Clothing Made in China and Other Asian Nations Reportedly Has Unsafe Levels of Formaldehyde

Washing new clothes before you wear them sounds strange. They generally look good and perhaps a quick iron to smooth out the wrinkles caused by shipping is all that is necessary to make your children look well kept and stylish as they return to school.

Wrong! Clothes shipped for long distances, particularly clothes made in China, India, Bangladesh or other Asian countries contain formaldehyde to prevent any mold or mildew that may form due to exposure to high humidity or moisture. Formaldehyde is also involved in permanent press textile processing which is applied to many items of clothing made in China as well as elsewhere.

Formaldehyde is a colorless gas that provides that "new" smell for many clothing items. I recently purchased two inexpensive T-shirts to complement my summer attire and developed a rash on my chest after wearing one of the shirts. It had never happened before and my only explanation is that I might be more susceptible as I age or perhaps there was more formaldehyde in this particular shirt. A quick check revealed "Made in China" on the label. A further check via the Internet contained more information than I was seeking about clothing made in China. It revealed a dangerous and somewhat hidden secret about the use of formaldehyde in textiles. Seems formaldehyde is widely used and there are many dangers to individuals that are exposed.

Formaldehyde can cause a long list of ailments, and although exposure from textile products probably cannot cause the cancer associated with long term exposure, it certainly can cause rashes, respiratory problems and other allergic reactions to the eyes and skin. This would seem to be particularly applicable to our children and babies if they are wearing clothes that are made in China or other Asian nations which are not washed and aired before being worn.

Within the last week the government of New Zealand discovered a problem and has enlisted the help of scientists to explore the growing concern about excessive levels of formaldehyde in clothing. Clothing imported from China contained excessive levels of formaldehyde. In some cases the levels of this chemical exceeded the safe limits of exposure by up to 900 times. Additionally, the investigation in New Zealand revealed that certain dyes used in clothing can cause adverse reactions.

The lesson here is clear. Wash your children's new clothes as well as your own (especially if Made in China) before they are worn and stay tuned as there is certain to be more information about this potentially wide spread problem as it applies not only to clothing but to other textile products used in our homes.

http://stuff.co.nz/4170189a10.html

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601081&sid=a_gWpNtrC5aI&refer=australia