Is Your Clothing Safe? Be Aware of the Health Threats of "Toxic Clothing"!

Is Your Clothing Safe? Be Aware of the Health Threats of "Toxic Clothing"!In today's world of increasingly abundant material possessions, we enjoy the convenience and comfort of shopping experiences but often overlook the issue of clothing safety. Who would have thought that our intimate apparel could harbor carcinogenic risks? In recent years, news reports about "toxic clothing" have been rampant, sending chills down our spines

Is Your Clothing Safe? Be Aware of the Health Threats of "Toxic Clothing"!

In today's world of increasingly abundant material possessions, we enjoy the convenience and comfort of shopping experiences but often overlook the issue of clothing safety. Who would have thought that our intimate apparel could harbor carcinogenic risks? In recent years, news reports about "toxic clothing" have been rampant, sending chills down our spines. According to relevant test data, there are a large number of clothing items on the market that contain carcinogenic substances exceeding the standard, some even exceeding the standard by as much as 27 times, posing a serious threat to human health. What are these carcinogenic substances exactly? What kind of harm can they inflict on the human body? How can we identify "toxic clothing" and avoid health risks?

Formaldehyde: An Invisible Killer Lurking in Clothing

Formaldehyde, a colorless, pungent gas, has long been classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. It is widely present in home decoration materials, furniture, and other items. What is less known is that formaldehyde may also exist in the clothing we wear daily.

The primary sources of formaldehyde in clothing are concentrated in the following areas:

• Dyeing process: To give fabrics different colors, some unscrupulous merchants use formaldehyde-containing dyes to lower costs. This practice not only affects the uniformity of the color but also poses health risks to consumers.

• Finishing process: In the process of fabric dyeing, active resins are used to smooth out clothing, and some active resins also contain formaldehyde.

• Printing process: The production process of printed patterns may also involve formaldehyde.

It should be noted that not all prints and colors contain carcinogenic substances. As long as the formaldehyde content is within the controllable range of national standards, the harm to the human body is minimal. However, with the increasing awareness of environmental protection, some merchants choose to use safer dyes and finishing agents, but some unscrupulous merchants, driven by profit, still take risks and use cheap, inferior materials, resulting in many clothing items with severely exceeding formaldehyde content.

Benzidine: A More Frightening "Invisible Killer" than Formaldehyde

Benzidine, a type of aromatic amine, is a carcinogenic substance that poses a greater threat to human health. The country has set strict standards for the content of aromatic amines in clothing, no more than 20 milligrams per kilogram. However, some unscrupulous merchants, in pursuit of exorbitant profits, disregard laws and regulations and arbitrarily use aromatic amine dyes that exceed the standard, ignoring the potential health risks.

In 2022, relevant national departments conducted professional inspections on some companies and products on the market, and the results were shocking:

• A fashion apparel company in Shenzhen, its production of 12 casual clothing items, nearly 300 batches, had a failure rate of 20%.

• The failure issues included not only carcinogenic substance exceeding the standard but also aspects like friction resistance, water resistance, and fiber content.

• The exceeding aromatic amine content was particularly severe, reaching 27 times the national standard!

This data is alarming. What does an aromatic amine dye exceeding the standard by 27 times mean? It means that once consumers come into contact with such clothing, it is like coming into contact with a poison, causing irreversible harm to their health.

The phenomenon of benzidine exceeding the standard is not a first-time occurrence:

• As early as 2005, there was a case of aromatic amine content exceeding the standard by 190 times.

So, why do these unscrupulous merchants knowingly commit these offenses, and why do they persist despite repeated bans?

• Profit motive: Low costs can bring high profits. For some merchants, profit always outweighs everything else.

• Insufficient punishment: Even if they are caught, the punishment is often insufficient to offset the huge profits, failing to effectively deter illegal behavior.

What's even more worrying is that benzidine is colorless and odorless, making it difficult to detect through the senses. It can lurk in all types of clothing. Once it comes into contact with the human body, it will slowly erode health, until symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and insomnia appear, only then will people become alert. But by then, it is often too late, and regret is futile.

How to Identify "Toxic Clothing" and Protect Your Health?

Faced with the threat of "toxic clothing," we must be vigilant, learn how to identify and avoid risks, and protect our own health and that of our families.

The following aspects are worth noting:

• Color and pattern: Choose clothing with simpler colors and patterns, avoiding overly bright or complex patterns.

• Material: Choose natural materials such as cotton, linen, and silk, minimizing the purchase of synthetic fiber clothing.

• Smell: If new clothes have a strong smell, especially a pungent odor, it may indicate that formaldehyde exceeds the standard.

• Texture: Carefully observe the texture of the clothes. If they feel rough, pilling, or fading severely, they are likely to be low-quality "toxic clothing."

• Labels and certificates: Pay attention to the labels and certificates of clothing, ensuring that the product information is complete and meets relevant national standards.

• Brand and reputation: Choose brands with good reputations and try to avoid buying "three-no" products (products without a manufacturer, address, or quality certification).

• Price: Don't be tempted by cheap prices. If you buy clothes that are significantly lower than market prices, they are likely to be "toxic clothing."

• Retain purchase receipts: It is recommended to keep purchase receipts so that you can seek redress in time if there are any problems.

The following groups of people need to pay more attention to the dangers of "toxic clothing":

• Children: Children have weaker immunity and are more susceptible to harm from "toxic clothing."

• Pregnant women: Pregnant women are more sensitive to harmful substances and should choose safe clothing as much as possible.

• Sensitive individuals: People who are allergic to chemicals should choose their clothing carefully, avoiding contact with substances that may cause allergies.

Moreover, after purchasing clothes, pay attention to the following points:

• Washing: After buying new clothes, be sure to wash them with clean water first, then wash them with soap or detergent and rinse them thoroughly to minimize the residue of formaldehyde and other harmful substances.

• Drying: Wash clothes should be dried in a well-ventilated place, and sunlight can sterilize and reduce formaldehyde content.

• Careful choice of underwear: Underwear is in direct contact with the skin, so extra attention should be paid to safety. Choose underwear made of pure cotton, and avoid buying underwear that is overly bright in color or has complex patterns.

Conclusion

The threat of "toxic clothing" cannot be ignored. For our own health and the health of our families, we must be vigilant, understand the dangers of "toxic clothing," learn how to identify and avoid risks. Choosing safe clothing is not just for beauty, but for health, for a better life!

References:

• Science China: What? There's Formaldehyde On New Clothes! Wearing It Without Washing Can Cause Cancer? I Regret Knowing It Too Late - August 5, 2019

• Beijing Youth Daily: CCTV Exposes "Deadly Toxic Clothing!" This Kind of Clothing is Advised Not to Wear, Liver and Kidney Will Be Damaged... - December 27, 2023

• The Paper: "Toxic Clothing" Carcinogens Exceed the Standard by Over 20 Times, How Harmful is It to the Human Body? - September 25, 2023

• CCTV News: Inspection Found That Some Women's Clothing Carcinogens Exceed the Standard by Over 20 Times - October 10, 2022

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