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Online retailers like Shein, AliExpress and Temu have consumed the global fast fashion industry with their heinously affordable and trending goods.

Goods that are now, apparently, leaking toxic substances all over the show.

Honestly, it is very hard at this stage to find a worthy enough reason to purchase from these marketing megalodons who chomp any competition out of the water. There are rife accusations of modern slavery, employing women and children to sew away your next disposable dress at way below a living wage, there are manipulative gamified marketing and shopping tactics to keep you glued to your cart, and there are the myriad issues around what their clothes are made of (mostly plastics like polyester and nylon) that damages the environment. Now, there is proof that their items contain terribly high levels of toxic chemicals that cause health issues.

The dirt-cheap prices are a gimmick at this stage. All the while, the founders are becoming some of the richest people in Asia and the world. How off is that?

The explosive growth of these Chinese giants – including Shein, Temu and AliExpress – has led to increased scrutiny of their business practices and safety standards. Somehow, Amazon managed to skirt this scrutiny for now.

This means the European Union and South Korea have been cracking down harder on their goods, with officials in Seoul conducting weekly inspections of items sold by online platforms.

In the most recent inspection, 144 products from Shein, AliExpress and Temu were tested, and multiple products from all companies failed to meet legal standards, per VOA News.

Shoes from Shein were found to contain significantly high levels of phthalates – a chemical used to make plastics more flexible – with one pair 229 times above the legal limit.

“Phthalate-based plasticizers affect reproductive functions such as sperm count reduction, and can cause infertility and even premature birth,” an official from Seoul’s environmental health team told AFP.

One such chemical “is classified as a human carcinogen by the International Cancer Institute, so special care should be taken to avoid long-term contact with the human body,” they added. AKA, wearing these fast-fashion goods can add to the long list of things that can give you cancer.

That’s not all. Formaldehyde, a chemical commonly used in home building products, was detected in Shein’s caps at double the allowable threshold. Can you imagine the absorption rate wearing a formaldehyde-lined cap on a sweaty head? Sies.

Still, that is not all. Two bottles of nail polish from Shein were found to have dioxane – a possible human carcinogen that can cause liver poisoning – at levels more than 3.6 times the allowed limit and methanol concentrations 1.4 times above the acceptable level.

Yep, that is still not all. Seoul authorities found sandals from Temu contained lead in the insoles at levels more than 11 times the permissible limit. Lead! The toxin that killed millions in the 16th century because back then, people didn’t know any better.

Seoul officials asked for all the products to be removed from sale, according to a government statement.

“Upon receiving notice from the Seoul city government, we immediately launched an internal investigation,” a spokesperson from Temu told AFP.

“We have swiftly removed these product listings from our global marketplace and are enhancing our systems and guidance to merchants to ensure they comply with safety standards and local regulations.”

I don’t know, man, how much can you trust a company that neglects human and environmental rights, as well as safety and health standards so rampantly and continuously?

If these toxins in clothes causing possible health issues are not enough of a hindrance, imagine all the little critters and creatures it can kill once thrown out and dumped in the environment. Not to mention the ruin it can cause to our waterways and soil systems, which we need to create the food for survival, remember?

[source:voanews]