Gangwon Province Announces Results of Hygiene Product Safety Inspections
Including Disposable Products and Cleaning Agents
The Gangwon Institute of Health and Environment announced on January 18 that it conducted standard and specification tests on 207 hygiene products distributed and sold within the province in 2025, and all products were found to be "compliant."
This inspection targeted 207 samples of 15 types of hygiene products collected and requested by cities and counties. Among the tested items, disposable products such as cups, spoons, dishcloths, cotton swabs, and diapers accounted for 161 cases, making up about 78% of the total. This was followed by cleaning agents (23 cases), toilet paper (16 cases), and sanitary towels and wet wipes (7 cases).
According to the results of the tests based on product type standards and specifications, substances such as formaldehyde, classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), methanol, which causes optic nerve damage, and fluorescent whitening agents, known to cause skin disorders, were not detected in any of the products. Heavy metals (lead and arsenic) were also confirmed to be within acceptable standards.
In addition, for cotton swabs, which come into direct contact with mucous membranes or sensitive skin, tests for bacterial and fungal counts were conducted due to concerns about microbial contamination in the summer, and no contamination was detected. This confirms that hygiene products distributed in the province are safe.
Shin Incheol, Director of the Gangwon Institute of Health and Environment, stated, "We will make even greater efforts to operate a thorough and continuous inspection system for hygiene products such as disposable items, whose usage continues to increase, so that residents can use them with confidence and non-compliant products can be quickly removed from the market."
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