HARMFUL SUBSTANCES IN CHILDREN FLOOR MATS

[Anchor Lead]

As people tend to stay home for a longer period of time even since social distancing became the norm, they consequently came to use indoor household items more often for longer durations. But when floor mats for children and other household items were checked for safety, endocrine disruptors and other harmful substances were found in large volumes.

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It's good enough for the price. It’s inexpensive and the product quality is decent. These are some of the online post-purchase reviews on a floor mat. But test results are shocking. The non-skid pad under the mat was found to contain 645 times more phthalate esters than permitted. As an identified endocrine disrupter, long-term exposure to this toxic substance can cause damage to the liver and kidneys.

[Soundbite] User of the children’s floor mat) : "Children play on it every day. I’m worried that this may cause problems for my children."

Another mat was detected with a five to six times higher formamide level than the standard.

[Soundbite] Kim Jeong-min(Korea Apparel Testing & Research Institute) : "Children can be exposed to formamide and other volatile organic compounds through inhalation. It is known to cause headache and dizziness when inhaled."

The Korean Agency for Technology and Standards ordered a suspension of sales and a recall for the questionable floor mats.

[Soundbite] Kim Kuk-ho(Korea Agency for Technology and Standards) : "We plan to expand safety tests on related products as we expect to see an increase in consumer demand for products needed in the non-contact era."

Detailed information on the recalled products is available on the agency's Product Safety Information Center website.