Children’s rain boots sold on Chinese overseas direct purchase sites were found to contain carcinogens exceeding the standard limit by 680 times.
On July 4, the Seoul City Government announced that harmful substances exceeding Korean standards were detected in 6 out of 12 products, including children’s boots, hats, bags, and jumpers, as a result of a safety inspection of products on overseas online platforms. In some products, phthalate plasticizers were detected up to 680 times above the standard, with non-compliance found in the physical property tests.
The products tested were 12 children and infant textile products sold on Shein, Temu, and AliExpress. The tests checked for the presence of harmful chemicals and durability (mechanical and physical properties).
First, two types of phthalate plasticizers, DEHP and DBP, were detected in children’s rain boots. The phthalate plasticizers were found to exceed the standard by about 680 times in the ribbon part of the boots, and by about 483 and 44 times in the transparent soft parts and the pink soft edges, respectively.
Phthalate plasticizers can affect reproductive functions, such as reducing sperm count, infertility, and premature birth. It can irritate the eyes and skin upon contact. Among them, DEHP is a potential carcinogen (Group 2B) designated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
Harmful substances were also detected in two types of children’s bags, exceeding Korean standards. The surface of a children’s backpack had a pH of 9.4, exceeding the standard (4.0~7.5), and was deemed non-compliant with Korean standards. Four types of phthalate plasticizers (DIBP, DEHP, DBP, DINP) were found to exceed the standard by about 11 times in the printed part of the bag’s surface. In another children’s bag, formaldehyde was detected at about twice the standard level in the lining.
Formaldehyde is known to be a major pollutant that causes sick building syndrome. It has carcinogenic properties and can cause eye irritation, breathing difficulties, and headaches. If the pH of textile products exceeds the standard and shows strong acidity or alkalinity, it can cause skin irritation and allergic contact dermatitis.
Harmful substances were also detected in children’s hats and jumpers. The children’s hats were given a non-compliance judgment as the pH varied from 1.7 to 1.9 by part, exceeding the standard. Lead was found in the zipper part of the children’s jumper, exceeding the Korean standard by about 4 times. Cadmium and phthalate plasticizers were found to exceed the standard by up to 11 times and 537 times, respectively, in the soft parts of the clothing surface.
Exposure to lead above the safety standard can harm reproductive functions and increase the risk of cancer. Especially during pregnancy, it can affect brain development and cause problems in children’s learning and behavior. Cadmium is a carcinogenic substance that accumulates in the liver and kidneys and can cause problems in the respiratory, nervous, and digestive systems.
The children’s clothing products failed to meet the physical test requirement, such as the regulation that the shoulder strap length should not exceed 7.5 cm from the fixed point.
If the length of cords or straps attached to clothing exceeds the standard, it can get caught in gaps or obstacles, leading to dangerous accidents.
Seoul is expanding its safety inspections to other overseas platforms that are popular among Korean users in addition to the overseas platforms that are currently undergoing intensive safety inspections. The city also plans to expand the scope of inspection from children’s products to hygiene products and other daily necessities to minimize safety blind spots for citizens.
Starting in July, the city plans to conduct safety inspections on children’s products that are expected to be in high demand during the summer, such as children’s swimming goggles, sunglasses, tubes, and swimsuits.
