Many types of children's sandals contain substances that cause early puberty and asthma in Chinese online markets

Many of the best-selling children's plastic sandals on five Chinese e-commerce platforms contain hundreds of times more toxic chemicals that cause asthma and early puberty.

25/50 pairs of sandals tested had phthalate levels hundreds of times higher than the permitted level.

According to Chinese media, recently, the Shenzhen (Guangdong) Zero Waste Environmental Protection Public Welfare Development Center conducted an investigation. They purchased 10 best-selling products on 5 e-commerce platforms, sampled 50 pairs of children's sandals and sent them to a professional third-party testing unit.

The results showed that 25 pairs had phthalate levels higher than the standard, with an average of 365 times the limit and the highest being 509 times the limit. One product with phthalate levels 496 times higher than the allowable limit was consumed very strongly, with more than 1 million pairs sold.

Additionally, 20 of the 25 pairs of sandals with phthalate levels above the threshold were unbranded products.

Experts say phthalates are cheap plasticizers widely used in the production of plastic packaging, children's toys and many other plastic items, with the purpose of making plastic more flexible and less likely to break. Phthalates can enter the human body through contact with the skin and respiratory tract.

Long-term exposure to this substance can lead to abnormal development in children, increasing the risk of asthma, early puberty, impaired reproductive system development, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, etc. In adults, long-term exposure to phthalate plasticizers can also reduce sperm quality in men and cause endocrine disorders in women, affecting fetal development.

In response to the discovery of many children's sandals containing phthalate levels hundreds of times higher than the permitted level, experts recommend that consumers return the plastic sandals if they smell a strong chemical odor or burning plastic. They should buy products with a brand name and clear ingredient labels.

If the sole of the shoe is too soft and easily deformed, it may contain too high a level of plasticizer.

"New plastic slippers should be ventilated and dried for 3 days; the plasticizer will release faster in high temperature environments," the expert advised.

TH (according to VTC News)

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/nhieu-loai-dep-tre-em-chua-chat-gay-day-thi-som-hen-suyen-o-cho-mang-trung-quoc-413217.html