashers: https://bosch-dishwasher-errors.com/bosch-dishwasher-smells-bad/ Consumer Reports had a review of dishwashers that said Bosch was top-rated, which is why I bought one. If I can find their article again I may send them an email, too. It's a good idea to spread the information. There were probably several dozen people who had bought Bosch dishwashers and were really upset with the smell. None of them suspected the plastics, but my gut level feeling tells me that's probably what it is. It would be great to know what chemicals are producing the smell in the Bosch dishwashers. My son is a molecular biologist and I might ask him if he has an idea how to find out. But I can't see how I can have it analyzed without sawing off a chunk of the dishwasher or something. I don't think I can return the dishwasher after five months, and I can't think of anything to do about the smell, either. I will probably end up ditching it and trying to find one without a smell, if that's even possible these days. I don't have the time or money to pursue a lawsuit, and in this political environment I kind of doubt it would be effective. But I thought I would share this info on the Bosch dishwashers. All the best.

March 4, 2019 I came across your website while doing some research about the toxic smell from plastic that came from my bread keeper. This is the link to the exact bread keeper I owned. https://www.amazon.com/Solutions-Progressive-GBK-8-Adjustable-Expandable/dp/B001BB2LMM It's very worrisome since it's one of the best selling bread keeper on Amazon.com. I purchased mine about a year ago at a retail store and it appeared to be okay, no weird smell issue. I have been using it several times. Last week when I brought it out to use I noticed a very strong toxic smell right away. I stored it in my house so no heat issue here. I am not sure what caused it. I contacted the company, https://progressiveintl.com/, addressing the issue. One of their customer service representative emailed me back stating that "The GBK-8 is BPA free and the materials used to make it are all FDA approved for food storage. It might be possible it picked up an odor from storage, but it is not "leaking" an odor." I am certain that the smell comes from this bread keeper. I can smell it when I hold it close to my nose. When I open it. It has very strong toxic smell. I think the smell comes from the bread board. What can I do from here? Can I send it somewhere to be tested for food safety? If this bread keeper I owned here can be used as educational materials for researcher, student, or scientist, I'd be more than happy to send it over to them to investigate. Thank you for creating your website and it's great to know that there's many people out there noticing the toxic smell I'm experiencing.

24 Jan, 2019 Hi, Here is the complaint I registered with the people who represent the Kitchen Couture induction cooker. I bought one a few months ago not intending to bother to return it if there was a problem so I have no idea where the receipt is. Now I wish I knew. There is and always has been a toxic plastic smell coming from the unit before you even turn it on. I don't feel safe using it so it's sitting out on the back porch doing nothing. I'm planning to put it in hot direct sunlight to see if that gets rid of it but meanwhile I'll search for that receipt. It's a matter of principle. Also I found that it doesn't go low enough for a gentle simmer. Otherwise it's great. 2018:

April 27, 2018 [China unconfirmed as source] Iv noticed this for years in all kinds of substances to numerous to mention. We just bought a new maytag dryer. Its smelling up the whole smal condo and its been over a month. The smell is not as strong but is still making us sick. Im getting sick and dizzy with not running the dryer sitting 50 feet away. Iv ordered a new one but don't think the problem will go away. Is there anyway to dissapate the smell or make it offgas quicker other than kicking the new washer and dryer to the curb? Thanks for any help or advise you can offer.

14 Apr, 2018 I bought a car mat from ebay which is shipped from China. I left it in balcony for a week but the smell is as strong as I can't use it in my car. I decided to return it back which shipment will be on me. I don't want to take a risk which I don't know whether it's non-toxic. I attached item number on Ebay. It would be great if somebody could test it and if it is not safe to use, ban it to import. ["Car floor mat For TOYOTA 2012-2014 CAMRY CARPET FLOOR MATS"]

February 5, 2018 [China unconfirmed as source] What do we have to do to get this crap off the shelves? I bought my daughter a "Squishie" from Walmart and Target both and each toy from the same manufacturer emitting a terrible toxic smell. I made her shelve them for a few days to see if they would off-gas and then be safe to handle and days later they are still strong enough to make me nauseous sitting 3 feet from my desk. I am livid these are being marketed to our children!! I want to be part of eliminating this crap from the American consumers... 2017:

November 28, 2017 [China unconfirmed as source] I am relieved to finally find someone who's noticing this toxic gassing smell from plastic products. This is a list off the top of my head of items I can't use that I have recently purchased: 1. A tower fan heater - I was enjoying the heat coming from one at my local Osteopath who said she had had it for years. Hers didn't smell. I bought the exact same product and the smell is hideous. I have even left it running for 2 hours with the door open and it's just the same. Approx 10 hours of use later and it's now out in the garden shed. I'll throw it away now I know that it's part of the toxic gassing epidemic. Terrible waste of earth's resources. 2. Black garbage/bin bags. Absolutely horrendous. Never used to be like this. I started noticing about 2 years ago that I felt like I was being gassed when I unrolled them. 3. Soles of flat shoes bought a month ago. Ugh!!! I can hardly breath and they make my sock stink of toxic plastic too. 4. Wellington boots bought a year ago from Mountain Warehouse. So bad I put them in the garden for 6 months and they still smell toxic. 5. Xmas decoration tinsel. Oh what to do here?? My kid actually says that the toxic tinsel is "the smell of Xmas". Old tinsel never smelled like this but I don't have any of the old stuff left. I am in the UK. It's an epidemic and seriously worrying. Even if we throw these things away, where are they going? Where will they end up; leaching into the air or soil? I think this could be as big as the health consequences of smoking and passive smoking. I hope we can make our voices heard soon. I'll be contacting activist groups like AVAAZ and SUM OF US to raise the issue with them.

November 16, 2017 [China unconfirmed as source] I have encountered two products that smell the same and very noxious. They were expensive New Balance shoes 990 series after a year; the side rubber started this horrible odor. I contacted the company and they did not offer much. The other product is recently purchased ÒHIFI Elite Super 66 by Modern Portable Headphones I purchased on eBay last month. It is the same smell. The smell is so bad that I will only wear them cutting the grass moving. This smell is not the same smell you might smell going into Harbor Freight, which has another unique unpleasant smell. Wal-Mart bike and toy area also has a similar fetid odor. I have a sensitive nose, but the Headphones clearly smell to those that get near them. I look forward to learning what has happened, and what needs to happen to stop this smell. This may sound Paranoid, but I was wondering if this is some form of chemical warfare so subtle, we would not notice. ;/

October 16, 2017 Yer good luck with your campaign on Chinese plastic got a half mask respirator you know what's coming next!!..I took it out of the packit the the stink Nealy nocked me over no way could i put this on my face it would have killed me! . ...Why is China aloud to to rid rough shod over safety? Its been going on for 30years or more! And here and the States government turns blind eye I'm now hearing of skin burns and Evan hospitalization!I the past few years the Chinese must knew about this and disturbingly seem to be producing more with a will there seems to be a fanatical urge to make this stuff this is chemical warfare by other means! Oh Chinese chrome leather furniture has about 50 leathl toxins including Diethanolamine and We allow this with out testing! Jesus christ!! Kind regard s

August 22, 2017 I bought quite a few leather bracelets from China and other areas close to them. I opened the package and it hit me like a ton of bricks. The smell is so strong it reminds me of opening kerosene only worse. I bought quite a few leather bracelets from China and other areas close to them. I open the package and it hit me like a ton of bricks. The smell is so strong it reminds me of opening kerosene only worse. I think I'm going to have to throw all the bracelets away. They were supposed to be leather bracelets. They seem like they're leather bracelets but they have this God awful smell that won't go away even after I put them in a plastic bag and sealed it. I can sort of feel the smell or taste it inside of me it's weird. I never had something smell so horrible in my life. My question is... is this so toxic that I can kill somebody?

Jul 29, 2017 Orange Crush 100 bass guitar amp. British but made in China. Very strong smell. Think it is making me headachy and giving me that stomach pang feeling. Day 4 still strong, I have to put it in the bathroom over night.

May 19, 2017 Hello, Just found your webpage, and I have a 'new modem' from Verizon - 'made in China' of course. It smells horrible!!! I had to wear a surgical mask to use my computer!! I called Verizon who sent me a 2nd modem. That modem was also made in China, and had the same awful odor when I removed the plastic bag off of it. Am sending that modem back to Verizon, and keeping the first one, since some of its horrible chemical odor has worn off over the past week. However, that odor still emits whenever I boot up my computer. I now keep a fan blowing on it when I use my computer. Seven years ago I got a modem from Verizon which had little to NO odor. So what happened I have no idea, but I may end up buying my own modem instead of using theirs. This matter of smelly plastics and glues is really epidemic now, and someone needs to do something about it sooner than later. The EPA is useless as far as I can see. Wish someone would drain that swamp. Any suggestions about how to get that odor out of the modem? Have to be careful not to get any solutions inside, it has many vents. I did pour some rubbing alcohol onto a thick tissue (not cotton balls as they soak up too much liquid) and rubbed the outside of the modem with it several times. It did help some, but there's still enough obnoxious odor coming from the modem, probably from 'inside' of it. Where could I buy an American made, UNsmelly modem? Well I did take it outside yesterday and let it sit the fairly strong, hot sun for about an hour. I just turned it on again, and the odor is much diminished. I hope that this won't revert. If it does, I'll take it outside again for another hot treatment.

13 April, 2017 I recently chaperoned my niece's filed trip to CHina. The parents bought Goyard bags. i purchased two of them for myself. I am very sensitive to smells so I didn't pay much attention to the odor emitted from the bags. I have been using the bags for four days. My throat burns and my nose is a little bloody. I have had the same reaction to products from the dollar stores. I am going to put the purses int eh garage. I wondered if you have any info or know where I can get eh purses tested near Detroit, Mi.

April 2, 2017 [China unconfirmed as source] Our family knows exactly what you're talking about. Thanks for putting so much into this website. Clearly the problem is getting worse, not better. Recently I noticed that one of my hands but not the other reeked of a strong oily-solventy smell that I found overpowering. So bad that I held it away from my body as I went to wash my hands. Retracing my steps, I figured out it was a zipper pouch that an item came in. Threw it out. This stuff should plainly be illegal. It disturbs me that even toys smell bad in a way they never have before. I took away a rubber ball from my daughter that smelled awful. And we've always called her small 4" Disney princess dolls her "chemical dolls" because of the worrisome odor, warning her not to touch her face and to wash her hands as soon as she was done with them. They don't smell nearly as bad, of course, as that ball or that zipper pouch, or we'd throw them away. It's funny that she calls them "chemical dolls", but also pathetic.

3 April, 2017 These cheap plastic flats smell like (pardon me, but) a ripe fart. They stink up the car/house. They are not wearable because of this smell. The company that makes them (w/o offering a refund) suggests a deodorant spray, says they have received lots of complaints about the foul odor, says they do not use horrible chemicals (!!) but "are working on the problem." Yuk. Thanks for working on this. PS: jelly flats made in US by Crocs do not have this problem.

January 17, 2017 Thank you for your website. People who evidently have no ability to smell just think IÕm nuts when I tell them I am overwhelmed with smells from products made in China. I just recently purchased a new GE microwave. The smell of chemicals that poured off the appliance was nauseating! I tried washing it, but days later, the smell every time I walked by or cooked something in it was too much, and I returned it. I then purchased a Hamilton Beach and got that home, and guess what? It has an even worse smell! ItÕs making me so sick and is so toxic, I will have to return it as well. ItÕs ridiculous you canÕt buy decent products that are tested free of such chemicals before being allowed in. GE states that they try to get most of their materials from US markets, but some they must secure overseas. So I donÕt know what the answer is, but itÕs a shame we have this added hassle when purchasing new items. Thanks for creating this site. I know IÕm not imagining this, but others think IÕm crazy!

January 3, 2017 Obviously it is difficult to describe smells with words, but I believe that the PS4 slim model plastic uses this chemical. It has very similar properties to what you describe. It is highly neurotoxic and I can taste it on my tongue, and it does permeate a room. It has the same smell as a folding chair I recently purchased from Walmart. It is bad news. My friend has a regular PS4 which does not have this smell.

January 1, 2017 I just did a search for toxic smell from my new air cleaner and I ran across your website. I also got a new humidifier. I took them both out of their boxes and WOW talk about toxic smelling! These are both made by Honeywell.I started getting a headache instantly and I'm not one who gets headaches very often. I put the filters in the air cleaner and thought well I'll run it and see if the smell goes away, NOT. So I put it out in the garage to air out. It's been two days and I tried it again, smell still bad. The humidifier smelled bad too but not quite as bad. I decided to wash the bottom of it and I let it sit overnight in soapy water. Rinsed it out and put water in it the next day. Put the top on where the fan and motor is, turned it on. Yes it still smelled, no way to clean the top part, I did wipe it off but the smell is where the motor and fan is that you can't wash. I ran this several hrs and the fan started to sound bad like it was not balanced or level or something, making a load noise. I am so sick of things that are made in China, but you can't find anything that is not! I'm taking both these products back to the store tomorrow. I worry all the time about toxins, chemicals, all the things that are bad for us. When you buy these things that smell so toxic when you open the box they have to be bad for you. I can't imagine what it's like to work where they make their plastics. I use to work at a plant that made car parts. I worked in a dept. that enclosed parts in plastic, it didn't smell bad at all, but that was back in the 70's. Has there been any headway made in getting our Gov to do anything about this? I will take all your suggestions in and write as many letters to as many people as I can. I don't think the gov really cares what we breathe in but I'll give it a try. I'd like to talk to you about a few more issues but will wait to see if you respond. 2016:

December 25, 2016 Chinese porcelain vintage jewelry box --- Recently purchased on eBay and it's beautiful......but, it smells so strong and toxic- Very heavy petroleum smell. I'm afraid to touch it or have in the house. Any suggestions ??

December 18, 2016 [China unconfirmed as source] I came upon your very helpful webpage, “Campaign to Halt the Import of Chemical-Emitting Smelly Plastic from China,” when I was sorting out what to do about the absolutely obnoxious stinking tires and wheels on an otherwise nicely designed hand truck I bought from u-Haul over the summer. I now store this hand truck tightly wrapped in a plastic mattress bag in a closet near my apartmentÕs exhaust vent. (The outgassing easily penetrates the bag and permeates all other items in this closet with its foul stench.)

December 14, 2016 [China unconfirmed as source] The bag that came with my Kindle at PC World stinks to high heaven and has given me several headaches. I have since returned it. the staff were uninterested in the problem.

October 10, 2016 Interesting thing happen to me .... I purchased a coffee maker that was made it China.... I am HIGHLY sensitive to corn, after making my first cup of coffee in my new coffee maker made in china I had a terrible reaction. I have been doing research this morning on corn basted plastic and my coffee pot and ran across your article. Are you aware of anyone studying the affects of ingesting the smelly plastics. Thank you for your research!

September 27, 2016 A few months ago I bought a pair of stretch capri jeans from zulily .The brand was Denim & Co and they were made in China . When they arrived they had a horrible strong odor like the combination of petroleum ,kerosene and the worst bad breath you have ever smelled. I washed them about 7 times and hung them outside for a week to out gas but they still had a smell. They have to be toxic to smell that bad. People are wearing clothes next to their skin that have toxic chemicals in them and I am not sure if the chemicals ever come out. They were on sale and Zulily doesn't allow for return.

September 26, 2016 [China unconfirmed as source] I have long been sensitive to the odor emitting from the 'new' wave of plastic goods circulating on the consumer market. I first noticed a specific odor coming from plastic storage bins, first large, then crafts storage sizes. Then I discovered that that odor was transferable to objects that came in contact with the boxes, including my skin. I avoid 100% any plastic items that carry that odor. That isn't too easy after being accustomed to using plastic for years without thinking about it. A real concerning threat has arisen now. It is the use of that same plastic in food storage bags, specifically Ziploc brand bags. I was a longtime user of their freezer quart and gallon baggies. Now, after contacting them and allowing them to send me coupons with an apology and suggestion it was an anomaly, I have discontinued using their brand. I tossed the units secured with those coupons. They did claim publicly that an odor some complained about was due to their demand being so high that they did not have time to air them out before packaging. However, that odor, the one that was complained of at that time, was likely there to cover up the specific odor I am referring to. Those concerned called it a burnt smell or some similar. Again, that odor, which I am particularly sensitive to, my wife doesn't seem bothered by it, transfers to my hands. I must assume it transfers to any food stored inside as well. This might elevate the issue regarding this prevalent class of plastics (these all have that one exact same scent) to one the FDA has an obligation to confront. While I write to you, I have been unsuccessful as an activist, and I have seen little good come from those actions by others made public spectacles. So, I am not too enthusiastic about, "doing something about it."

September 16, 2016 I just bought a very expensive pair of Keen shoes, because I thought they were made in the USA. Very disappointingly, they are made in China. Sadly, I have noticed a pesticide, metallic smell to the inside of the shoe, or is it the sole. I did some research to see if anyone else experienced the same thing, and as a matter of fact, there are some owners of Keen shoes who have experienced the same toxic smell. Please see link below regarding this toxic smell. Truly, I am very disappointed I spent so much on these shoes for two reasons. 1. they are made in China and not US, and 2. The very toxic smell. I will probably return these shoes and buy from Danners.

July 23, 2016 I found your very interesting website while searching for information about the bad odor coming from a brand new Motorola modem, model MB7420. Here is an email response from Motorola that may interest you: “We are aware that there are some units that have a slightly stronger out-gassing smell than usual. This smell is from the new plastic. There are no chemical or safety issues associated with this smell. We are looking into ways to try and resolve this issue. We have found that this smell dissipates over time usually in about 10-14 days of use.” It is the standard, BS, no-action, unapologetic response one would expect from a major corporation about its defective products. Also, they provided no scientific study or proof that the out-gassing is non-hazardous, just their word. I have had this modem over three weeks now. Yes, the out-gassing has decreased somewhat, but I don't expect that this will ever stop completely, because these offensive chemicals are part of the composition of the entire plastic housing. For that reason, I have reported this problem to Amazon and will have a different brand of modem to replace this one in a few days.

June 24, 2016 I am not even sure ~ but possibly think the pvc gloves made in China and bough at Home Depot are causing medical problems with my hands. And, they smell horrible! They are work gloves dipped in pac and knit lined. I wear them when working with my bees. They are work gloves I bought at Home Depot. Online says discontinued because of China made chemicals. Lately my hands get red dots and then they raise up like an ant bite. I also have swollen joints on my hand and tendons are stiff. I did test positive for sjogrens and rhematoid ~ but doctor not sure if related. They even thought gout. I cannot use my hand. Pain and swelling. Doctors are frustrating me. My helper with bee work, had similar bumps and stiff tendon. Not sure if it is the gloves.

June 7, 2016 I am sending you this as another alert and for posting on your website. I am familiar with the foul burnt tire smell from Chinese plastics having purchased some black plastic DVD cases on e-bay a few years back that were made in china. I now find the same smell coming from my 2013 Honda Accord and have located it to the black plastic padding they use as a liner under the center console between driver and passenger. A piece of this underliner is also placed in the bottom of the console storage compartment and is more readily accessible. This material may be used throughout the car under the rugs, etc. but the consol area has circulating air which allows these vapors and smells into the passenger area.

May 23, 2016 Glad I found this site! My husband bought a pair of Perry Ellis shoes from Ross the other day! The soles let off some horrid chemical smell worse than a tire store. I got sick on the drive home! The whole shoe is man made, and made in China! He wore the shoes yesterday, and we were together for over 5 hours. I was sick the whole time. Afterwards, he bought a spray to seal them, but its not working. My eyes, nose, throat and even inside my ears are still burning! I have a headache, and feel angry, confused. My upper body aches and I feel like I have been victimized! I plan to return the shoes to get our money back! But that's not the point! I want this travesty to STOP! People need to be compensated for suffering, damages, and aggravation! Ross is an hours drive away!! This means we need to suffer that distance, and no telling what that crap is doing to our brains, and bodies! Using cheap dangerous chemicals from a corrupt country is fueled, not by necessity, but by GREED! Any corporation that chooses to endanger peoples health needs to be held accountable! It has committed a "legal crime" and justice needs to prevail! Things must change! I want Perry Ellis and the governments that allow these travesties to pay! I want them to pay out large sums to everyone who has suffered!

April 19, 2016 I bought my mother a wheelchair. Apparently a lot of wheelchairs are made in China. I thought I was going to be poisoned from the smell and contact with the wheel chair . I am having a lot of respiratory issues as a result. Needless to say, I returned it. We need to bN together against this. 2015:

November 10, 2015 Yes, I too as many others I'm sure have encountered this. The neighborhood Harbor Freight store--how about the effects on its own employees? Is there further word on whether this is dangerous to one's health? Please TELL me anything further you may have on this. I looked online and found YOUR ARTICLE but not much else yet as a definitive pronouncement. I certainly find it very suspect and something that smells like that -- how can you not question, if not RUN the other way? Just now recv'd my new pair of tai chi shoes -- againÉ that god awful smell! Any new word? And, what can I do to help the issue and cause?

November 4, 2015 I've been purchasing StorIt Cover-Ups Food Covers for years at the $1 store however, the last batch I purchased had a terrible gasoline smell to them so I finally threw them away. This was the first time the covers smelled like that so I'm thinking there's been a change in their manufacturing process. I came across your website in an attempt to do some research on this item and, occasionally, I do find products/toys that have the smelly plastic you mention. I always try to avoid purchasing these products and will keep a stronger eye (nose) out for it in the future.

October 27, 2015 I found your website as I was re-living that terrible stench of weird rubber from China with my hot water bottle from a dollar store. A couple months ago I bought a "game cart" from Cabela's which had rubber wheels about the same diameter as a car steering wheel. The stink was so bad I bagged the wheels in 2 plastic garbage bags but within a few days the smell was emanating completely through the plastic. So I placed everything in 3 more of the thickest garbage bags I could buy. Within a day or two the smell continued to leak through a total of 5 garbage bags. I got frustrated and threw everything in my storage closet. (I live in an apartment). After about a month I opened all the bags up and the first bag (which was clear plastic) was coated in a yellow oily substance. I immediately disposed of it. The wheels were slightly less smelly so I can only assume the oil eminating from the rubber was the source of the stink. I've been to China in 2006. Chengdu, city of 11 million at that time. I couldn't see the buildings because of the grey skies. I could only see the windows in the buildings as they were darker. It was like being on a different planet. And a pretty dismal planet at that.

October 17, 2015 I also have noticed this horrific smell in the last several years. It burns my eyes and throat.you can't get rid of it.they should not be aloud to send stuff over in the USA with this chemical smell. I think they are trying to poison us. I ordered coach bags on what thought was a legitament site but when I received them they were not coach bags at all and the smell was horrible.i knew instantly they had to be from China. The package they came in said China but when I ordered them it said nothing about them coming from China. I believe it is a scam site because you can't get a hold of them at all,like there is no trace of them. I am glad you are trying to do something about this terrible smell of harsh chemicals. Hope we can get this resolved.

August 26, 2015 [China unconfirmed as source] Strong mildewy-(or formaldyhyde-like?) odor from stainless steel sound dampening pad. I came across your website while looking for ways to absorb this (toxic?) odor. ... The “padding” is black and glued to the underside of a brand new sink. At first I thought it was mildew but thatÕs impossible as all is part of a newly installed kitchen. My nose led me to the “sound dampening pad”, as it is described in similar complaints found on the internet. IÕve come across a similar odor in a cheap roller dolly I purchased years ago. I got rid of it. ... It smells strongest after using hot water from faucet or pouring boiling water from food (e.g. spaghetti).

August 25, 2015 I found your website and glad I did. IÕm in Connecticut, a 61 year old safety engineer. I recently bought a set of three plastic training bags (dummy bags) for dog retrieval training from Cabelas. It is a well know fact that Cabelas, like so many others, has many former American made products produced in China. ... When I opened them up, the smell was unbelievable and doesnÕt go away. Gave my wife and I a burning in our nose, mouth, and eyes. I put them outside to take back to CabelaÕs and the front porch smelled. I know this smell from other Chinese products that I had purchased over the past few years. So today, I brought back to CabelaÕs and asked to speak to the marketing manager, which I did. She seemed concerned, but who knows. After reading your site, I might just go back to CabelaÕs and buy them again to get tested in a lab. IÕm sure the results will not come back favorable and then I will take it up the ladder at CabelaÕs corporate. (Another CabelaÕs cloth retrieving bag they make in China is filled with some weird sand. IÕll bet it is high in silica). Not a good situation what is going on out there and I hope you are making progress?

August 3, 2015 I am glad I found this article. I just recently purchased numerous chair and swing cushions from Lowes for my outside porch furniture in three different patterns and colors. All made in China. All of them having a plastic smell, but the red ones were by far he strongest. For the past two days, I have spent 1-2 hours sitting on them. The first day I noticed that I had a dry, itchy cough after a short period. I blamed it on something outside making me cough. The second day, the same itchy throat and cough started soon after sitting on the cushions. The odor seemed to bother me this time also. I moved to one of the other patterned chairs and the odor wasn't as bad, but I eventually had to go inside to drink something to ease the cough. I did put the odor together with the reaction quickly. I was going to try to get the red cushions into my front loader to wash them, but after reading this, I am going to return them. I am now in bed, 9 hours later, and my throat is still burning and itching. I have said it before, but I will say it again, " I am not going to buy anything from China again. The only problem is, almost everything comes from there

August 3, 2015 I knew I would find such a website as yours. Just walking into either Harbor Freight or Northern Tool gives me an instant frontal/sinus headache requiring medication to alleviate. I am to the point where I avoid both these establishments for that reason alone. Doesn't matter what the prices are, I don't need the discomfort.

July 10, 2015 I live in Geneva , Switzerland . Being a musician , I bought many instruments on line directly from China , or in Europe , made in China . ALL of the cases smell that awful chemical smell . The most recent is A Chinese Bawu , that I bought for a present , but I think I’ll throw the case away , because it stinks so much that the air in my living room is poisoned . And It gives headaches and nausea if you stay in the room for , let’s say , 2 hours . Every time I touch this thing I have to wash my hands . Same thing for a barytone saxophone that I bought 3 years ago . It almost doesn’t smell anymore , but it took 3 years . And I had to store it in a closed room , where this smell litterally sticked to the walls . Same thing for every instrument I purchased . (a lot ) Well , I guess it would be good news if this smell was not toxic . So , as you can see , it’s not only a U.S issue , but a global one . Thanks , for beeing a whistleblower on that matter . If I can help , let me know .

June 27, 2015 Hello: Thank you for bringing this subject to light. I have 3 "Made in China" products that have a strong chemical odor. The smell lingers and does not go away. The smell is a cross between pesticide and something metallic. Two of the items are soft padded bass bags. The other is a TV stand. The bags are ballistic nylon. I have to leave a window open to breathe when I transport my bass in my car. I have gotten headaches from it, and it leaves a oily residue on my skin and hair. The TV stand is plywood and pressboard coated with some kind of fake wood grain veneer/vinyl. The odor is overpowering within 3 feet of it. I plan on getting rid of this stuff. I've probably had them for too long as it is. It has to have a negative effect on health. I wonder if anyone has done the "canary in the coal mine test"? It would be interesting from a science perspective to see what this stuff does to other living organisms. I'll bet, it can't be good.

May 9, 2015 I have bought a number of products in recent years that have had this solvent odor issue. Some for them have been very strong smelling. One that comes to mind, is a metal wagon that we bought at Tractor Supply. I assembled it one night and left it in one of our rooms. The next morning the room was full of fumes. The good thing is that it was for outdoor use, so we took it outside and never thought about the smell again until I had to buy a new tire for it. These tires are sold cheap at Harbor Freight (mentioned by others, nearly all made in China stuff), so guess where I bought my tire? That tire had a horrible solvent smell. The most recent issue I had was with an all-rubber car floor mat set with 4 thick mats that I bought at Walmart. I noticed right away that they had a very strong solvent odor, and thought like others have mentioned, that it would go away in a few days or week or so. I don't know how long I had them just laying in my back seat. It seems like it was a few days. Finally the smell was so bad it was making me feel sick and I seemed to be getting headaches. I don't normally get headaches. By the way I have a minor in chemistry and worked hands-on with and around industrial and automotive chemicals for over 20 years and I have a very sensitive nose for detecting chemicals, even being able to recognized particular chemicals by just their smell, but I also have been around them so long that I have a high tolerance for most chemicals. However, when it comes to gasoline, tar, and other similar petroleum-based solvents and byproducts such as xylene, toluene and benzene, which are all aromatic solvents, I, like most people to not like to smell them and do not tolerate them well at all. Well, these medium priced floor mats had that kind of smell. Not exactly gasoline, but a very strong solvent smell like a mixture of xylene, toluene and benzene, which by the way are components and byproducts of refining gasoline. Of course tires and similar synthetic rubbers and plastics are all made primarily from crude oil/petroleum. Trust me, these are not good fumes to breathe longterm or short term. I was about to just take the mats back to Walmart new and unused, but thought they just had to be able to get better and I needed them. So I took them out to a picnic table and layed them out to cook in the sun for a few days to hopefully cook and release the solvents / VOC's (volatile organic compounds). They still had the odor, but seemed to be better,so I went ahead and installed them in my car. I have endured weeks of the strong, obnoxious smell and the slight nausea and strong headaches for weeks as I have 4 hours of commuting back and forth to work everyday. I finally decided enough is a enough and went back to Walmart and yes, I was standing their sniffing all of the floor mats to see if I could find any without the smell. They all had it, however, the full carpet ones only had thin rubber lining on the bottom, so they were tolerable. Still if you smell them up close, you can smell the same solvent smell from the rubber. I bought these carpet ones and just today (Saturday May 9th) I took out the smelly ones and put in the carpet ones. I noticed immediate relief and improvement of the smell in my car by taking those mats out! These smelly floor mats are going back to Walmart and not only will I demand a full refund, but I will also be writing a letter to their store manager and corporate office demanding that these floor mats be tested for chemical / VOC emissions by an independent laboratory and that I be informed of the results. I don't appreciate being exposed to toxic chemicals because Walmart and other retailers choose to ignore the issue and not tell consumers about it so we can make an informed choice to buy or not to buy these products. Cheap, low prices are great, but not at the expense of our health! I also plan on going above the local store manager to try to make contact with the regional manager to get their attention. I had decided to do this before reading your website/blog. After reading your opinions and the responses of so many others, I am really determined not to just sit and do nothing about companies who are willing to turn a blind eye to complaints (I am sure mine will be only one of hundreds, maybe thousands on these mats) and allow people to get sick and experience who know what kinds of long-term health effects. There has also been some very recent news this week about national laminate flooring company Lumber Liquidators pulling all of their chinese-made laminate flooriing due to concerns about formaldehyde emissions. This may be the best time ever to get the CPSC's attention on other issues like this such as chemicals in Chinese rubber that in my opinion are just as serious as the formaldehyde issues. You have probably also seen and heard of the issues with crumble rubber mulch (recycled tires) used on children's playgrounds. See the links below for details. lumber-liquidators, Crumb-Rubber, rubber-mulch I would love to hear your thoughts and find out what the current status is on some federal or state legislation to restrict products with toxic chemical emissions from being imported or sold in our country. Thank you for what you are doing on this subject to promote a healthy environment for generations to come.

April 12, 2015 Confirmed that a cart purchased from Home Depot had that crazy nasty chemical smell from the simulated rubber tires labelled as 'nylon' and from the rubber grip on the handle. I still have a headache five hours after assembling the cart and putting it outside the house and have written a review stating the need for a warning label to the consumer to assemble and store the cart outdoors. Thanks for the great write-up. I'm assuming that your chemical B was vinyl Chloride. [No, a distinct odor from vinyl -ed] I think I have found your chemical A prior to 2007. Between May 2005 to Feb 2006 while living in LA, I purchase a cheap pair of simulated alligator skin shoes from a discount shoe outlet. It was the first time I had come in contact with the strong smelling Chemical 'A' by your description. I placed the shoes in a bag in a closet and they still stank like crazy a full two years later. I have forwarded your website link to someone who worked at EPA for 30 years and I hope they can help find the right person there to look into this. If you think it's bad as a consumer of these products, just imagine the hell that the workers in China are going through who work at that factory. The welds on my cart from Home Depot were quite poor and I can't help but wonder if the guy welding wasn't half loopy or had nervous system issues from the massive amounts of TCE in the air.

April 4, 2015 So I made a purchase on Ebay for "Pet Dog Cat Electric Waterproof Heat Heated Heating Heater Pad Mat Blanket Bed" and I purchased two of these items to keep my newborn puppies warm since the mother wasn't doing her job. These items were just what I needed and they performed exactly as promised. The only problem is that approximately 24 hours later, my puppies appear sedated, uncoordinated (worse than normal) and not easy to awaken no matter how much stimulation they are given. I notice a very strong smell coming from these new pads and I'm wondering if the smell is the cause of the puppies issues.

March 24, 2015 I just bought an iPad Air. Needed a case and purchased it at Target. Bought Steck brand I had for another iPad. My mouth, lips, eyes, tongue have an irritated burning sensation. I think it's the case but perhaps the iPad. I am not sure. Will be returning the case and maybe the iPad if the problem doesn't resolve. I have had the same reaction to other things: Rubber mat isle in Target. A small heater purchased at Target and returned. A leather couch set purchased at Macy's and returned. Set of off brand white Christmas lights from Home Depot and returned. An end table purchased at TJMaxx and now only keep outside cause it smells so awful. I have always suspected Chinese products are the culprit as their safety standards cannot match the U.S. so why are we permitted to buy this junk if it wouldn't meet our standards in US? These toxic products are probably just a few that we notice. What about metal products for cooking. Are the metals safe? There are really no safety standards in China. I do not trust their products at all. But we tend to trust that they meet our laws in US but I don't thinks so. Thanks for working on this safety issue.

Feb 12, 2015 was really happy to come across your webpages on the toxic off gassing from goods. Thank you for your efforts! This has been something I have been talking about for the last 5-6 years, after the infiltration of cheap goods made in China flooded our Australian stores and lives. It has been one of my obsessions and am witnessing the effects these products have on those around me. Am horrified about the health implications let alone the environmental devastation and am starting research for a few books. One will be on the plastic explosion and its impact on our oceans, food chains, dna and sterility etc and the other is on the toxicity of the goods being sent around the world and the impact of that for China herself as well as all of us. It will be focusing on why this is not being regulated, monitored and stopped. Why people's lives are being altered for profit. I am also wanting to set up a watch dog / association in Australia for chemical exposure and toxicity through consumer goods. If you have any resources, thoughts, advice or tips they would be most welcome!!!! I am coming at this research from a non scientific background (basic physics and chemistry only) These books are for general consumption and for informing, gathering and inspiring others to move on these issues as well. I am a researcher with a degree in Asian studies and am currently teaching high school History and Social Studies. I will also be coming from a " great feminine" perspective mixed with a healthy dose of OUTRAGE!!!!

January 5, 2015 [China unconfirmed as source] I just wanted to thank you for setting up this website. I have noticed this overwhelming chemical smell twice in the past two days and it is very concerning to know that these products are on the rise but reassuring to have a site like this where information about it can be collected. I noticed the smell yesterday for the first time in our bedroom and had never smelt anything quite like it. It definitely smelt highly toxic and at first I thought it might be coming from an electrical fault or fire. The smell was so overwhelmingly strong that I quickly traced it to some shoe bags that a pair of new shoes my husband just bought had come in. Then today, driving around in our car, I noticed the same smell again and it was so incredibly strong that I eventually found myself trying to stick my head out of the window while driving just to breathe some fresh air. When I got home, I discovered that it was coming from a bunch of little packaging plastic bags in a box on the backseat that my husband had picked up earlier and forgotten to throw away. It scares me that these plastics have reared there ugly head twice in such quick succession which indicates that we are likely to see an influx of these plastic products. Also, while both of the cases I found were with packaging that could go straight in the trash, it scares me that this smell has also been discovered in products themselves. The stench is so unpleasant, effusive and toxic-smelling that I am sure it must be bad for us and I do not want these products anywhere near myself, my loved ones or my home. I wish your campaign every success.

January 4, 2015 [China unconfirmed as source] I bought ladies shoes in JC Penny the other day. I did not notice a smell when I tried them on, but when I got home, the smell almost made me dizzy! It is that 'black chinese plastic toxic smell'. I put the shoes in the sun, washed them with soap and water and sprayed them with air freshener. Nothing helps and the room they are in smells like a chemical factory! How does JC penney get away with selling such poison? The CHinese people are laughing to the bank with the stupid brainwashed American people. 2014:

December 22, 2014 [China unconfirmed as source] I came across your article after searching How to get rid of tire smell from new shoes How to get rid of gasoline smell from new shoes Me & my sister were shopping at a local mall She asked to try on a pair of shoes when she opened the box it released an extremely bad smell I told her to get a different pair same thing I questioned the lady about the smell she said it would fade away She purchased the shoes BAD idea she threw them out because the smell was so strong even after letting them air out for days Now my story I ordered several pairs of shoes online from a store located in LA, CA. when I opened the box I smelled that horrible gasoline rubber tire smell I opened the individual shoe boxes and found the one that smelled I love the shoes & they had been sitting outside for a week I brought them in the house just to take them back outside I'm going to contact the seller & refer them to your article.

November 21, 2014 [China unconfirmed as source] Recently I purchased some thermal backed curtains. They were a terrific price. I put them up throughout the house, but not my bedroom because we would be redecorating it. I noticed a plastic odour but assumed it came from the new carpet. Three weeks ago I put the thermal backed drapes up in my bedroom. The smell is horrendous. I wake up coughing and struggling to breathe. I have no idea of the cause, but since reading the information on this I feel that the plastic contents have a lot to do with it. How do we effect change?

November 12, 2014 [China unconfirmed as source] My son has been having tics for the past several years (born in 2006). Sometimes they are insignificant, sometimes aggressive and uncomfortable. We initially suspected food colouring to be a cause. Last week he won two especially smelly miniature hockey pucks from a school fundraising campaign, after which his tics came on very strong. I myself am very sensitive to the smell (I feel uncomfortable walking into a Dollar Store), so I went through his bedroom and removed 6 or 7 culprits of different smelly plastics. This was three days ago. He has had two very good days of nearly no tics at all. This is something that I have just recently realized, so of course my 'experiment' is inconclusive.

November 9, 2014 [China unconfirmed as source] We’ve been living with new rubber-backed curtains for six months and still the off-gassing is such that the rooms stink every morning after being closed all night. I’d be grateful if you could help me identify the problem chemicals, get my curtains replaced with non-toxic ones and rid the stores of these toxic curtains.

October 31, 2014 I am writing to advise of items with the horrible chemical smell. One is plastic- a pair of "Everlast" training(boxing) gloves I purchased for a Halloween costume. When they were delivered, the driver commented on how the box had made his truck smell. I left them outside in the sunshine for 10 days. I closed them in a bag with Baking soda all over. I wiped them down with vinegar. I sprayed them with Febreeze. Nothing worked. I am going to try and return them. The other is clothing- a pair of leggings purchased at Bed Bath Beyond. These I washed and dried 2 times. I returned them. Both items were made in China. All I can say is...YIKES!

September 9, 2014 Recently I bought these heavily discounted made in a China boots for my son at a menswear store. Even after being outside for several days they still stink of tar. I couldn't find any Australian website with information on the smell but found yours. I have forwarded the following text to an Australian Govt body (info@swa.gov.au) that will hopefully investigate the product. I recently bought a pair of men's rubber soled suede black dress boots, made in China, at a Tarocash store in my local shopping centre. They smelt very strongly of black tar so I put them outside for several days. They still smell just as bad, as does the box they were in that has paper and synthetic fabric bags in it that the boots were in. I tried to find info online but couldn't find any Australian website but did find an American website dynamics.org/Altenberg/CURRENT_AFFAIRS/CHINA_PLASTIC/ with info about what sounds like the same material, that has links to studies that show it is very dangerous. I am going to return the shoes but I am very concerned for the staff working in the store and other people who may buy them and keep in an enclosed room breathing fumes. I was hoping you may be able to investigate this product and if neccessary have it recalled and to try and stop things like this being imported. I'm sure there are probably other cheap shoes out there made of the same dangerous toxins, putting Australians health at risk. If I have sent this to the wrong department in your organisation can you please forward it on so that it can be investigated. I bought the boots in Tarocash Coffs Harbour but they are probably available at there other stores.

August 27, 2014 [China unconfirmed as source] I came across your site as I was searching for any discussion about odors being emitted by shelving systems. Didn't find any other mentions of shelving in others' posts so wanted to let you know of my experience.... I moved into an apartment several weeks ago in Chatham, Illinois, called Prairie Vista. Before signing my lease I saw a model unit and I saw the unit I moved into, but somehow I did not pick up on the odor until I was moving my things in. At first I thought I was smelling my adjoining neighbor's cooking odors and that it was limited to one closet, but I fairly quickly realized that the odor was present in all the closets, including the 4' wide pantry. What they all had in common is plastic coated wire shelving. I don't know the brand. I contacted management and explained that the odor was not tolerable and that I'd like to have the shelving replaced. They have refused and will not even allow me to replace the systems myself (unless I remove/store/and replace the existing units as well.) Apparently they are very aware of the issue and even had OSHA in to do testing at some point. They claim that the OSHA tests found the emissions to be safe. I am skeptical. I am going to have to move from this apartment because I can't stand the smell and I'm worried about possible health effects. Thanks for bringing attention to this issue. I will write my representatives.

July 30, 2014 [China unconfirmed as source] do you know if Pearle Vision opticians use Chinese plastic in their eyewear? I recently bought a pair of Rx reading glasses and I cannot wear them because of the chemical odor. . .I have several pairs of all kinds of glasses and none of them have this odor. I am curious as to whether it is the lenses themselves, or the nosepieces. . .I smell that chemical as soon as I enter my living room, where i laid them on the table to see if the smell would dissipate. . .how do I approach them with this? ... Indeed it turned out to be the nosepieces. The optician was going to remake the lenses, when I told him, wouldn't it make more sense to just disassemble the glasses and let me smell each component. This was beyond him, but he did it, and it was not the lenses, or the frames (although he did say all of their frames come from China). He did have some optional nosepieces, which did not stink, and replaced the smelly ones with a pair of those, so it was a relatively quick fix. Who would think such a thing would ever become an issue?

June 10, 2014 Just wanted to report my own toxic Chinese purchase after researching what the terrible smell might be and finding your invaluable site. I bought a 9 franc bicycle lock from a market here in Geneva last weekend [Oukaida, Uia Niccolini 12 Milano]. When I got it home I thought I could smell something odd but soon forgot all about it, heading out on a bike ride for the day. When I returned home there was that smell again - I finally traced it to the lock that I'd wrapped around the seat post. Left my bike in the hallway and went to research this odour... Needless to say, after a little googling, I soon realized this musky, plastic smell was not harmless and I reentered the hallway, thinking I'd put the lock outside to air. The whole hallway smelled like a chemical plant. I took another sniff of the lock and it almost knocked me out. Very quickly got a headache and a burning sensation lingered in my nostrils all evening, so I threw it away. WHAT is this stuff? We have to stop importing it. I was naive enough to think that in Switzerland at least this kind of thing wouldn't get through the borders - looks like I was wrong. Now I'm aware of it I'm going to be on the lookout - also when I return home to the UK this weekend. Many, many thanks for your informative site - it prompted me to take action and has probably saved me health problems too.

June 10, 2014 I am adversely affected by all of this toxic plastic crap coming in from China. I am currently having a problem with a new modem purchased a couple of months ago, I have placed it over a return vent so the smell is absorbed otherwise it fills the room with a toxic smell. I was hoping it would dissipate but at this point I don’t think it will. Tomorrow I will be returning a portable air conditioner to home depot that emits the same smell. I am just starting to research this as for the past couple of years I have been thinking it is just me getting worse and worse but I don’t think it is. I would love to keep informed about this fight against this toxic junk it needs to stop.

June 5, 2014 Thank you for this website. About a month ago I purchased a Mr. Coffee Machine. There was a terrible odor when I opened the box, and the coffee tasted like the machine smelled. Very chemical like. I tried everything I knew to get rid of the smell and taste, but with no success. I contacted the company who were very understanding, clearly recognized the problem and sent me another one. Only problem, the new one smelled just as bad, likewise, the coffee tasted just as bad. I eventually contacted the Attorney General's office.Their response was that my complaint was not what they deal with and they had no idea who I should contact. It didn't take long for me to Google plastic coffee and find that this is a common problem. I would like to add that last week I bought a new vacuum cleaner and it emitted the same terrible chemical smell. .

May 10, 2014 Interesting to find your page. I recently bought, through Groupon, an office chair made in China. This chair really smells - at first I just thought it was a "new Plastic" smell but then noticed that my mouth was feeling strange when I sat on the chair. I've had the chair over a week now and the smell isn't going away. The chair had a label on which just said "Fire Resistant", nothing else. Being quite conscious of health matters and chemicals I started to wonder about what may have been used to make the chair fire resistant and then, while googling for information, came across your Webpage. I'm going to contact Groupon to see if anyone else has complained and see also if they have any knowledge as to whether these chemicals have supposedly been passed as safe under European regulations (whether that really makes them safe or not). Worrying stuff though and good for you for bringing this to people's attention. Headaches, dry mouth, cough.. Interestingly, my husband, who is absolutely sceptical about things like this said that his lips felt funny and his mouth dry when he was near the chair and I hadn't even mentioned my concerns about it, let alone my symptoms at that stage. I have contacted Groupon who have agreed to take the chair back for a full refund, which is a great relief. However, as the chair only had a note stuck on which said "Fire resistant" and there was nothing to say it had passed any EU safety regulations, I still wonder if the company is importing them illegally and have asked Groupon to investigate. There seem to be an awful lot of both real and potential health issues relating to plastic furniture and other products, particularly those which originate in China. It has been a salutary lesson for me in that, unlike my husband, I'm very wary of chemicals and never use pesticides etc. when gardening and try to eat organic food when possible. I had no idea that I could have bad reactions to sitting on a chair. It's a shame as it was very comfortable too! I shall certainly buy more carefully in future. Googling this issue was a real learning curve for me and I'm so grateful to you for highlighting these issues that we may not know about otherwise. Keep up the good work!

May 9, 2014 Today I received a Samsung microwave from Best Buy on-line, via UPS. As I opened the carton, a strong pesticide odor wafted out. Maybe RoundUp? since it reminded me of walking through a Home Depot garden center. It permeated all of the packaging (plastic, Styrofoam), the manuals, and the microwave itself. As I made phone calls, I started to get a headache and sore throat. I phoned Samsung, and the service rep was clueless: "and what was the problem? It leaked?" "No, it REEKED." "Excuse me?" "It smells -- very bad!" I hung up when she asked for my phone number. Then I called Best Buy -- he didn't provide any info or response, but did arrange to have a new one shipped right away (we'll see..). The unit itself has a "Made in Malaysia" stamp. I suppose parts of it or the packaging could have been from China. Or there was a chemical spill at UPS!

April 11, 2014 Awful smell. I first noticed it when I purchased a pair of sandals, it was horrible. I could not even sleep with them in my closet. I put them outside for a couple of days, still stunk. I put them in a bag with baking soda for a few days, still stunk. I just purchased a wheel chair for my mom - it was even worse than the shoes. It seems like a plastic/chemical smell. It just can't be good for us. Someone seriously needs to find out what it is and how bad it is for us.

April 8, 2014 Hi- thanks for your "smelly plastics" article. We rent a lively furnished flat here in Luxembourg .. We needed it furnished, and the owners did it in fake leather. Looks great but I've had serious issues. I actually collapsed in the guest room by the fake leather guest sofa bed - could hardly get up or walk. I have SERIOUS hip stiffness issues, inflamed sciatic nerve, groin pain, and sore throat . Moved that sofa on to the balcony. This was made in China - didn't see a label on the dining chairs and living room sofa set but they probably are too. Have you heard of these kind of symptoms? My husband thinks I'm nuts. Interestingly he has developed bronchitis since we moved here 2 yrs ago...

April 8, 2014 I've noticed the smell from Chinese rubber products for several years now. We call the "Harbor Freight" smell but of course it applies to many retailers and products. My latest experience was the purchasing of some Keen H2 Newport Women's sandals for my girlfriend a couple of weeks ago. The rubber on these sandals reeked. Now we're not talking about cheapie sandals from some discount sporting goods store. These were Keen sandals retailing at or about $100.00 a pair. We took them back to REI and they too noticed the overwhelming odor. I called Keen and they told me that their company was "transparent" and that they closely monitor all the factories in China where their sandals are made. The young lady from their customer service department also told me that the substance was "non-toxic" and that she would send via email all kinds of information documenting this. I'm still waiting and I just emailed them to remind them about this pledge to provide the information. We'll see.

April 2, 2014 I got a new laptop yesterday which reallys smells and is giving me a chronic frontal headache. The company I bought it from, E-Buyer have told me to go with it for a few days and contact them back. I got the feeing they thought I was weird. I guess this is very unusual. Its so depressing. It happens to me with other items also sometimes. Asus is a Chinese make so this seems plausible. I wish there was more awareness about these things. I would like to help in any way I can. I have found quite a few links to people who have had similar problems: - computer smell with headaches - Apple Mac Products and Smell/Headaches - Asus MB giving off smells/Headaches/Sick reactions - computer emitting smells. “Chinese police are hunting protesters who went on the rampage at the weekend in a campaign against a huge waste incinerator, turning over and setting fire to police cars, state media reported on Monday. ” Reuters - Compute emitting smells As I mentioned the Comapny would like me to test for a day or so. I still have a slight headache now (12.40pm) and i stopped using it last around 10.30pm last night!

April 1, 2014 Just found your page when googling "how to get rid of toxic plastic odor." Wow, I just ordered 2 wallets online, both of which came from China. I can't dream of putting them in my purse! They are stinking up my house; what would they do to a closed purse??!! Any suggestions?

March 21, 2014 Folding shopping carts. It used to be you could buy one for under $10; it worked for decades, and wasn't a health risk. Recently I needed one so I would not have to lug heavy bags of groceries from the supermarket, because I think that was one of the things that was hurting my hip. So a couple weeks ago I bought one at a local store. I didn't notice until I got it home that it emitted extremely powerful noxious fumes that made my eyes water, my throat sore, and my head ache (and buzz). And that was when I had it inside a closed closet! A week later, it was even worse. I put it in the shower for an hour, and that only made it angrier. Today I put it out on the fire escape and closed the window, but I'm not optimistic that it will ever air out. Meanwhile the closet where I was keeping it is like a gas chamber, and I can't find a single shopping cart online where reviewers don't have the same complaint, not to mention other complaints, like every single shopping cart that Amazon sells falls apart, breaks, doesn't work, or can't even be assembled. I looked in Google and found your site. I'm with you in believing our government, that is supposed to protect us, should be screening these imports for toxic substances. Clearly the "magic of the market" no longer works, if it ever did. There is no competition because everything comes from the same factories in China, where they have slave labor and no safety or health standards, and for all I know the workers are dropping dead like flies from the toxins. The operative law is no longer supply and demand, but "the bad drives out the good". It is what we have been seeing ever since 1980, when the government decided to let business be just as bad as it wanted to be, with no consequences or penalties. When there are no rules, the bad does indeed drive out the good. And the list of products that simply can no longer be had in safe reliable versions at any price, only continues to grow.

February 5, 2014 I have bought and immediately returned quite a lot of items containing stinky plastic originating from China recently. A battery charger from Home Depot. Two different vacuum cleaners from Best Buy, each of which filled my apartment with a PVC smell. A portable heater from Lowes. A $300 coffee roaster. A clamp lamp that smoldered with a 60 watt bulb in it but was rated as accepting up to 250 W. A loaf of bread from Trader Joes in a plastic bag that stank. A box of corn flakes whose inner bag was stinky. I poured the cereal into a bowl and noticed the smell in the first spoonful. And much more. I recently bought a new Macbook Pro for quite a lot of money. It’s supposed to be a 4 year investment but I can’t stand the stench after 4 days! I am seriously thinking about giving up on Macs if this is a stink I’ll have to live with. The smell is partly “new computer smell” which is not horrible and which I know goes away, plus there is also a serious “server room smell” that is awful. I have no idea what is the active or dominant compound in either scent. I expect neither Apple nor the Chinese want me to know. It is no wonder to me any more why it is that new iMacs, iPhones and iPads are being made to be glued shut. It’s because if they weren’t, the terrible smell inside would escape. It used to be that only plastics at the $1 store stank. Starting a couple years ago it seems all plastic from China stinks. Thanks for your efforts.

February 5, 2014 Read your notes about toxic fumes from chinese plastics/rubber My company just bought a new Hyundai Accent car and the standard factory mats were an extra add on price, which we didn't know and we didn't order any floor mats. The mats in the car were some cheap ones the dealer said were supplied to protect the floor - not sure where they came from. The car went to a place that painted a logo on the doors. When we went to pick it up it smelled so bad we could not drive it and it gave us headaches and made me cough ( I have reactive airway disease, get brochospasm with some smells). We went back to the dealer and complained, he acted like nothing was wrong. I took out the mats and now a month later still cannot drive the car with the windows up, and barely tolerable with the windows down. Any suggestions? 2013: River in Hefei. Jianan Yu/Reuters

November 25, 2013 I reported to you back in April 2012 about some mouse pads from Amazon that contain this poison. Since then it's becoming more and more prevalent in products everywhere, and in more and more stores. It's getting to the point that it is difficult to avoid. There are certain products (like steering-wheel covers in all my local auto-parts stores) that I just have to forgo, because you simply can't get them without this poison in it anymore. And worse than all this, lately it's been showing up in FOOD products, ostensibly manufactured in the USA. I found a very similar (horrible) odor in a batch of Orowheat bread from Costco, and in Equate antacids from Walmart. All I can think is that they must be using some kind of chlorinated hydrocarbon solvent to clean their food processing equipment, and then the batches that are processed immediately after this are getting contaminated. ... I've only encountered it once in the bread. I threw the 2 loaves away immediately. My wife continues to buy it at Costco, and it hasn't happened again. Perhaps it was some cross-contamination with some other produce stored in the same warehouse or something. Thanks again for keeping this site up.

November 20, 2013 I am happy that you started action against poisoning of America by Chinese products. I was thinking about doing the same thing after purchasing numerous odor-generating heaters made in China. My latest experience is with Lasko heater 5307 I purchased at Walmart. I had it on for a few mintues and took me hours to ventilate my house. This heater eminates very offensive chemical smell. I returned the heater next day. Next product is Intertek heater model HPG15B-M purchased in Lowe's. This small heater is very smelly. Again the same awful chemical smell. I had it run outdoors for 1 hour on maximum setting and it is still smelly. I suspect all heater made in China emit toxic gases. It is amazing how many people do not pay attention to having toxic gases introduced to their homes by China-made product. I will contact my Congressman about this issue. I will let you know of any other products.

October 19, 2013 We just brought a poker table and it was shipped from Hong Kong and it has a toxic terrible smell. Is this dangerous and should we keep the poker table? Thank you for your advice.

September 29, 2013 FYI: 6 months ago I purchased a Fingal model office chair from IKEA. The chair was manufactured in China. Approximately 1 or 2 weeks after assembly, I noticed a chemical odor exuding from the padding. The odor was so noxious that I had to remove the chair from my office. I placed the chair outside and in my garage for several days at a time with no effect. I disassembled the chair and removed the padding from the chair frame and literally hosed it down with water and detergent. Still no change in the odor and the odor even appeared to be stronger. The IKEA store representative would not allow me to return the chair because I had destroyed the receipt so it went out on the dump. I recently purchased an office chair from Staples. The chair is a Staples Cermeno leather manager's chair. After two days of use, I noticed a slight odor, identical to the odor of the above Fingal chair, emanating from the chair. The odor is not as strong as the Fingal chair but it is strong enough to make my eyes water and cause a sore throat and stuffy nose. The chair is made in China. I am going to give the chair a week of use to see if the outgassing diminishes somewhat. If not, then it goes back to Staples.

September 9, 2013 I recently bought a cheap set of plastic car mats at a discount store. I only intended to use the driver's side mat, and because I was moving I ended up putting the other 3 mats in a box to decide what to do with later. When I moved into my new house, I periodically took boxes into the house from the garage to unpack. After a few weeks I started noticing a very bad, fetid odor coming from just under the window in my bedroom. I never suspected that the smell was coming from a small box sitting under that window with the lid open, which contained the car mats. After three weeks with no relief I became very upset about the smell. At times the smell was very strong and at others nonexistent. It was so bad I thought that perhaps a small animal like a field mouse had crawled into my baseboard heater near that spot and died. My husband didn't notice the odor at all but he has a bad sense of smell, so I had no support from him about it. I tried cleaning everything with bleach, deodorizing the carpets, buying air purifiers, you name it. One day I couldn't take it anymore so I opened up the baseboard heater and sniffed it. It stank of that horrible odor. So did the small fan that was sitting on the floor next to the box. I took the fan apart and cleaned every part. I had become so upset about this that I began waking up in the middle of the night from nightmares that there were decomposing animals in my walls. I could not identify it as a synthetic or chemical smell. I have had slightly smelly rubber and plastic before, but this smell was different, and I had never smelled anything quite like it. I did several internet searches on the possible sources of foul odors in a home, and at one point even thought that perhaps the builder had used Chinese drywall in the bedroom. Of course, the box was still sitting under the window all this time undisturbed. At the end of my rope and determined to find the source of the odor, one day I started going through the box and found the stinky mats. I could not believe that three little plastic car mats that weren't even that big or thick could create a foul odor disturbing enough to consume my life for about 3 weeks. I immediately brought them to my husband and put them under his nose. He could definitely smell them then!Ê After disposing of them, I did an internet search for "foul smelling plastic" and found this website. Thanks for anything you can do to put a stop to this stuff. If it smells that bad imagine how unhealthy it is to breathe in the smell!

September 6, 2013 I bought cotton mary janes on ebay from New Century Business LLC, www.chinadirectstore.com and noticed the smell immedeately.

July 31, 2013 Hi: I recently bought 10 pairs of summer Sandals on line from China, and I can't stand the chemical smell. I thought it was just me being sensitive, but I have to keep them outside as I don't want the smell in the house. After reading your website I am now very concerned, but don't like to throw them totally out at over $100 worth of goods. Any advice would be helpful as to diminishing the smell. I live in Canada. And as I type I have a keyboard from Microsoft which I was given and has a very strong chemical smell too, so I know why it was given to me and I am going to remove it as I do not want to be inhaling it all the time.

July 23, 2013 For a number of years, I have become increasingly conscious of the fact that all the goods I purchase that are made in China have a smell associated with them. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to find any goods that are NOT made in China. I would be willing to pay a premium, but the goods themselves do not exist, other than made in China. The first time was when I purchased a Yoga mat and as part of the exercises, I had to press my nose against the mat. For the next couple of days, I had the sensation that I was coming down with a cold, tickling in my nose and harsh feeling in my throat. Then the feeling disappeared. The next week, when I went to Yoga classes again, I experienced exactly the same thing, which was when I realized it was the smell emanating from the yoga mat. I checked to see the labelling and it was made in China. I threw the mat out. A few years ago, my husband and I visited Las Vegas and we had some excess personal goods, so we purchased a carry-all. I didn't notice the smell until we had the carry-all in a closet at home and then realized that the smell was identical to the one from the mat. I put it in plastic and threw the bag away. I purchased an under padding for a carpet from Home Depot — when I got home I had the same smell — made in China. This time, I returned it to Home Depot and made a little fuss about the fact that it smelled and that it was made in China. I don't think anything came of it, but I felt better about voicing my opinion. I purchased a little fabric chair which converts to a single bed a few years ago, but have never needed to use it for guests. A couple of months ago, I gave it to my brother so that he could use it for possible guests. He experienced the same feeling of stuffy nose and burning throat and after we discussed it, we realized that it was coming from the chair — made in China. He threw the chair/bed out. A few years ago, I purchased an artificial Christmas tree for the office (made in China — as you cannot find one that is not!) and as I was putting ornaments (also made in China), one of the spines of the tree poked and broke the skin on the back of my hand. It bled a little, but not sufficiently to warrant a visit to a doctor! After a few days, I noticed the area around the wound was very itchy and it started getting little white bumps. Soon, an area about 1.5" wide was infected — at which time I went to the doctor, who said it was little like "Psoriasis", but prescribed a treatment of Fusidic Acid, which worked after three days. Ever since that, I have noticed that I have to be very careful around the least little cut, as it can quickly get infected. It's only recently that I made the association (or perhaps the leap) between these two things — and I will be checking this out with my doctor shortly to see whether there is any correlation between the two. I purchased a duvet from Beddington's just a couple of weeks ago. It was made in China, so I did sniff it when I purchased it, and determined there was no familiar "Chinese" smell. However, when I opened up the package, that distinctive odor was there, so we aired out the duvet, even air dried it in the dryer and then placed it on the bed. My husband suffered no ill effects, however, I experienced the same stuffy nose mentioned in point #1, with a slightly burning in the throat. After two days, I re-packed the duvet and am planning on taking it back to Beddington's for a refund — even though the bill clearly says "No Returns".

July 11, 2013 About two years ago I purchased a handbag and a pair of flipflops from an animal rights site. Made in China, they both stank like old rubber tires, and I left them in my garage for over a year until the smell dissipated and they are now usable. I recently bought a rug protector (made in China) for my home office that protects the carpet from wear and tear of the rolling office chair. It smelled so bad from plastic chemicals when it arrived that I left it outside for nearly 4 weeks. I finally had to install it this week because of my office needs, but now it is still outgassing and giving me headaches and actually my lungs kind of hurt from breathing this all day, even with all the windows open and the ceiling fan on. It is very heavy (I am not young) and cannot be folded so I am not sure how to return this to Costco but it is a disaster.

July 6, 2013 Thank you so much for your work. Most of us don't have a clue how to stop this invasion. I have a chemical sensitivity as it is. With all these new products invading my nasal passage, I am sick as much as I am well these days. I just bought a plastic dump cart from Lowes this past week. My wife and I were sick from the odor by the time we got home. I put the box in the garage. The next day, I went out to put it together. By the time I was finished, I had a bad headache, and was lightheaded. I had the doors open for air. I had to throw the box outside, it stunk so bad. Today I went back into the garage to use the cart. The odor just about knocked me down. I figured that it was a cheap oil that was used on the metal parts, to keep them from rusting during shipping. I washed the cart with dishwashing soap, and left it outside to dry. An hour later I checked on it, and it still stunk bad. I went inside and goggled "Smelly Plastic from China" and found this site. I strapped the cart to the roof of the car, took it back to Lowes, and told them that I was returning it, because it stunk up my house. “The eastern city of Ningbo suspended a petrochemical project after days of demonstrations in November 2012, and protests forced the suspension of a paraxylene plant in the northeastern city of Dalian the year before. ” Reuters

July 4, 2013 [China unconfirmed as source] I just came across your webpage and would love to get something tested. I bought wheels for a small Honda generator like the ones pictured here. I bought these two years ago and I still can't believe the fumes coming off these things. I first noticed it when I bought them and thought it was bad just because they were new. Since it is a gas genny, I usually store it outside in my garage, which has plenty of ventilation, and it is used outside. But yesterday I had to transport one to a job site in my Ford Bronco. Since it was very hot in NY yesterday, I had the windows on the Bronco up and the AC blasting. But in a very short time the fumes coming off the tires were choking me and burning my eyes, nose and throat. I have no idea what I was breathing but it cannot be healthy if it causes pain! To be clear I am not talking about gasoline fumes. The odor is coming off the rubber tires. I drove the remainder of my trip which was almost two hours with the windows down and I could still smell it. I will be throwing these wheels out today, but I may keep one for testing. I will be wary of buying anything from China in the future. Thank you for your website.

June 27, 2013 I too have encountered and noticed this smelly chemical. I bought a pair of jelly sandals from a store in Manchester, NH called Five Below. They were made in China. They were making my feet numb when I wore them. I had to stop wearing them. You can smell it when you walk into the store — it permeates the store. Also I bought from the same store a toy orange plastic traffic cone that says Work Zone to put on my desk at work and had to remove it because it was also making me numb. I noticed also that the new copier/printer that we are using in the office gives off that same smell and bothers me. I try not to use it too much. Some people must notice it but think that it has been approved so it must be okay. Maybe parents kids are getting sick and they don't even know why.

June 18, 2013 That's true, more and more plastics outgasses scents that last as long as the duration of the product! Ironically it applies even to products that process air like ventilators, air purifier, vacuum cleaner. I live in MontrŽal, Canada, and I already returned to Costco 2 products. An Oreck air purifier, and a tower shape ventilator. When running these were filling air of desagreable plastic odor. I did'nt return the Shopvac vacuum cleanear, and I regret it. Each time I use it it it fills air of a kerosene like odor. People must return these products and let them know why, to business who makes them. So they are going to put conditions about plastic odors in their finished products.

June 8, 2013 We live in Manchester UK - have for a few years now struggling to get products that do not contain plastics emitting these terrible smells. I'm sure when I was at school, part of the definition of plastic was that it was odourless!. This problem seems to have spread to almost every product we buy, TVs, vacumn cleaners, torches, radios, dish washers, fridges, etc etc. We have had many discussions with retailers who tell us the smell is just 'newness' and will go away (which it often doesn't.) Great to come across your web campaign - we now know we are not alone!

June 7, 2013 I came across your page today after having bought some clear vinyl-like sink mats that stank to high heaven of something noxious when I got them out of the package. I set them outside overnight to air out and they still smell as bad, so unfortunately they will need to be returned to Target. I'm concerned that even if the smell abates, I would still be washing my dishes in hot water with these mats in the water, and getting chemicals on my dishes and in my food. They are made in China. Does anyone have an idea of which chemicals and how toxic they are?

June 6, 2013 I came across your web-site investigating chemicals smells coming from products made in China. I recently purchased panel drapes from Lowes in Weymouth, Massachusetts - hung them in my living room ... after about two hours with the sun shining through, the whole apartment started to smell awful ... curtains were an Allen+ Roth brand, made in China.

June 2, , 2013 Can you please tell me what kind of solvent it is? I just opened some mouse pads for my kids that has thee same acrid solvent smell as those tires you get for a moving dolly and all those other "Harbor Freight" smells you're familiar with . I'm ****ing sick of it! Can we get the EPA or OSHA to measure the indoor air quality of stores like Harbor Freight? It would be helpful if you knew that kind of volitiles are in these solvents. It seems to be the same chemical smell no matter what product you get. What is it?

May 30, 2013 Well, I am glad you have the webpage up. The smell and the plastic are everywhere. The smell is nauseating. Almost everything that could be manufactured out of vynil is now being made of that toxic plastic. And it rubs off: after you touch it, your hand will smell for a while. It doesn't happen with vynil, even though it, too, is harmful. It's showing up in sandals, garden hoses, coverings for bicycle reflector (the soft adhesive ones). It's such a versatile plastic that they can make it to be any color they want, or without color. What's worst, it's also used in all "rubber" toys, wheels, casters, etc. I think what is needed is a TV expose', like 60 Minutes, or the like. Once they get a hold of it, people start noticing and mothers will rise up. Another way to get heard is to write a book, and make the radio / TV circuit. I am surprised that no chemical analysis has been made so far. Perhaps the chemistry department in your university could lend a hand. Alas. The latest use of that plastic was in eyeglasses nose pads. Yucks! I had to switch to the nosepads from an old pair (and then I got galvanic reaction from the disparate materials, and a dark greenish goo built up where the screws go in). Please keep up your good work. Maybe a local TV station will pay attention if you send them a link to your page.

May 30, 2013 I recently ordered what I thought were original "Beats" by Dr. Dre for my son for Christmas, ends up it was a scam. I should have known since the price was so good. The headphones arrived and SMELLED to HIGH Heaven!!! They were awful! They came from China and the return process was basically null and void. My daughter wanted to use them since her brother now had the real deal pair. I forbid her from doing so because the smell seemed so toxic. I also purchased 2 Chi brushes we have had before. This time, the brushes have that same Horrible horrible smell! I again banned the kids from using them. I did brush my hair once with one of them and low and behold my hair smelled all day of the brush. Obviously, I am returning those, I purchased them at Ulta. Once again, I so appreciate you posting all of this information. Hopefully, we can all have an impact on having these products banned or rather the chemicals banned from our wonderful country and its citizens.

May 26, 2013 I recently purchased 2 pair of sandals from aerosole. The soles smelled so bad of chemical,it got right in to my throat as I drove to work. All day i suffered with this horrible chemical order. This can not to good for you. I had seen where other consumers complained about the smell. They are made in China. Taking them back immediately. Reservoir in Pingba. CDIC/Reuters

May 2, 2013 Just a thought for your effort to figure this stuff out. There are plastics that are injected into a low pressure mold as a liquid, and polymerize in the mold itself. Great cost savings over injection molding - no high pressure extruders or molds which can cost fortunes. Faster changes can be made for much less money. Sorry polymers, sorry procedure, wrong temperatures, old catalyst, etc create polymerizations that are merely 99% efficient. That leaves 1% as a liquid encased in the plastic. Smell like diesel fuel - most of these products start with longer chain but still liquid ingredients. sorta like components found in diesel, gas, etc. I think dicyclopentadiene is one...smell like hell, low order threshold and requires something like 99.995% reaction completion to have no excess odor

April 7, 2013 Hi , I live in New Zealand and wanted to share this story...which is evolving as I write..my daughter had a new kitchen installed in her house about 4 years ago and ever since my strong sense of smell has detected a curious toxic smell that encapsulates the kitchen whenever the cupboards beneath the sink, which house compost bucket and recycle bins, are opened. After watching other people wrinkle their noses and say nothing whenever they opened and shut the cupboards and after I had secretly poured vanilla essence and odour cleaner under the sink...I told my daughter about this smell..she could not smell it ..so I offered to investigate when she went overseas and I looked after her 6 and 8 year old. I asked her in the meantime to remove the compost bin as we suspected that the plastic component of the bin was the cause...but no - after removing everything under the sink for 48 hours and cleaning every nook and cranny as well as becoming a plumbing expert and removing cleaning all pipes that came from sink and dishwasher ( where - by the way no odour was found )- the smell was still there. It was not coming up through the drainage holes..so had to be underneath...finally my nose found the offending plastic...I googled.. stinky plastic... and hello there is the product and from China... see attached photos. That the smell is still there after all those years is amazing..of course as pipe is heated from warm draining water the smell is even more offensive to my nose. Where we go from here will be up to our daughter hen she and her husband return from their trip.

March 18, 2013 I found your website by searching Google for "how to remove petroleum odor from plastic beads". Frankly, I am both appalled and shocked at what you have posted online. Where in the name of everything good and holy are the watchdogs of our citizens, the EPA? ... Yes, my beads come mainly from eBay and mostly from China. Like many others, I had NO IDEA that anything with noxious fumes like this would be easily allowed into the US of A. ... The beads in one box -- are the plastic/acryllic/resin ones. And they stink. Hoo boy -- my neighbor asked me if I was washing and using BLEACH -- it was so strong he stood across the room and smelled them. Now I'm going to have to go BACK to my purchases online and find out which vendors these came from -- and contact them and them contact eBay. Selling hazardous materials is flat out dead wrong. I deal with several medical issues on a dialy basis and cannot afford to take chances with my health. And no way can I sell these for children -- not knowing that they have the potential to be so toxic. Yes, please tell me what to do and how to do it. I'm ready to step up with you in this battle. ...

March 6, 2013 Googling "smelly plastic", I found your website. I bought some colored bouncy balls made for children at Party City. They smell like diesel fuel. I tried soaking them in vinegar, baking soda, leaving them outside, but they still smell horrible. I cannot believe these balls are being sold in the USA for children to use.

March 3, 2013 I recently bought a work light at Home Depot, the brand "Husky Tools", and its rubber / plastic components reek of that chemical petrolium smell so much that I took it back to home depot. I also recently bought floor mats for my car from O'Reily autopart stors, the brand of the floor mat was Kraco and the smelled so bad that I actually just threw them away! I can email you photos of the items if you like. From now on when I buy a product that has any rubber or plastic, I have to do a "smell" test. These products should be banned. I went to China on a business trip in 2004 and that smell wa