Thread: Poison found in kids' clothes from China

Poison found in kids' clothes from China
By KAREN ARNOLD - Sunday Star Times | Sunday, 19 August 2007

Poison in children's clothing is emerging as the latest health risk from China.

TV3's Target programme will this week detail how scientists found formaldehyde in woollen and cotton clothes at levels 500 times higher than is safe.

It questions why there are no New Zealand safety standards for clothes.

National Poisons Centre spokesman Dr John Fountain told the Sunday Star-Times the testing had highlighted an area where little was known in New Zealand about the effects tainted clothing would have on people.

However, international research supported by the World Health Organisation shows exposure to formaldehyde in concentrations of 20 parts per million (ppm) can cause eye, skin and nasal irritations, respiratory problems, asthma and cancer.

The European Union limits formaldehyde residues in children's clothes to a maximum of 30ppm. The chemical is used to give a permanent press effect to clothes.

Consumers are advised to wash and air all clothes before they are worn for the first time.

Target producer Simon Roy said a variety of new clothes were tested, including a girl's top, school shorts, a Spiderman T-shirt, and pyjamas. Adult clothing was also tested. Roy said the results were so astounding the AgriQuality scientists thought they had made a mistake. "Our results were shocking, ranging from 230ppm to 18,000ppm.

This is almost unbelieveable. Some of the clothes Target tested have a reading 900 times the level that actually causes harm."

But the potential harm wasn't limited to formaldehyde or clothing made in China.

Four children's garments were tested for their ph level, which measures acidity or alkalinity. Levels outside 4 to 7.5 on the scale can damage skin. Two items, a pair of pants and a girl's top, had ph levels above 7.5. Roy said garments made in New Zealand with imported Chinese fabrics also contained chemicals such as harmful dyes that did not wash out or wear off the way formaldehyde did. That included clothes from top-end designer labels. Buying Kiwi-made or expensive brands was no safety net for consumers, he said.

Europe had banned 22 aromatic amine dyes which were known carcinogens. But Target investigations showed 10% of clothes tested in China contained them and, once again, New Zealand had no regulations about what it accepted into the country.

Auckland mother Raewyn Rasch said the findings were horrifying.

She told the Star-Times her son bought four pairs of trousers labelled 100% cotton. But even after washing, each pair caused a rash round his middle. Rasch thought formaldehyde could be a cause after she read about toxins in clothing. "What really annoys me is that, for mothers, kids are always coming up with scratches and marks and rashes. You ask them what they've been eating and where they've been. You wouldn't expect it to be the clothes they're wearing."

New Zealand consumers deserved protection and needed to know about the dangers they and their children were exposed to, she said.

Details of the unsafe clothing and its risks follow a global recall this month of millions of Mattel toys, also made in China and deemed unsafe. Sanitarium is now getting its peanut butter made in Australia rather than China because of consumer concerns, and last month a toothpaste made in China was recalled after it was found to contain a toxin used in anti-freeze.

Green MP Sue Kedgley said New Zealand risked becoming a dumping ground for unsafe imports, some of which China itself regulated against.

"I believe it is so serious it demands a parliamentary investigation of our complete lack of consumer protection for most products in New Zealand. Technically they are supposed to comply with the Consumer Guarantees Act but how would anyone know if it's being systematically breached when no one is looking or doing any monitoring?"

# Target will reveal the full details of its investigation on Tuesday at 7.30pm on TV3.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4170006a6005.html

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I just pasted this item into an email and sent it for the safety of my grand children and children of friends.

This is so scary.

I wonder if this will wash out - and how long it would take?

How can we find out?

Tinfoil hat time - the thought has crossed my mind that would be a very good way to decimate a country - slowly.

Originally Posted by nntrixie

This is so scary.

I wonder if this will wash out - and how long it would take?

How can we find out?

Tinfoil hat time - the thought has crossed my mind that would be a very good way to decimate a country - slowly.

Here's an article on how to handle it:

What Are the Solutions?

Exposure to formaldehyde may be decreased by the following measures:

* Purchasing pressed wood products labeled as low-emitting or products made from phenol formaldehyde, such as oriented strand board or softwood plywood.
* Increasing ventilation after bringing new sources of formaldehyde into your home.
* Using alternate products such as lumber, metal, or solid wood furniture.
* Avoiding the use of foamed-in-place insulation containing formaldehyde, especially urea-formaldehyde foam insulation.
* Enclosing unfinished pressed-wood surfaces of furniture, cabinets, or shelving with laminate or water-based sealant.
* Washing durable-press fabrics before use.
* Ensuring combustion sources are properly adjusted.
* Avoiding smoking indoors.
* Maintaining moderate temperatures and low (30 to 50 percent) relative humidity levels.

http://www.nsc.org/EHC/indoor/formald.htm

Yes, we need Hazmat procedures before using any products made in China. I wonder how good all that formaldehyde is for our water once it gets washed out. It cannot all be washed out.

Thanks, Cheyennewoman. I am going to make sure IF I buy anything for my grandchildren that is new, I wash it before I give it to them.

The idea of it being in our wastewater had not occurred to me - it just keeps getting worse and worse.

Outsourcing had something to do with the cost of labor, I am sure. Lately, however, I have been wondering if the high cost of fuel to transport this stuff all around the world, would offset a lot of cheap labor.

Might the real reason not be labor - or taxes as we were told, but safety and quality guidelines - environmental issues, etc?

I wonder if China buys a plant here in the US, will our government make them adhere to environmental standards? Or will they be allowed to do as they please?

I think I'll see if I can't find a cave in the mountains and go live. I'll have to find a place in the mountains the Mexican drug lords aren't raising or transporting their drugs, however.

BUY AMERICAN!! DEMAND CONSUMER PROTECTION!

Originally Posted by CCUSA

BUY AMERICAN!! DEMAND CONSUMER PROTECTION!

We are fighting a many-headed monster -

Originally Posted by nntrixie

Originally Posted by CCUSA

BUY AMERICAN!! DEMAND CONSUMER PROTECTION!

We are fighting a many-headed monster -

But this head is an easy one. All we have to do is demand or buy only American Made. The globalists hate that.