Children’s headphones on Temu, Amazon found with chemicals exceeding safety limits in South Korea

35 per cent of those tested contained substances at levels up to 200 times over the safety standard. Read more at straitstimes.com.

SEOUL – Several children’s headphones sold on major overseas shopping platforms were found to contain hazardous chemical levels that far exceed South Korea’s safety limits, according to an investigation by the Korea Consumer Agency.

The agency examined 20 children’s headphone models sold on AliExpress, Temu and Amazon, and found that seven products – 35 per cent of those tested – contained phthalate plasticisers at levels up to 200 times higher than the domestic safety standard of 0.1 per cent.

Four of the seven products were also found to contain lead at levels up to 39 times higher than the permitted limit of 100 milligrams per kilogram.

Phthalates, classified as endocrine-disrupting chemicals, can harm reproductive health and childhood development, while lead, a possible carcinogen, is associated with reduced intelligence, anaemia and muscle weakness.

Children’s products sold domestically are required to obtain KC safety certification. However, overseas direct-purchase items intended for personal use can be imported without any safety verification, creating what experts describe as a regulatory blind spot.

The consumer agency said it has notified platform operators of the findings and recommended blocking sales of the problematic products.