Clipping Board » Environmental Pollution & Change ─ How dirty the human heart is, how dirty the environment will be...
China Times Electronic News Hong Xinci, Wang Yangjie / Comprehensive Report March 17, 2015
Is the uniform students wear to school every day safe? The Consumer Protection Department recently conducted quality and labeling inspections on 26 sets of student uniforms and sportswear for high schools and below, finding that 10 contained free formaldehyde, with one exceeding the standard by 1.68 times the national limit. Doctors warn that long-term, high exposure to free formaldehyde carries carcinogenic risks and advise washing new clothes before wearing them.
In January this year, the Consumer Protection Department, along with relevant authorities, randomly sampled student uniforms and sportswear sold by distributors in five cities and counties, including Keelung City, New Taipei City, Taichung City, Tainan City, and Kaohsiung City. The results showed that 23 items failed labeling requirements, such as lacking manufacturer information, country of origin, or care instructions. In terms of quality, 10 items tested positive for free formaldehyde, with nine within acceptable limits and one exceeding the standard.
**Recall and Removal Required**
Consumer Protection Officer Zhang Zhisong pointed out that, according to the Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection (BSMI) under the Ministry of Economic Affairs, free formaldehyde should not exceed 75 ppm. However, the short-sleeved uniform shirt from Ganyuan Junior High School in New Taipei City tested at 126 ppm, 1.68 times the national standard. The BSMI has ordered the manufacturer to recall and remove the product within a specified period.
Additionally, three items had discrepancies between labeled and actual material compositions, with the highest error reaching 24.7%. For example, the short-sleeved sportswear top from Taichung’s Xiaoming Girls’ High School claimed 60% cotton content but tested at only 35.3%. Similarly, the long-sleeved sportswear top from Tainan’s Rixin Elementary School listed 35% cotton but tested at 13.9%, while Kaohsiung Girls’ High School’s short-sleeved uniform shirt, originally labeled as 35% cotton, tested at 38.4%.
The BSMI stated that discrepancies in material composition constitute false labeling, and manufacturers have been ordered to rectify the issue within a deadline. Failure to comply twice may result in fines ranging from NT$30,000 to NT$300,000 under the Commodity Labeling Act.
**Formaldehyde Classified as a Group 1 Carcinogen**
Regarding the detection of excessive free formaldehyde in the short-sleeved boys' uniform sold by "Minglong Student Uniforms" in Shulin, Ganyuan Junior High School’s Academic Affairs Director Feng Shaohua explained that the school was notified by the Education Bureau on the afternoon of the 16th. They immediately investigated the uniform supplier and upstream fabric manufacturer, discovering that the problematic uniforms were independently produced and sold by an off-campus vendor, while those sold in the school’s cooperative met standards.
Feng noted that the short-sleeved uniforms sold in the school cooperative and their upstream fabric supplier had passed SGS inspections in March this year, with formaldehyde levels below 75 ppm. The non-compliant boys' short-sleeved uniforms were not sold on campus. Nevertheless, the school will remind parents to request proof of origin and inspection certificates when purchasing uniforms externally to avoid health risks.
**Always Wash Before Wearing**
LinKou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital’s Clinical Toxicology Department Director Yan Zonghai emphasized that formaldehyde is classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a Group 1 carcinogen. Children wearing such clothing may experience skin irritation, and inhalation or ingestion could harm the respiratory and digestive systems. Long-term, high exposure may cause genetic mutations, increasing the risk of leukemia and nasopharyngeal cancer.
Yan advises consumers to check for pungent odors before purchasing new clothes and to always wash them before wearing. Formaldehyde is water-soluble and highly volatile, so washing and drying can reduce its levels and minimize exposure risks.Formaldehyde Fact Sheet
Prolonged and High Exposure Increases Cancer Risk
Clothing often contains resin finishing agents to achieve wrinkle-resistant effects, many of which contain formaldehyde. During manufacturing, most formaldehyde reacts and poses no harm to humans. However, a small portion of formaldehyde remains unreacted during production, becoming free formaldehyde. Long-term and high exposure to free formaldehyde carries a carcinogenic risk. (Hong Xinci)
Source:
40% of School Uniforms Test Positive for Carcinogenic Free Formaldehyde
Is the uniform students wear to school every day safe? The Consumer Protection Department recently conducted quality and labeling inspections on 26 sets of student uniforms and sportswear for high schools and below, finding that 10 contained free formaldehyde, with one exceeding the standard by 1.68 times the national limit. Doctors warn that long-term, high exposure to free formaldehyde carries carcinogenic risks and advise washing new clothes before wearing them.
In January this year, the Consumer Protection Department, along with relevant authorities, randomly sampled student uniforms and sportswear sold by distributors in five cities and counties, including Keelung City, New Taipei City, Taichung City, Tainan City, and Kaohsiung City. The results showed that 23 items failed labeling requirements, such as lacking manufacturer information, country of origin, or care instructions. In terms of quality, 10 items tested positive for free formaldehyde, with nine within acceptable limits and one exceeding the standard.
**Recall and Removal Required**
Consumer Protection Officer Zhang Zhisong pointed out that, according to the Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection (BSMI) under the Ministry of Economic Affairs, free formaldehyde should not exceed 75 ppm. However, the short-sleeved uniform shirt from Ganyuan Junior High School in New Taipei City tested at 126 ppm, 1.68 times the national standard. The BSMI has ordered the manufacturer to recall and remove the product within a specified period.
Additionally, three items had discrepancies between labeled and actual material compositions, with the highest error reaching 24.7%. For example, the short-sleeved sportswear top from Taichung’s Xiaoming Girls’ High School claimed 60% cotton content but tested at only 35.3%. Similarly, the long-sleeved sportswear top from Tainan’s Rixin Elementary School listed 35% cotton but tested at 13.9%, while Kaohsiung Girls’ High School’s short-sleeved uniform shirt, originally labeled as 35% cotton, tested at 38.4%.
The BSMI stated that discrepancies in material composition constitute false labeling, and manufacturers have been ordered to rectify the issue within a deadline. Failure to comply twice may result in fines ranging from NT$30,000 to NT$300,000 under the Commodity Labeling Act.
**Formaldehyde Classified as a Group 1 Carcinogen**
Regarding the detection of excessive free formaldehyde in the short-sleeved boys' uniform sold by "Minglong Student Uniforms" in Shulin, Ganyuan Junior High School’s Academic Affairs Director Feng Shaohua explained that the school was notified by the Education Bureau on the afternoon of the 16th. They immediately investigated the uniform supplier and upstream fabric manufacturer, discovering that the problematic uniforms were independently produced and sold by an off-campus vendor, while those sold in the school’s cooperative met standards.
Feng noted that the short-sleeved uniforms sold in the school cooperative and their upstream fabric supplier had passed SGS inspections in March this year, with formaldehyde levels below 75 ppm. The non-compliant boys' short-sleeved uniforms were not sold on campus. Nevertheless, the school will remind parents to request proof of origin and inspection certificates when purchasing uniforms externally to avoid health risks.
**Always Wash Before Wearing**
LinKou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital’s Clinical Toxicology Department Director Yan Zonghai emphasized that formaldehyde is classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a Group 1 carcinogen. Children wearing such clothing may experience skin irritation, and inhalation or ingestion could harm the respiratory and digestive systems. Long-term, high exposure may cause genetic mutations, increasing the risk of leukemia and nasopharyngeal cancer.
Yan advises consumers to check for pungent odors before purchasing new clothes and to always wash them before wearing. Formaldehyde is water-soluble and highly volatile, so washing and drying can reduce its levels and minimize exposure risks.Formaldehyde Fact Sheet
Prolonged and High Exposure Increases Cancer Risk
Clothing often contains resin finishing agents to achieve wrinkle-resistant effects, many of which contain formaldehyde. During manufacturing, most formaldehyde reacts and poses no harm to humans. However, a small portion of formaldehyde remains unreacted during production, becoming free formaldehyde. Long-term and high exposure to free formaldehyde carries a carcinogenic risk. (Hong Xinci)
Source: