The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has raised the alarm over school uniforms imported from China, which have substances suspected to cause cancer.
SON warned importers of school uniform materials from China to watch out for such cancer-causing substances which they said are made by two China based companies.
A statement issued by the Director-General of SON, Mr Osita Aboloma on Friday in Abuja, named the companies producing the materials as Sing Shun Fat School-Clothier Company and Zenith Uniform Company.
[penci_blockquote style=”style-2″ align=”none” author=””]The D-G advised importers of school uniform materials in Nigeria to ensure that they undergo the process of conformity assessment of such materials prior to import, through the SON off-shore Conformity Assessment Programme (SONCAP), to avoid bringing them into the country.[/penci_blockquote]
Aboloma said that the azo dyes found in some school uniforms in Hong Kong contained up to 173 milligrams and 41 milligrams per kilogram of the tested samples respectively.
He further stated that the amounts of the dye contained in the materials were well above the maximum allowed by the standard.
“Use of the 4-amino azo dyes have been banned in Europe, Japan and other parts of the world prior to the finding. Azo dyes could release carcinogenic substances known as aromatic amines when they mix with sweat, which accounted for the ban on the use of the dye in many countries of the world,” SON said
The D-G advised importers of school uniform materials in Nigeria to ensure that they undergo the process of conformity assessment of such materials prior to import, through the SON off-shore Conformity Assessment Programme (SONCAP), to avoid bringing them into the country.
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He further urged Nigerians to report any suspected uniform materials that may already be in the country to SON for necessary sampling, laboratory tests and analysis to be carried out at its Textile and Leather Laboratory in Kaduna for necessary regulatory action.
Aboloma stressed that all internationally accredited firms undertaking the off-shore Conformity Assessment Programme on behalf of SON all over the world, have been put on red alert concerning the cancer-causing substance in school uniform materials and other clothing materials to be imported into Nigeria