Consumer Agency: "Harmful Environmental Substances Detected in Some Interior Artificial Flower Products... Use with Caution"

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jinyoung] It has been revealed that some artificial flower products used for interior decorations or wreaths contain environmentally harmful substances.

On the 5th, the Korea Consumer Agency announced that after testing the safety of harmful substances in 20 artificial flower products distributed in the market, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were detected in some products, indicating the need for improvement.

POPs are harmful substances such as short-chain chlorinated paraffins and dioxins that do not naturally decompose and accumulate in the bodies of animals and plants, threatening ecosystems. These substances are globally targeted for reduction and eradication under the Stockholm Convention.

When the Consumer Agency tested the POPs content in artificial flowers based on European Union standards, short-chain chlorinated paraffins exceeding the applicable standard by up to 71 times were detected in 5 interior decoration products (25.0%) out of the 20 products surveyed.

Currently, domestic standards are insufficient. Although the Manufacture and Import Control of Persistent Organic Pollutants Act prohibits the manufacture, import, and use of POPs, the scope of application excludes cases where POPs are present in trace amounts as unintended impurities or by-products in products or finished goods. Furthermore, there is no clear definition or standard for finished products, making it difficult to apply to products actually used by consumers. In contrast, the European Union (EU) limits the content of short-chain chlorinated paraffins in all finished products to 1500 mg/kg or less and actively conducts recalls if such substances are detected in finished products.

Based on the investigation results, the Consumer Agency recommended voluntary quality improvements to related businesses and urged consumers to be cautious in using artificial flowers to prevent environmental pollution, including reducing plastic use.

Additionally, the agency plans to request relevant government departments to ▲strengthen management and supervision of these products ▲and tighten the permissible standards for short-chain chlorinated paraffins.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.