A children's helmet sold on China's online shopping mall AliExpress was found to contain harmful substances exceeding Korea's standard by 746 times.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government said on the 10th that it conducted safety inspections on 28 products, including children's roller skates, sports protective gear, and clothing sold on AliExpress and Temu, and found that 12 products on AliExpress did not meet Korea's safety standards.
Both of the two children's roller skate products contained phthalate plasticizers and cadmium. In particular, in the instep fasteners such as Velcro, phthalate plasticizers were detected at up to 706.3 times the domestic limit (combined total of seven types including DEHP at 0.1% or less), and cadmium was detected at 3.8 times the limit (75 mg/kg or less) in items such as shoe hologram decorations.
Phthalate plasticizers are substances that can cause endocrine disruption and affect reproductive function. Among them, DEHP (diethylhexyl phthalate) is a possible human carcinogen (Group 2B) designated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Cadmium is a carcinogenic substance that can cause bone abnormalities and accumulate in the liver and kidneys.
One of the two roller skate products also failed to meet physical safety standards. In strength tests, the shoe and plate separated and the product cracked and broke.
In children's helmet products, phthalate plasticizers were detected on the exterior, interior, and chin guard at up to 746.6 times the domestic limit, and lead was detected at up to 57.6 times the limit (100 mg/kg or less). The protector set failed all tests for impact strength, penetration resistance, and shock absorption.
Of six children's clothing and footwear products, four contained harmful substances such as phthalate plasticizers, cadmium, and lead. In the T-shirt patch, phthalate plasticizers were detected at 423 times the limit, and cadmium at 4.7 times.
Lead was detected in the jacket zipper, some buttons on a shirt, and the upper of sneakers at 4.25 times, 5.67 times, and 2.74 times the limit, respectively. The sneaker lining showed a pH level of 8.2, exceeding the standard (pH 4.0–7.5).
Three children's clothing products did not meet cord-related safety standards. Among clothing for children under age 7, there was a blouse with a prohibited neck string attached at the neck and chest. There were also pants with excessively long waist cords and a shirt with a rear ribbon long enough to pose an accident risk.
Two children's keychain products also contained lead exceeding the limit by 1.8 times and 1.3 times, respectively.
Based on the inspection results, the Seoul Metropolitan Government asked the respective online platforms to suspend sales of the noncompliant products. The safety inspection results can be checked on the Seoul Metropolitan Government website at Seoul Metropolitan Government website or the Seoul Electronic Commerce Center website at Seoul Electronic Commerce Center website. For consumer damage or complaints related to overseas online platforms, contact the Seoul Electronic Commerce Center hotline (☎ 02-2133-4896), the 120 Dasan Call Center, or the Electronic Commerce Center website.