Testing finds fluorine—an indicator of PFAS—in women’s sportswear from popular brands like Old Navy and Lululemon.
One
in four pairs of popular leggings and yoga pants tested have detectable levels
of fluorine, an indicator of toxic PFAS, according to a new report from Mamavation.
Partnering
with EHN.org, the environmental wellness blog and community Mamavation tested
the activewear and found levels of fluorine ranging from 10 parts per million
(ppm) up to 284 ppm in eight pairs of leggings and pants, out of 32 tested.
EHN.org partially funded the testing and Pete Myers, chief scientist of
Environmental Health Sciences, which publishes Environmental Health News,
reviewed the findings.
While the testing doesn’t prove per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are in the products, fluorine is a strong indicator of the “forever chemicals”— which have been linked to everything from cancer to birth defects to lower vaccine effectiveness.
8 brands with PFAS indicators
The
testing—done from the crotch area of the pants—was conducted by an
EPA-certified lab and flagged any clothing that had more than 10 parts per
million (ppm) fluorine.
The
eight pairs that had PFAS indicators were:
- Athleta Girl Chit Chat Shorts
- Gaiam High Rise Waist Yoga Pants Performance Compression Workout Leggings
- Knix Hightouch High Rise Leggings
- Lululemon Align Highrise Pant
- LulaRoe Leggings
- Old Navy Athletic Pants Vuori Elevation Performance Black Camo Athletic Leggings
- Yogalicious “Lux” High Waist Side Pocket Capri
PFAS
exposure through clothes?
It is unclear what exposure to PFAS through clothing means for humans, however, previous lab research by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health found that PFAS skin exposure poses similar health risks as ingesting the chemicals via food or water.
“While
we know that PFAS can be absorbed through the skin we don’t have much
information about how much would be transferred from activewear products. It’s
unlikely to be zero, ” Myers, chief scientist at Environmental Health Sciences,
told Mamavation.
Experts told Mamavation it’s likely the chemicals are in the clothing as a treatment for stain- and water-resistance or sweat wicking; or due to contamination from lubricants or cleaning chemicals used during manufacturing.
Toxics-free
workout wear
The
good news? Well, 75% of the testing pants and leggings did not have any
fluorine. Some of the fluorine-free brands that also have organic material
include Groceries Apparel B12 Leggings, Mate The Label Organic Stretch Legging,
and Pact Organic Go-To Pocket Legging.
Mamavation
has multiple investigations on fluorine,
looking at a suite of everyday products and foods.
Keep
your eye on this space as EHN teams up with Mamavation in the next month for a
three-part investigation on PFAS indicators in consumer goods—we’ll bring you
bad actors, what brands to trust, and ways to have your voice your concern over
contamination.
Read more about the investigation
on Mamavation.com
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