What Are Water Beads?
“Water beads” are water-absorbent polymer beads that can swell over several hundreds of times their initial dry mass when placed in water, forming hydrogel beads. They are primarily marketed as agricultural products to act as humectants in soil, helping retain and slowly release water into the soil.
Beyond farming, however, water beads have been marketed as colorful sensory toys for play and decoration. This non-agricultural use has raised safety concerns, especially when the beads are accessible to young children who may accidentally ingest them.