Inspection of Harmful Substances and Durability... 11 Out of 22 Items Fail
Shoe Decorations Exceed Phthalate Plasticizers by 348 Times
Children's Car Sunshade Exceeds Lead Content Limits
Harmful substances exceeding the standard by hundreds of times were detected in 11 children's products sold on Chinese online shopping platforms Temu and AliExpress. These include 'shoe decorations' used to embellish children's shoes and 'sunshades.' The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to continue selecting items for inspection and disclose the results.
On the 25th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that, as a result of investigating harmful chemical substances and durability in 22 'other children's products' sold on Temu and AliExpress, harmful and carcinogenic substances exceeding the standard by 324 to 348 times were detected in 11 products. This investigation is Seoul's first safety inspection of products sold on overseas online platforms, which have been continuously controversial for their harmfulness. The inspection focused on 'children's products' expected to have high purchase rates ahead of Children's Day.
The items include ▲shoe decorations (16 items) ▲keyrings ▲children's bathtubs ▲children's toothbrushes ▲children's picnic chairs ▲children's car sunshades ▲children's swimming caps, totaling 22 products.
In particular, among the 16 'shoe decorations' used to embellish children's slippers and sneakers, phthalate plasticizers (DEHP, DBP) were detected up to 348 times the standard in 7 products. In some products, lead content was also detected up to 33 times the standard. Phthalate plasticizers have reproductive toxicity such as causing infertility, and among them, DEHP (di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate) is classified as a possible human carcinogen (Group 2B) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
Phthalate plasticizers were also detected at about 324 times the standard in 'children's car sunshades.' Harmful substances were found in large amounts, including lead content exceeding the standard in some parts of the products. Furthermore, physical tests showed that parts broke into pieces even under slight force, posing a risk of swallowing and choking for infants.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to select items monthly that are expected to have high demand by season and finalize actual inspection items through consultation with three specialized testing institutions. For the selected targets, harmfulness tests will be conducted weekly, and the inspection results will be disclosed. Kim Kyung-mi, Director of Fair Economy at Seoul City, said, "Since Seoul announced measures for overseas online platforms on the 8th, cases of wise consumers using overseas direct purchases have decreased," adding, "We will continue thorough management of imported products through ongoing safety inspections to actively prevent consumer damage."
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