The Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection (BSMI) is mulling strict restrictions on the amount of plasticizer chemicals contained in rubber erasers.
Some erasers currently sold on the market were reported to contain plasticizer chemicals, which at high concentrations could pose a health threat to children who chew the erasers or touch their eyes, nose or mouth after using them.
Once the harmful substances make their way into the human system, they can cause males to develop female characteristics such as breasts and can increase the risk of breast cancer in women. The chemicals are a type of environmental hormone that acts as an endocrine disrupter and can also cause damage to the liver and kidneys.
Chen Hung-i (陳宏亦), a section chief at the bureau, said it would reference the Chinese National Standards guidelines for plastic toys and shoes to draft standards for rubber erasers. The bureau will set the maximum amount of plasticizer chemicals allowed in erasers at 0.1 percent of mass, which basically means that the harmful chemicals are not allowed to be added to the erasers, he said.
After the standards are set, the bureau plans to conduct product safety tests on erasers as part of mandatory inspections so that products that do not pass the test must be recalled and manufacturers of the sub-standard erasers ordered to make improvements or face heavy fines.
The bureau urged parents to teach children not to chew erasers, to wash their hands frequently and avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth after using erasers.
Trips for more than 100,000 international and domestic air travelers could be disrupted as China launches a military exercise around Taiwan today, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said yesterday. The exercise could affect nearly 900 flights scheduled to enter the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) during the exercise window, it added. A notice issued by the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration showed there would be seven temporary zones around the Taiwan Strait which would be used for live-fire exercises, lasting from 8am to 6pm today. All aircraft are prohibited from entering during exercise, it says. Taipei FIR has 14 international air routes and
Taiwan lacks effective and cost-efficient armaments to intercept rockets, making the planned “T-Dome” interception system necessary, two experts said on Tuesday. The concerns were raised after China’s military fired two waves of rockets during live-fire drills around Taiwan on Tuesday, part of two-day exercises code-named “Justice Mission 2025.” The first wave involved 17 rockets launched at 9am from Pingtan in China’s Fujian Province, according to Lieutenant General Hsieh Jih-sheng (謝日升) of the Office of the Deputy Chief of the General Staff for Intelligence at the Ministry of National Defense. Those rockets landed 70 nautical miles (129.6km) northeast of Keelung without flying over Taiwan,
City buses in Taipei and New Taipei City, as well as the Taipei MRT, would on Saturday begin accepting QR code payments from five electronic payment providers, the Taipei Department of Transportation said yesterday. The new option would allow passengers to use the “transportation QR code” feature from EasyWallet, iPass Money, iCash Pay, Jkopay or PXPay Plus. Passengers should open their preferred electronic payment app, select the “transportation code” — not the regular payment code — unlock it, and scan the code at ticket readers or gates, General Planning Division Director-General Liu Kuo-chu (劉國著) said. People should move through the
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) today released images of the military tracking China’s People's Liberation Army (PLA) movements during the latest round of Chinese drills around Taiwan. The PLA began "Justice Mission 2025" drills today, carrying out live-fire drills, simulated strikes on land and maritime targets, and exercises to blockade the nation's main ports. The exercises are to continue tomorrow, with the PLA announcing sea and air space restrictions for five zones around Taiwan for 10 hours starting from 8:30am. The ministry today released images showing a Chinese J-16 fighter jet tracked by a F-16V Block 20 jet and the
RSS