Poor color fastness among list of irritants

In November last year, China Consumers' Association found that about 36 percent of the products sold by 70 fast fashion brands in Beijing and Shanghai had quality problems ranging from unmatched fiber content marked on packages and excessive level of formaldehyde to a high pH index and poor color fastness.

A b+ab jacket and a jeans sample sold by Mango were found to contain less fiber than indicated on their labels, while a Marks&Spencer trouser contained excessive formaldehyde. Hotwind and Zara trousers were found to have a higher pH index than the national standard.

Clothing samples taken from Guess, Muji Labo, Promod, Zara, Tommy Hilfiger, Cache Cache, Marks&Spencer and Forever 21 had poor color fastness to water, wet rubbing or sweat stains.

In March this year, the Shanghai Exit-Entry Inspection and Quarantine Bureau said 15 batches of imported H&M baby clothing were destroyed last year for containing excessive levels of formaldehyde. They were made in Bangladesh, Cambodia and Turkey.

H&M had one batch of blouses which failed in slippage and one batch of jeans for fiber content.

Doctors say excessive formaldehyde can lead to headaches, dermatitis, respiratory disease, eczema, scytitis and even malignant tumors and leukemia.

Dye in clothing with poor color fastness can bleed onto the skin, which can be harmful, while a high pH index can lead to skin allergies and make people vulnerable to bacteria.