"Don't Touch" Hung for Its Cuteness...Turns Out to Be a Lead Bomb 549 Times Over the Limit

Seoul City Conducts Safety Inspection on School Supplies Purchased from Overseas Platforms
10 Products, Including Pencil Cases, Bags, and Recorders, Found Non-Compliant

Lead exceeding the domestic standard by 549 times was detected in a children's keyring sold on overseas direct purchase platforms.

Lead was detected at 549 times the domestic standard in the bell-shaped charm attached to a children's keyring. According to the Korea Conformity Laboratories and others

On March 26, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it conducted safety inspections on 29 children's products, such as school supplies, sold through Chinese platforms Aliexpress, Temu, and Shein in anticipation of the new school semester. As a result, 10 products failed to meet domestic safety standards. These included six types of school supplies, two types of bags, and two other toys.

In particular, lead was found at levels 549 times higher than the domestic standard in the bell-shaped charm attached to a children's keyring. Large amounts of hazardous substances such as phthalate plasticizers, lead, and cadmium were also detected in five types of "children's school supplies," including colored pencils, two kinds of pencil cases, recorders, and melodions. In some cases, phthalate plasticizers exceeded the standard in the leather and transparent plastic surfaces of pencil cases, and one recorder case contained phthalate plasticizers at 309.9 times the domestic limit. Phthalate plasticizers are substances that can disrupt the endocrine system and affect reproductive functions, including causing infertility.

The zippers and fabrics of pencil cases and melodions contained lead at up to 17.4 times the permissible level. The melodion case showed cadmium levels nine times higher than the standard. The pH level of the outer material also failed to meet the standard.

The pencil sharpener did not satisfy physical safety standards because the sharp edge (blade corner) was exposed in an area easily accessible to children's hands.

Photo of a product failing the safety investigation. Korea Construction Living Environment Test Institute, etc.

Toxic substances such as phthalate plasticizers and lead were also detected in two children's backpacks. The character leather on the front of the bag contained phthalate plasticizers at 75.9 times the standard, while the zipper and drawstring showed lead and cadmium at 8.2 times and 1.2 times the permissible levels, respectively. In children's stickers, phthalate plasticizers and cadmium were detected at 55.1 times and 6.4 times the standard, respectively.

Based on these inspection results, the Seoul Metropolitan Government requested the relevant online platforms to suspend sales of the 10 non-compliant products. The city plans to conduct additional safety inspections in May on children's umbrellas, raincoats, and summer textile products sold on overseas online platforms. The city also urged consumers to check whether products meet safety standards when purchasing children's school supplies through overseas direct purchase, as demand is expected to rise with the new semester.

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