Lead in Shein Clothing: It’s Worse Than You Think
Many consumers interested in cutting edge fashion at bargain prices are familiar with fast fashion company Shein. In 2021, the Shein app overtook Amazon as the most downloaded app in the US. Recently, social media has been abuzz with horror over news that lead was found in Shein products, including children’s clothing.
But it’s not just lead. Shein has been exposed for selling clothing and accessories containing high levels of several toxic chemicals, including PFAS and phthalates.
In 2021, Marketplace, an award-winning Canadian investigative and consumer watchdog, tested clothing from various fast fashion brands for toxic substances common in mass-produced clothing. Out of 38 samples of children’s, adult’s, and maternity clothing, 1 in 5 had elevated levels of chemicals that experts found concerning.
A children’s jacket sold by Shein, for example, contained about 20 times the amount of lead Canadian health authorities consider safe for children.
Shein has since reiterated its commitment to safety in its clothing and supply chain and taken the jacket and other products found to have high levels of toxic chemicals off the market. Consumers ought still be troubled, however, considering that…
