South Korea finds high levels of toxins in kids’ clothing sold on Chinese e-commerce sites
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In the latest safety inspection conducted by the city government, toxic chemicals were found in seven products from Temu and AliExpress.
The Straits Times
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SEOUL – Toxic substances up to 622 times South Korea’s permitted levels were found in children’s winter clothing sold on Chinese e-commerce platforms, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said on Nov 22.
In the latest safety inspection conducted by the city government on 26 items for children and infants from Temu, Shein and AliExpress, toxic chemicals were found in seven products from Temu and AliExpress.
A jacket sold on Temu contained phthalate plasticisers – toxic chemicals that can disrupt endocrine functions and reproductive health – at levels nearly 622 times higher than the legal limit in South Korea.
The length of the jacket’s decorative loops also raised safety concerns. At 11.2cm, they were longer than the allowable 7.5cm.
A jumpsuit sold on Temu had phthalate plasticisers at levels 294 times above the legal limit. The garment’s pH levels came to 7.8, outside the permitted range of 4.0 to 7.5.
A pair of shoes sold on AliExpress was found to contain lead levels five times the permitted one.
On the same platform, an infant onesie contained 3.5 times the allowable level of phthalate plasticisers, while overalls with lead at 19.12 times the legal limit were also sold.
The city government said it plans to conduct safety tests on overseas platforms with big numbers of users in South Korea, focusing on products with high seasonal demand.
In December, it aims to inspect Christmas decorations and children’s toys. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
