Lead, pfas and phthalates in low cost fashion from Shein, AliExpress and Zaful. The investigation that comes from Canada but concerns us all

Analyzing 38 low-cost fashion samples from Shein, AliExpress and Zaful, the presence of high levels of lead, pfas and phthalates was noted

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Low cost fashion, with a rich catalog of products and very low prices, encourages consumers to buy but behind the production of clothes and accessories there are often a series of problems. In this case we are not talking about the exploitation of factory workers but rather the presence inside the garments of harmful chemicals. To reveal it this time is an investigation conducted in Canada.

Marketplace, a CBC program in Canada, analyzed 38 samples of clothing and accessories sold on well-known low-cost fashion websites and apps: Shein, AliExpress e Zaful. These are online retailers that we all know, companies that sell thousands of products at bargain prices.

More specifically, the selected samples were articles intended not only for adults but also for children and pregnant women. Taking care of the analysis was Miriam Diamond, environmental chemist and professor at the University of Toronto.

What did the analyzed low cost clothes and accessories contain?

Index

Lead, Pfas and phthalates

High levels of chemicals (in quantities exceeding the limits set in Canada) such as lead, pfas and phthalates have been identified in 1 out of 5 samples. In fact, therefore, by buying from low-cost online retailers, we risk exposure to these potentially toxic substances.

As we read on CBC News:

Scientists found that a small children's jacket purchased from Chinese retailer Shein contained nearly 20 times the amount of lead that Health Canada says is safe for children. A red bag, also purchased by Shein, held more than five times the threshold.

Lead, Canadian experts recall, can cause harmful effects on the health of the brain, heart, kidneys and reproductive system. Children and pregnant women are the most vulnerable, and babies and children are the most at risk.

Lead is a natural element found in the environment but Joël Mertens, an expert on the environmental impact of products at the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, said the levels found in the Marketplace lab results ranged beyond environmental contamination and the small quantities clothes are unintentionally exposed to during the manufacturing process.

There were clearly products that intentionally used lead in a way that was way above what should be considered responsible - or even safe.

In short, the lead would have been added voluntarily and would not have ended up accidentally in the production process, at least according to the analysis of this expert.

Mertens explained that lead can be used in textile coloring pigments, but safer alternatives exist to achieve the same results.

Certainly alarming data that should make us reflect, whereas these brands also sell products in our country.

The problem with lead, among other things, is not only for the final consumer exposed to the negative effects of this substance but for the whole supply chain. As Professor Diamond stated:

If the final product isn't safe for me, it's not safe for the workers who handle these chemicals to make it either.

But it wasn't just lead. A bag Zaful bought contained many phthalates, including DEHP, DiNP and DnOP.

In addition to the bag, high levels of phthalates were found in a baby dress (featuring Elsa from Frozen) and a red bag, both sold by Shein, a waterproof baby set and a plastic bib set from AliExpress. None exceeded Health Canada's limits but the concern remains as when it comes to children, there is a risk of the products being put in the mouth increasing exposure to phthalates. The skin of the little ones, among other things, can also absorb chemicals more easily than the skin of adults.

Canadian experts said more attention should be paid to all phthalates, many of which are considered endocrine disruptors. These substances can also have developmental effects and affect the liver and kidneys as well as have harmful repercussions on reproduction.

There were also the Pfas, fluorinated compounds commonly used in clothing to ensure the waterproofness and stain resistance of products.

Many Pfas are known to be endocrine disruptors and all are considered "forever chemicals" because they are not eliminated from the body and do not decompose in the environment.

It was in particular a pink raincoat, purchased from AliExpress, that contained them at a critical level: 220 parts per billion (ng / g) of Pfas which experts believe really too high, also considering that manufacturers could use other better, less polluting alternatives. and safer for consumers' health.

Eva Pip, a biologist and professor at the University of Winnipeg, said about the high level of pfas in the raincoat:

It is difficult to imagine that this is an accidental quantity.

The response of the online retailers involved in the investigation

Shein, who sells products from both her own brand and from third-party suppliers, emailed a statement to CBC's Marketplace announcing that she had removed the offending bag and jacket from her app and would stop working with suppliers of those products until the problem is resolved.

Zaful, on the other hand, after being notified of the lab results, sent a statement saying he had recalled the bag with high levels of phthalates and sent a refund to the customers who had purchased it.

The same happened with AliExpress. Virtually all retailers involved in the investigation removed the questionable products from their sites. The companies confirmed that they would investigate further and, if necessary, take action against suppliers and vendors.

How can we defend ourselves

Dr. Mertens suggests consumers look for brands that complement product safety compliance with the help of organizations such as Oeko-Tex or Bluesign. These set substance limits in every piece of clothing, based on progressive international regulations, such as EU REACH, which defines safe levels of certain chemicals in clothing.

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Source: CBC News