Clothes and products sold through fast-fashion platforms such as Temu and Shein are subject to analysis and testing by European consumer and environmental organizations. The results are worrying: 69% of the products assessed, including clothes, accessories and toys, do not comply with the legislation and do not meet basic European safety and health standards.
The European Union is implementing a new import tax to limit purchases from fast-fashion platforms such as SHEIN, Temu and the like. But their extremely low prices hide a toxic reality, as tests show that these ultra-cheap clothing items have a hidden cost to human health.
The EU purchases approximately 4.5 million tons of fast-fashion textiles annually. More than 5.8 million low-value e-commerce parcels enter the community block daily, and brands such as Shein, Temu, and AliExpress attract more than 400 million shoppers monthly.
Over 90% of these e-commerce clothing items are made from cheap synthetic polymers such as polyester, elastane and nylon. These clothes are essentially soft plastics that do not biodegrade and end up becoming microplastics, according to Euronews.
Until now, these products were shipped directly from factories abroad to consumers, bypassing EU controls on hazardous chemicals and components. The new EU customs directive will require electronic tracking data for every parcel received. Border authorities will be able to check shipments for illegal levels of chemicals and safety violations before they enter Europe.
According to Pelle Moos, chemicals expert and policy officer at consumer organization BEUC, “every second, around 200 products enter the EU”.
Authorities and consumer organizations repeatedly find what Moos calls “astronomical” non-conformity rates in products sold through ultra-fast-fashion channels.
“We are talking about a range of 70-80%“, he declared.
Chemical alerts in the textile and fashion industry have increased significantly, with dozens of international alerts submitted annually to the EU’s Rapid Alert System. More than 72% of these official textile alerts point to direct risks to human health, including severe allergic reactions, chemical burns from excess formaldehyde, and possible organ damage from heavy metals.
Consumer organization Testachats also tested Shein toys, with worrying results.
“Only one was fully compliant. It is important to note that we did not select products that appeared unsafe on the site. I randomly chose 45 toys. Around 60% presented a real safety risk, including small parts that could be swallowed or electronic components that were not properly closed“, said the organization’s spokeswoman, Laura Clays.
Children’s products, classified as “chemical bombs”
“It’s really the worst thing we seesaid Moos.These are chemicals that we have known for decades to be harmful. Substances that can cause cancer, infertility, developmental problems in children and persist in the environmenthe said.
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A report published by Greenpeace showed that 32% of Shein products tested exceeded the limits of the EU Regulation on Chemicals (REACH).
A June 2025 investigation carried out by BEUC (Bureau Européen des Unions de Consommateurs, a European consumer protection organization – ed.) warned of the existence of “chemical bombs” in many baby products. Hazardous substances were identified in 10 of the 25 items tested, including a pair of children’s slippers, which the researchers described as a “chemical bomb”.
Body heat and sweat can act as natural solvents, allowing restricted substances to release from clothing and reach the skin. People also inhale textile fibers and chemicals released from materials, and young children often end up gnawing on clothes. Heat, sweat, prolonged wear and damaged skin can increase the absorption of these substances.
Among the 56 items of clothing tested, Greenpeace found phthalate concentrations up to 200 times above the EU limit. PFAS (“permanent chemicals”) substances were found in seven jackets, some exceeding EU limits by more than 3,000 times. The researchers also detected lead and cadmium in footwear, formaldehyde in a children’s suit and nonylphenol ethoxylate in a waterproof jacket. BEUC reported similar results, and the Danish organization Forbrugerrådet Tænk identified restricted PFASs in several outdoor jackets.
How bad can these chemicals do?
Their names are complex, but the potential effects are clear:
- Phthalates (including DEHP and DBP): Plastic softeners associated with hormone disruption, reduced fertility and developmental problems in children.
- PFAS (“forever chemicals”): Persistent compounds that accumulate in the body and are associated with immune system suppression, organ damage and some cancers.
- Formaldehyde: used to prevent clothes from wrinkling; exposure can cause irritation, allergic reactions and increase the risk of long-term cancer.
- Nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPE/APEO): endocrine disruptors linked to reproductive and developmental problems.
- Aromatic amines: by-products of some dyes, which include known or suspected carcinogens.
- Dimethylformamide (DMF) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs): industrial solvents associated with liver toxicity, reproductive problems and respiratory irritation.
“Phthalates are used to make plastics softer, PFAS for waterproofing, formaldehyde to prevent wrinkling and protect clothes in transit, and cadmium can be added to cheap jewelry to give it more weight. Other substances, such as lead, are not intentionally added but may occur due to poor production control or contamination“, Moos explained.
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Heavy metals
Federacja Konsumentów, the Polish member organization of BEUC, tested Shein clothes, underwear and jewelry. More than 50% of the products analyzed contained dangerous levels of heavy metals.
Lead, one of these, is a neurotoxin that accumulates in the body and has been linked to impaired brain development, learning disabilities, behavioral problems, kidney damage and reproductive problems, especially in children.
Cadmium is classified as a carcinogen and is associated with damage to the kidneys, liver, lungs, cardiovascular and nervous systems, as well as reduced fertility and negative effects on fetal development.
“Lead is a neurotoxin and there is no safe level of exposure” said Moos. “Europe has tried for decades to eliminate lead from everyday life, but we continue to find it in consumer products.”
