A study by the German magazine EcoTest discovered that some products purchasable online from the giant fast fashion Shein they can release substances harmful to health: in addition to antimony, cadmium, lead, dimethylformamide And naphthalenein particular some compounds called stand out phthalatesprohibited by EU regulations and found in quantities even 15 times higher to those established by the European regulation. This study has rekindled the debate on the impacts of fast fashion, not only from the point of view environmental (due to the short life cycle of these products, which generates a large amount of waste) and social (due to the working conditions in the production plants, located mainly in China and South-East Asia) but also with regard to the Health. In this article we specifically deal with phthalates, which have generated a lot of concern: let’s see what they are, what their effects are on health and why they are used in fabrics.
The results of the German test on Shein garments
A study organized by the magazine ÖkoTest analyzed 21 headsproducts intended for different age groups. The garments have been subjected to tests that simulate normal usefor example by putting them in contact with a solution recreated in the laboratory that mimics sweat to simulate the release of dangerous substances into water (the so-called elution test): of these well 8 have released toxic substances to high concentrations.
A children’s dress they released heavy metals like antimony, some sandals they have instead highlighted presence of PAHs (compounds derived from combustion), cadmium and lead.
The most widespread toxic substances, however, were phthalates prohibited from the EU regulation, with concentrations 15 times greater thanand the limits set by REACH, the European regulation for the transport and use of chemicals.
A previous study with weekly analysis, conducted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government in South Korea and also focused on other e-shops such as Aliexpress had highlighted even worse cases, with shoes which turned out to contain up to 428 times the maximum level indicated by local authorities.
What are phthalates and their health effects
Phthalates are a family of compounds widely used in industry: in the case of synthetic fabricsthey come added to make plastics flexible and elastic used, like the PVC of the products in imitation leather. Given the synthetic nature of most of the fabrics used, fast fashion companies make extensive use of these products to make the finished garments more pleasant to the touch.
Not all phthalates have harmful health effects, but many of them do. negative effects on the reproductive systemmostly male, and some are also classified as “endocrine disruptors”with effects on the hormonal system and related consequences such as obesity or heart problems. For this reason, EU countries and other nations such as Switzerland limit the useestablishing concentration limits maximum to be respected for consumer products.
