PHILADELPHIA-- Amid growing concerns about the safety of imported products, preliminary results from
Philadelphia University's Institute for Textile and Apparel Product Safety found elevated levels of hazardous chemicals present in samples of children's clothing and car seats made overseas.
The early tests have found heightened levels of formaldehyde in samples of blouses and khaki pants, as well as high levels of brominated resins in car seats. Formaldehyde is commonly used as a permanent press agent, while brominated resins are a flame retardant used in car seats, mattresses and
other consumer goods.
"Although we are still in the preliminary stages of testing, we are concerned that the levels of formaldehyde and brominated flame retardants we are starting to find are known to have health consequences, especially for children," said David Brookstein, Sc.D., director of the Institute for
Textile and Apparel Product Safety.
The Institute for Textile and Apparel Product Safety (ITAPS) was established in September in the wake of growing government and public concern about the safety of a wide range of consumer items, particularly lead-tainted toys.
The Institute is conducting research to determine if potentially toxic chemicals are present in imported clothing and other textile products, identify which toxic chemicals and agents are being used and the extent of their use and help establish protocols for testing and evaluating imported items.
Meanwhile, legislation recently introduced in Congress would direct the Consumer Product Safety Commission to investigate potential safety dangers in children's clothing and promulgate rules necessary to ensure these items are safe. For now, however, there are few U.S. regulatory standards for
imported clothing or textiles.
Philadelphia University's Institute for Textile and Apparel Product Safety
www.philau.edu
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