Toxic substances found in products sold on major Chinese online platforms

This includes hats and sandals sold on AliExpress, Temu, and Shein.

Women's accessories, including hats and sandals sold on AliExpress, Temu, and Shein, contain toxic substances up to 229 times the legal limit, the Seoul city government revealed Wednesday.

As per Yonhap News Agency, safety tests on 144 products from these Chinese platforms, conducted between July 12 and August 9, uncovered issues in 11 items. 

Amongst them, two pairs of sandals had phthalate plasticisers—known carcinogens linked to infertility—at levels 167.5 and 229.2 times above the limit. Additionally, two sandals contained nickel up to nine times higher than allowed, risking contact dermatitis.

Further testing revealed that three hats exceeded formaldehyde levels by twofold and recorded a pH level of 9.3, surpassing the standard pH range of 4 to 9. 

Other concerning results included two aluminum pots with double the allowed nickel content and two bottles of nail polish containing dioxane and methanol at levels 3.6 times and 1.4 times higher than permitted, respectively.

The Seoul city government announced plans to request that the Chinese online platforms remove the 11 identified products from sale. A city official also urged consumers to exercise caution when purchasing sandals and hats, given their direct contact with the skin.