TOP STORY: Chinese toxic clothing scare

A Hastings mother is braving a tantrum from her three-year-old and doing away with his Bob the Builder pyjamas as concerns about Chinese-made children's clothing hit Hawke's Bay.
Claire MacGregor is one of many parents reacting today to claims some clothes imported from China contain high levels of formaldehyde - commonly used in embalming.
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs has launched an inquiry into formaldehyde levels in clothing after scientists from TV show Target found dangerous amounts of the substance on both woollen and cotton items.
Mrs MacGregor said her son Lachie's drawers were filled with Chinese-made clothing and she didn't know what to do, or to dress him in.
"No-one can find kids clothes that aren't made in China. What do we do with all this gear? Do we throw it out?" Formaldehyde exposure can lead to skin inflammation and dermatitis, burning eyes and in high exposure coughing and heart palpitations.
Mrs MacGregor said she couldn't link any rashes or reactions to her son's clothing but was worried. "How can they be sure there is no long-term issue, we can't tell long-term side effects until we are further down the track."
While the Ministry of Consumer Affairs would start testing sample clothes for formaldehyde Mrs MacGregor wasn't taking any chances and plans to chuck the Chinese-made clothing, even his favourites.
"Lachie is going to be very upset, he is going to throw a tantrum at his mum and dad especially over his Bob the Builder stuff."
Ministry of Consumer Affairs general manager Liz MacPherson said the ministry was taking the issue seriously.
There were no specific regulations with respect to formaldehyde in clothing, Ms MacPherson said. However, New Zealand law required all products on the market to be safe. It also relied on other countries' safety standards. International research shows exposure to formaldehyde in concentrations of 20 parts per million (ppm) can cause symptoms including skin irritations, respiratory problems and cancer.
Target producer Simon Rod said AgriQuality scientist tested a variety of new children's and adults' clothes and the results were so astounding they thought they had made a mistake.
"Our results were shocking, ranging from 230ppm to 18,000ppm. This is almost unbelievable. Some of the clothes tested have a reading of 900 times the level that actually causes harm."
Consumers are advised to wash and dry all new clothes before they are worn. Formaldehyde is used to give a permanent press effect to clothes.