ADM officials in Livorno serving in the customs clearance control department seized 2.800 sports bags made of synthetic fibres with plastic inserts and accessories, of Chinese origin and provenance, which were found to be dangerous for public health.
From the very first stages of checking the imported goods, ADM officials, upon opening the container, noticed an intense smell of chemical substances, typical of the composition of plastic materials, such that they had to proceed with caution and wait for appropriate ventilation.
Thanks to the equipment provided to the Livorno Customs Office, it was possible to identify the PVC parts, located both on the handle and on the shoulder strap. A sample of the goods was analyzed by the ADM Chemical Laboratory of Naples, which confirmed the presence of phthalates above the limits set by the European Regulation, detecting a concentration twenty times higher than permitted for the handles (2,35%) and almost sixty times for the shoulder strap (5,81%).
Phthalates are chemical substances, esters of phthalic acid, used to make plastic materials more resistant and at the same time bendable. It is no coincidence that they are among the materials that pollute the environment and are dangerous for human health: several studies have highlighted the serious risks deriving from exposure to phthalates, results linked to the development of some pathologies, such as asthma, diabetes, fertility problems and disorders, and above all risks for the human endocrine system.
Therefore, the European Union has long intended to regulate the use of various chemical substances with EC Regulation 1907/2006 and the subsequent EU Regulation 2005/2018 which concern the registration, evaluation, authorization and restriction of substances falling within the “reach” parameters, that is, in this particular case, the family of phthalates (phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, benzyl butyl phthalate and diisobutyl phthalate), which cannot be used in products if the single or combined concentration is equal to or greater than 0,1% by weight of the plasticized material.
On the basis of the investigations, ADM officials proceeded to seize the entire batch of bags and to report the owner of the importing company to the Public Prosecutor's Office of Livorno, who was responsible, according to the law, for the declaration of importation equivalent to the placing on the market of products potentially dangerous for public health and the environment.
The outcome of the operation reaffirms once again the constant commitment of the Customs and Monopolies Agency to combat not only tax-related but also non-tax-related crimes.
Article published on 18 September 2023 - 12:08
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