The ToxFree Life for All project analysed 81 headphone models (180 material samples) across Central Europe and online marketplaces like Temu and Shein. 100% of products contained hazardous substances, including bisphenols, phthalates, and flame retardants. While these products do not pose an acute or "imminent" danger, the cumulative and synergistic effects of chronic exposure to these chemical classes pose a long-term risk to public health, therefore having a negative impact on sovereign consumer choice. The individual consumer has limited power to choose a safe product. Consumer protection is a systemic problem that cannot be solved by individual choice; it must be addressed at the institutional level.
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