SEOUL, February 27 (AJP) - Ballpoint pens sold on Chinese e-commerce platforms contained lead at levels 231 times higher than South Korea’s legal safety limits, according to tests conducted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
The city government examined 16 stationery products available on platforms including Temu, Shein, and AliExpress ahead of the new school season.
The results, released Thursday, revealed that seven of the items contained hazardous substances exceeding domestic safety standards.
One particularly concerning case involved a notebook and pen set. Officials found that the pen’s refill contained lead at 231 times the permitted level. The notebook cover also tested positive for high levels of toxic substances, including cadmium at 5.6 times the legal limit and phthalate plasticizers at 92.2 times the allowable amount.
Other problematic products included a pencil set that contained phthalate plasticizers at 28.4 times the safety limit and bendable pencils with phthalate levels reaching 111.5 times the permitted threshold. Children's leather pencil cases were found to contain excessive amounts of all three hazardous substances.
Concerns extended beyond writing materials. A watercolor set contained green paint with lead levels exceeding standards by 5.1 times. Meanwhile, a children’s xylophone was found to have barium — an element that can irritate the skin and eyes — at 3.4 times the permissible level.
Seoul city officials said they plan to expand their safety inspections in March to include children’s clothing, sneakers, and sunglasses. The full test results will be made available on the website.
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