China-made dolls found to have harmful substance levels

Harmful substances exceeding up to 142 times the permissible level have been detected in rag Husky dolls imported from China, which look similar to the "Brownie doll" that appears on the popular Korean TV comedy show “Gag Concert.”

Substances that can cause endocrine system disorders have also been detected in certain toy cars and baby walkers widely used by toddlers.

The Korean Agency for Technology and Standards under the Knowledge Economy Ministry on Wednesday said safety tests on 393 products detected problems in 21 products, and ordered product recalls.

According to the agency, phthalate group plasticizers, which can cause endocrine system disorders and exceed permissible levels 48 to 142 times, detected in the eyelids, tongue, and necklace of rack Husky dolls made in China and imported by Toy Club, BB Land, Happy World and As Ever of Korea. The products look very similar to the Brownie doll, which is featured in the “Mrs. Jeong” segment of KBS2 TV’s flagship comedy show "Gag Concert," and have been sold as “Brownie” without being differentiated from the original product.

Two toy cars from China have been found to contain phthalate group plasticizers that far exceeded permissible levels and could cause injuries because they do not come with braking systems. One baby walker from China has been also found to contain phthalate group plasticizer that exceeds permissible levels 159 times and can easily collapse and cause injury.

Ornaments for children from China, including rubber pins and hair bands, have been found to contain 1,606 times the permissible level of lead, a heavy metal, and 13.6 times that of cadmium, raising the risk of anemia or central nervous system disorders.

Two car windshield cleaning products have higher freezing temperatures than the standard of minus 25 degrees Celsius and obstruct a driver`s vision in winter. A portable ladder has been found to pose a high risk of fall due to no lock.

The agency ordered manufacturers and importers of the products to remove all of them from the market, and repair and exchange products that have been sold to consumers. More information on the recalled products is available at the product safety information portal site (www.safetykorea.kr).

january@donga.com