Experts warn of the dangers of wearing clothes made in China

A group of experts warned of the danger of wearing clothes produced in the People’s Republic of China, especially for the North American market, which consumes about 39.2% of Textiles manufactured in that Asian country.

According to statistics published by Diario Las Américas, China is the world’s largest apparel exporter, with a 31.6% share of international trade. However, their eagerness to maintain this status at all costs will lead to health risks for vulnerable groups such as children and pregnant women.

Canadian researchers found a high level of lead in a Shein children’s jacket in 2021, at a level about 20 times higher than the level allowed in this country. Other scientists discovered that textiles from other brands made in China such as Zaful and Ali Express were also contaminated with chemicals that are very harmful to the human body.

A study of the 2022 Fashion Revolution Transparency Index indicates that China is one of the countries with low trade security protocols. “Progress in this regard remains too slow for at least 250 of the world’s largest fashion brands and retailers, with companies achieving a result [de transparencia] At a rate of only 24%.”

Clothes from China: harmful textiles

Among other harmful substances, experts also found lead, NFE (nonylphenol and nonylphenol ethoxylates), phthalates, PFCs (perfluorinated and polyfluorinated products) and formaldehyde in Chinese textiles. Lead, for example, is used by Chinese industry to dye fabrics and give them the luster that characterizes many garments made in China and exported to the United States.

In this regard, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that exposure to this mineral can cause serious problems for the mental and physical development of children under the age of six.

The US Federal Customs Service itself has reported the destruction of Chinese clothing due to its high concentration of lead. In 2015 alone, 6,000 backpacks and lunch boxes were seized due to the high level of lead in their zippers.

In the case of NFE (nonylphenol ethoxylates and nonylphenols), it was found in synthetic detergents, which can “paralyze hormones and contribute to poor reproductive performance,” according to Diario Las Américas.

Although the effect on the human body has not been fully studied [todavía]different combinations of PFCs, such as PFOS and PFOA, cause kidney disease and cancer,” reveals the study cited by this media outlet.

Problems

Moreover, recent research conducted in the US found that “some textiles from China exceeded permissible standards for the level of formaldehyde. The report included products such as toddler hats, where the content of this substance exceeded twice the norm.

Meanwhile, phthalates are found in plasticizers for household items or food and cosmetic packaging and in the manufacture of raincoats and shoes, which can lead to difficulties with the endocrine system, liver function and pancreatic damage.

In 2013, Greenpeace warned that children’s clothing made in China contained high doses of hormones and chemicals that were toxic to the reproductive system.

“Our study sends an alarm signal to the parents of more than two hundred million Chinese and foreign children,” Li Chih-Ann, director of Toxics Campaign for Greenpeace in East Asia, said at the time. Of the 85 items of clothing analyzed by this organization, more than half contained the hormone NPE, 9 out of 10 tested positive for antimony, and at least two contained high doses of phthalates.

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