Consumer Agency Detects Environmental Hormones, Lead, and Cadmium in Synthetic Leather Sofas

Status of Harmful Substances Detected in Synthetic Leather Sofas

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] The Korea Consumer Agency announced on the 1st that, after investigating the safety of 19 sofa products using synthetic resin leather as a finishing material, phthalate-based plasticizers exceeding the safety standards for synthetic resin products were detected in 16 of them.

Phthalate-based plasticizers, which are environmental hormones, can cause damage to the liver and kidneys or affect reproductive functions. According to the safety standards for synthetic resin products set by the National Institute of Technology and Standards, the content ratio of phthalate-based plasticizers must be 0.1% or less, but the content ratios in these products ranged from 5.7% to 32.5%.

Among the products in which phthalate-based plasticizers were detected, three contained lead at levels of approximately 839 to 2132 mg per 1 kg, exceeding the safety standard (300 mg/kg or less). One product contained cadmium at 128.2 mg per 1 kg, also exceeding the safety standard (75 mg/kg or less). The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), under the World Health Organization (WHO), classifies lead as a possible human carcinogen and cadmium as a human carcinogen.

In Korea, there are safety standards for synthetic resin products, but there are no separate safety standards applied specifically to synthetic leather sofas. The Consumer Agency pointed out, "The European Union (EU) applies safety standards for harmful substances to all consumer goods that come into contact with the skin, including sofas," and added, "It is necessary for Korea to establish allowable content standards for phthalate-based plasticizers, lead, and cadmium in synthetic leather sofas."

The Consumer Agency reported that the businesses of the 16 products in which harmful substances were detected have stopped selling those products and agreed to improve the quality of all synthetic leather sofas. According to furniture safety standards, synthetic leather sofas must indicate the product name, external dimensions, finishing materials, etc., but all 19 products investigated omitted some or all of these labeling details. All businesses have agreed to improve the labeling.