Briefing | Toxic Free Corps Bimonthly (2023.5-6）

#The survey results about benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) in rapeseed oils: The BaP was detected in seven products, but was at the permissible levels 

In May 2023, the Toxics-Free Corps team conducted desktop research on the BaP in rapeseed oils, and selected ten best-selling rapeseed oils available from the local e-commerce platforms, before sending them to a qualified third-party test organization for BaP detection.

According to the test results, the BaP was found in seven of the ten oils, but its content in each of them was < 1.0 μg/kg, which met the requirement (≤10 μg/kg) of the GB 2762-2017 National Food Safety Standard - the Upper Limits of Pollutants in Foods.

Caption: Desktop research by the non-toxic pioneer team

#The survey results about veterinary drugs in honey: None of the three drugs was detected

In May 2023, the Toxics-Free Corps team conducted desktop research on veterinary drugs in honey, and selected ten best-selling honey products available from the local e-commerce platforms, before sending them to a qualified third-party test organization for metronidazole, norfloxacin and furacilin detection.

According to the test results, none of the three drugs was detected, and, as for the test items, the samples met the requirements of the GB 31650.1-2022 National Food Safety Standard - the Maximum Permissible Levels of 41 Veterinary Drugs in Foods, the GB 31650-2019 National Food Safety Standard - the Maximum Permissible Levels of Veterinary Drugs in Foods, and the List of Drugs and Other Compounds Banned for Animals Used for Food as the Notice No. 250 of the Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs of the People’s Republic of China.

Caption: Non toxic Pioneer conducted a desktop study on the issue of veterinary drug residues in honey

#The test results about children’s leather shoes: Neither formaldehyde nor heavy metals were detected

In June 2023, the Toxics-Free Corps team selected twenty best-selling children’s leather shoes, and sent them to a qualified third-party test organization for formaldehyde (in the outer leather + the inner lining) and heavy-metal (in the outer leather) detection. 

According to the test results, neither formaldehyde nor heavy metals were detected at the specified positions of the twenty children’s shoes, which met the upper-limit requirements of the GB 30585-2014 Technical Criteria for the Safety of Children’s Shoes. 

Caption: Children's leather shoes purchased on e-commerce platforms

#The pre-test results about earrings: 60-percent compliance

In June 2023, the Toxics-Free Corps team conducted desktop research on nickle release from and heavy-metal contents in earrings, and selected twenty best-selling earrings available from one local e-commerce platform (both alloys and titanium steel accounted for half of the ear-piercing materials, and twenty brands were involved), before sending them to a qualified third-party test organization for nickle-release and heavy-metal (including lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury, and hexavalent chromium) detection.

Given the upper-limit requirements of China’s compulsory standard - the GB 28480-2012 Regulations on the Upper Limits of Harmful Elements in Ornaments, nickle release from seven of the earrings was detected, and five of them exceeded the upper limit (< 0.2 μg/cm2/week); lead was found in seventeen earrings, one of which exceeded the upper limit (≤ 1,000 mg/kg); cadmium was found in seven earrings, four of which exceeded the upper limit (≤ 100 mg/kg). 

Caption: Non-compliant samples in terms of lead contents

#Almost all the children's sandals non-compliant in term of phthalate levels and products with no production date, quality certificate and producer information were removed

In May, the Toxics-Free Corps team sent the survey results about children’s sandals to JD.com, Taobao.com, Pinduoduo, Douyin and Kuaishou in the form of an advice letter, and communicated many times with these platforms in order to urge them to remove the links to products non-compliant in term of phthalate levels and those with no production date, quality certificate and producer information while accordingly conducting rectification. As of May 31, JD.com, Pinduoduo, Douyin and Kuaishou had removed relevant products; Taobao.com-based retailers involved in six of the products submitted a complaint, before Taobao.com conducted active sampling. As of June 22, four of them had been removed.

Caption: Sample of children's sandals with excessive levels of ortho benzene

On the Children’s Day, Cenews.com.cn published a report on the survey results about children’s sandals and the story behind them.

>>>The link to details：

# Sending an advice letter against the illegal sale of single-use cotton-tipped plastic swabs via certain e-commerce platforms

From May to June, 2023, the Toxics-Free Corps team conducted statistical analysis of the illegal sale of single-use cotton-tipped plastic swabs via four e-commerce platforms including JD.com, 1688.com, Taobao.com and Pinduoduo. It sent an advice letter to 1688.com, Taobao.com and Pinduoduo depending on the survey results. Its advice included stopping the illegal sale of such swabs and conducting platform-wide rectification. All the three platforms have received the letter. As of June 30, not all the identified links relevant to the illegal sale of the single-use cotton-tipped plastic swabs had been removed. The team will continue monitoring the process of rectification by the platforms.

Caption: Part of the cotton-tipped plastic swabs available via Taobao.com, 1688.com and Pinduoduo, which they have been informed of but have yet to remove

 (Source: Screenshots from the project team)

#The Basic Research Report on the Lead Levels in Paints in China 2022 was officially published

Co-hosted by the SEE Conservation and the SEE Foundation, the 10th Chinese Enterprise Green Compact Forum took place online on June 5, 2023, or the World Environment Day.

Zhang Jinliang, Researcher of the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences (CRAES) and board member of Shenzhen Zero Waste, presented a report on the status quo of the lead contents in paints in China at the forum. This report was finished and published by the SEE Foundation together with the China National Coatings Industry Association (NCIA), Shenzhen Zero Waste and Changsha Shuguang Environmental Protection. With field studies and product sampling, the report focuses on the current production and use of lead paints, with an aim to urge governments, companies and third parties across society to participate in the green action by the coatings industry together in order to reduce lead exposure. According to Zhang, the compliance rate of paints in China in terms of lead contents has improved significantly in most recent years, as it already rose to 62 percent in 2022 from 20 percent in 2021; the compliance rate of brands, to 50 percent in 2022 from 15 percent in 2012.

>>>The link to details: 

#Attending the Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions

On May 7-12, 2023, Mao Da, the representative of Shenzhen Zero Waste, and Tian Jing, the representative of Nature Fields as the former’s partner organization, attended the biennial Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions (BRS COPs) in Geneva, Switzerland.

Shenzhen Zero Waste has attended the BRS COPs thrice, or twice offline, as an observer since 2019. 

During the conferences, we focused on the negotiation issues including the technical guidelines on the environmentally sound management of plastic wastes under the Basel Convention and the addition of new chemicals and amendment to the Rotterdam Convention.

We reported the main progress and outcomes of the negotiation through we-media to China in a timely manner. Besides, we held a side event themed the reduction of highly hazardous pesticides and pesticide packaging waste at the venue of the BRS COPs on the evening of May 11 local time. The representatives of four partner organizations including Share the Harvest, Nature Fields, Green Camel Bell and Incom Recycle were invited to share their ideas about the theme. About 30 government and NGO representatives, UNEP officials and scholars also attended this event online or offline.

Caption: Tian and Mao at the BRS COPs

Caption: The side event

>>>The link to details：

Reports on the BRS COPs 2023

#Holding an ESG capacity building workshop

On June 8-9, 2023, the Toxics-Free Corps team and Plastic Free China co-held an online ESG capacity building workshop focusing on ESG overview, disclosure, rating and others, laying a basis for environmental NGOs’ supporting the improvement of corporate ESG reporting in the future. A total of 45 persons attended this event. 

Caption: Activity picture of ESG capacity building workshop

#Attending the 17th Persistent Organic Pollutants Forum and Chemical Environmental Safety Conference

On May 16-18, 2023, Mou Xiaoning, Project Director of the Toxics-Free Corps attended the 17th Persistent Organic Pollutants Forum and Chemical Environmental Safety Conference together with the representatives of Wuhu Environmental Protection Volunteers Association, Epmap.org and Nature Guardian, and learned about the developments of academic research on persistent organic pollutants (POPs). After the conference, we shared what we had learned with our partners of the Chemical Safety Network. With a focus on emerging-pollutant control and a healthy environment, the forum was attended offline by 902 people and received 435 papers. The attendees presented nine conference reports, 304 parallel-session reports and 76 academic posts on 12 issues such as the analysis of environmental organic pollutants and the characteristics of pollution, and the environmental behavior, transport and transformation of organic pollutants.

Caption: Group photo of relevant personnel at the 17th Persistent organic pollutant Forum

New media operations

#The organizations’public account operations from May to June：

• published 31 articles, including 15 original ones, and received 2,135 new subscribers;

• The Safer Plastic published four articles, including two original ones, and received 37 new subscribers.

# According to incomplete statistics by the end of June, all the new-media platforms of the Toxics-Free Corps received a cumulative total of over 320,000 visits, more than 140,000 views and over 400 likes/recommendations.

 Channel cooperation

#The Toxics-Free Corps x YiXi

On the afternoon of May 27, 2023, Mao Da, Strategic Director of the Toxics-Free Corps, attended a speech-based event held by the well-known speech program YiXi at the Yuhua Theater in Nanjing. He made a speech themed a guide to toxics-free shopping, covering the main explorations by the Toxics-Free Corps relevant to chemical safety issues about consumer goods in the past 4-5 years. The speech included about 30 risk products involved in relevant surveys and tests, their possible harms to consumers’ health, and how the organization had managed to control the risks of certain products by urging relevant e-commerce platforms to take actions. Additionally, the Toxics-free Home Showroom, a space for public education on the home environment, was set up at the venue to interact with the audience. The speech video and relevant articles were already released by YiXi on some major media platforms on June 17, and have since received over 500,000 clicks and views.

Source: YiXi

>>>The link to details：

#The Toxics-Free Corps x Ifeng.com

On June 5, or the World Environment Day, we held a public opinion survey on cotton-tipped plastic swabs with support from Health.ifeng.com. As many as 67,000 people had participated in this event as of June 30.

>>>The link to details：

#The Toxics-Free Corps x the environmental teen team Suzhihaima 

From May to June 2023, the Toxics-Free Corps joined hands with the environmental teen team Suzhihaima, and provided them with guidance on designing and distributing a questionnaire on cotton-tipped plastic swabs. As of June 30, a total of 1,811 copies had been collected. More than 70 percent of the respondents were unaware that the production and sale of such swabs had been prohibited by China’s new plastics ban.

At the same time, Suzhihaima learned about students’ and pedestrians’ understanding about laws and regulations relevant to plastic pollution control through interviews on some campuses and streets. Moreover, they presented environmental knowledge about plastic contamination and the national laws and regulations on plastic pollution control such as the new plastic ban to the public, especially the group of teenagers, by organizing a flash mob and themed class meetings.

Caption:The promotional materials made by the project team for the flash mob

>>>The link to details：

#The Toxics-Free Corps x the public

As of June 30, our monthly donation project Make Toxic Products Away from Our Health had received a cumulative total of RMB 29,900 from 658 donations, along with 30 persons who were making a donation at that time.

Media reports：

#Cenews.com.cn

Watch out! Nearly 60 percent of the children’s sandals bought online are products with no production date, quality certificate and producer information; the samples come with frighteningly high phthalate levels

https://res.cenews.com.cn/h5/news.html?id=1057799

Pungent! Fifty pairs of children’s sandals bought online forced me to put on a mask and gloves

https://res.cenews.com.cn/h5/news.html?id=1057881

Cqcb.com: Nearly 60 percent of the children’s sandals bought online by an environmental NGO are products with no production date, quality certificate and producer information, with plasticizer levels up to 780 times that of the permissible limit and the risk of causing precocious puberty and childhood asthma

https://www.cqcb.com/shishijingwei/2023-06-01/5277823_pc.html

Zgfzhb.com: Watch out! Nearly 60 percent of the children’s sandals bought online are products with no production date, quality certificate and producer information; the samples come with frighteningly high phthalate levels

http://www.zgfzhb.com/Home/content/index/id/13200.html

Cnr.cn: 25,000 units of a mini-kitchen toy are recalled for non-compliance with the toy safety standard

https://health.cnr.cn/jkjrjd/20230529/t20230529_526267653.shtml

Health.ifeng.com: Do you have this in your home? The harmful substances generated by it are already throughout the bodies of humans including fetuses 

https://ishare.ifeng.com/c/s/v004JZR4CGtGtiJ8Tx63PtSJkiTGWCepU94LfyYhMOBWnR4__spss=np&channelId=&aman=9145d1mfd0a325Cdf3k88bxed4l16261c9Z98cG658&gud=0l5435547G179E8008000s004

Guangzhou Daily: Mao Da: It is critical for public interest foundations to support individuals working for the public interest

https://news.dayoo.com/gzrbrmt/202306/25/158555_54498926.htm

Thepaper.cn: A survey report on the current status of lead paints: Half of the brands remain non-compliant in terms of lead levels in paints

https://m.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_23360707from=HOTQRCODE&hotContIds=

Cnr.cn: Hazards from bright paints: Chairs in kids’ amusement parks may contain lead several hundred times as high as the permissible limit

http://china.cnr.cn/gdgg/20230618/t20230618_526292808.shtml

Shobserver.com: A survey report reveals hazards from bright paints: Chairs in kids’ amusement parks may contain lead several hundred times as high as the permissible limit

https://export.shobserver.com/baijiahao/html/623825.html

END

ORGANIZATION丨Li Benben

EDIT丨All personnel

EXAMINATION丨Li Benben

TRANSLATOR丨Zhou Yong

TYPE SETTING丨Cui Xiaoqi

 FINAL REVIEW丨Li Benben

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