Poison Clothes Alert ; Chemical the Chinese Use to Prevent Mildew in Transit Could Cause Cancer
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Summary
CHEAP clothes made in China have been found to contain high levels of a potentially dangerous chemical. Formaldehyde is used to protect clothes that have to be shipped great distances against mildew. However, long-term exposure to high levels can be harmful, causing problems ranging from minor skin rashes to some types of cancer. Tests discovered formaldehyde concentrations up to 900 times above the safety limit in children's and adults' woollen and cotton clothes from China. The latest safety alert over cheap Chinese goods was sounded in New Zealand. It has been passed on to trading standards officials in Britain.
'Any consumer worried about harm caused by clothes they have bought should contact the retailer or report their concerns to trading standards,' a spokesman for the Government's new department for business, enterprise and regulatory reform said yesterday. Formaldehyde resins have been used on fabrics for decades to make wrinkle-free and stain-resistant garments. The chemical can be used, for example, to keep the crease in trousers. The types of materials most likely to have been treated are blended cotton, wrinkle- resistant cotton, shrink-proof wool, rayon and synthetic blends. Bryan Lewin, chairman of the Trading Standards Institute, said: 'We would expect trading standards departments here to carry out tests to establish formaldehyde levels.See the full content of this document
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Poison Clothes Alert ; Chemical the Chinese Use to Prevent Mildew in Transit Could Cause Cancer
'At the same time, there is a general requirement on import...
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