Consumer Agency Detects Harmful Disinfectants in Children's Clay

6 out of 17 Products Contain MIT·CMIT
Harmful Substances Detected in Humidifier Disinfectants as Well

Harmful biocides methylisothiazolinone (MIT) and chloromethylisothiazolinone (CMIT) were detected in children's clay used for play and learning purposes.

On the 29th, the Korea Consumer Agency announced that it confirmed this after investigating the safety and labeling of 17 synthetic resin-based children's clay products available for purchase domestically. The agency pointed out that "some products have labeling that does not meet standards, such as phrases like 'non-toxic' that may mislead consumers, so improvements are needed."

MIT and CMIT were detected in preservative component tests. Among the 17 tested products, 6 were manufactured overseas, and MIT, which is banned for use in domestic clay products, was detected at 4 mg/kg to 24 mg/kg, and CMIT at 8 mg/kg to 39 mg/kg. MIT and CMIT are substances that mainly cause irritation to the respiratory system, skin, and eyes. They are known as harmful biocides included in the 'humidifier disinfectant' that caused numerous casualties in Korea.

In some products, the amount of boron leached exceeded the standard. In particular, two products, Easy Clay 10g 6-color refill and Color Fun Clay 4-color, were KC certified as toys, but were found to contain 1360 mg/kg to 2062 mg/kg, exceeding the standard (1200 mg/kg or less). Additionally, among five products that received KC certification as stationery before the revision of the children's product notification, two products showed boron leaching amounts of 1352 mg/kg to 4261 mg/kg.

There were also products that violated labeling standards or displayed phrases that could mislead consumers. Three products, including Edu Clay, were found to be non-compliant with labeling standards, such as displaying expired KC certification, and four products, including Baping Clay and Any Clay, displayed phrases like 'non-toxic' or 'harmless to the human body' that could mislead consumers.

Based on the test results of children's clay, the Consumer Agency recommended that businesses selling products that do not meet standards take corrective actions such as stopping sales. They plan to notify relevant government departments of the related information in the future. A Consumer Agency official urged, "When consumers purchase children's products sold overseas through proxy purchasing, they should check whether the product has domestic safety certification such as KC certification."

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