Are cell phone cases toxic?

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Many people across the world love to buy cell phone cases as accessories, because of its cheap price, polychrome appearance and customized design.

But are cell phone cases safe to use?

A press conference held by the Shenzhen Consumer Council on Thursday revealed a study on toxic substances in 30 popular cell phone covers made by 28 brands, including big names like Apple, Samsung and Xiaomi.

One billion Chinese mobile phone users, or 75 percent of China's population, use phone cases. /SICQ Photo

The results show that 23 phone covers meet testing standards, while the other five contain toxic and harmful substances that have exceeded the limit and could pose a threat to consumer health. The unsafe phone covers, including those made by Apple and Xiaomi, were bought on their official websites.

Apple and Xiaomi phone cases tested by SICQ /SICQ Photo

An official from the council said that the iPhone case contained 47 times higher than the normal level of PAH. PAH has been linked to skin, lung, bladder, liver, and stomach cancers. Meanwhile, the Xiaomi case has excessive plasticizers, which could lead to reproductive defects and decreased fertility.

One phone case featuring shimmering powder and crystals from the Chinese brand Yuening even contains 1,550 times greater than the safety limit for lead.

A phone case of Chinese brand Yuening contains 1,550 times greater than the limit of lead. /SICQ Photo

The investigation was conducted by the Shenzhen Institute of Consumption Quality (SICQ) led by the Shenzhen Consumer Council.

Since China does not have a specific regulation or standard toward phone cases, SICQ referred to several international regulations to test various harmful chemicals, such as REACH, the EU chemicals regulation, and Germany AfPS GS 2014:01 PAK, a PAHs restriction.

Xiaomi's response to the survey result /Screenshot

Xiaomi defended itself on Friday, saying that SICQ uses EN 14372 as a test standard, which is not applicable to phone covers. EN 14372 is a European standard focusing on child use and care. Furthermore, the company claimed that they have a specialized standard for its phone cases.

One billion Chinese mobile phone users, or 75 percent of China's population, use phone cases, according to SICQ. Nearly 70 percent of mobile phone covers across the country are produced in Shenzhen, south China’s Guangdong Province, with an annual market value of 20 billion yuan.