They're everywhere
“The
chemical industry has been arguing that, ‘oh, we’ve been moving away from these
substances, we’re no longer using them.’ And that’s not true.”
Elizabeth Gribkoff for the Environmental Health News
The
non-profit Toxic-Free Future found that almost three-quarters of 47 pieces of
outdoor apparel, bedding, and kitchen linens that were marketed as stain- or
water-resistant contain one or more per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or
PFAS. And many of these items contained specific PFAS banned in the European
Union and no longer made in the U.S. due to their health effects.
“When companies use PFAS to make products stain- or water-resistant, they are using chemicals that contaminate homes, drinking water, and breast milk with highly persistent chemicals that can cause cancer and harm the immune system,” said Erika Schreder, science director for Toxic-Free Future, in a statement.
“Significant levels” of PFAS detected
PFAS
are manmade compounds used to make everything from nonstick pans to infant bibs
resist oil and water. Because of how long they last in the environment and in
our bodies, they’re known as “forever chemicals.” Scientists have known for
decades that some older kinds of PFAS contribute to cancer, reproductive and
immune systems damages, elevated cholesterol, and other health issues. And
evidence is emerging that newer PFAS, billed as safer replacements, have similar health effects.
In
the U.S., companies don’t have to disclose whether they’re using PFAS in
consumer goods. While there have been some studies looking at how much, and
what kind, of PFAS are used to waterproof outdoor apparel,
there’s been little research to date on the compounds’ presence in home linens,
according to Toxic-Free Future.
The
nonprofit commissioned testing of 60 items — 20 each in the outdoor clothes,
kitchen linens, and bedding categories — for total fluorine, an indicator of
PFAS. They then sent items with higher levels of fluorine, more than 100 parts
per million (ppm), to be tested for 51 different kinds of PFAS.
Toxic-Free
Future found that 34 out of the 47 items labelled as stain- or water-resistant
contained PFAS. Michael Schade, director of Toxic-Free Future’s Mind the Store
campaign, told EHN that he was surprised that so many of the products had older
PFAS.
“The
chemical industry has been arguing that, ‘oh, we’ve been moving away from these
substances, we’re no longer using them,’ ” he said. “And that’s not true.”
Schade noted that this could also be because newer PFAS can break down into the
older ones.
Some
items stood out for having high total fluorine, which are more representative
of the total PFAS finish on the product, and individual PFAS measurements.
Clothing had the highest amounts of fluorine overall. The REI Co-op Drypoint
GTX Jacket Men’s and the REI Co-op Westwinds GTX Jacket Women’s both had total
fluorine measurements of more than 80,000 ppm — much higher levels than any
other items tested.
The
Real Simple Fresh and Clean Fiberbed had more than 1,200 ppm total fluorine and
among the highest PFAS levels for a home linen. Meanwhile the Daily Chef Table
Napkin had more than 600 ppm total fluorine and a range of PFAS.
“These
are significant levels,” of PFAS, Linda Birnbaum, former director of the
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences who was not involved with
the study, told EHN. For comparison, scientists and regulators are concerned
about PFAS in drinking water in
the parts per trillion range, she noted.
PFAS
from textiles can build up in household dust, and there’s emerging evidence
suggesting that we could absorb some of the compounds through our skin. Treated
jackets and other items can also contaminate water supplies as PFAS run off
them in the wash.
It’s not just outdoor gear either: recent testing from EHN.org and Mamavation that found one in four pairs of popular leggings and yoga pants—including from popular brands like Old Navy and Lululemon—tested have detectable levels of the PFAS-indicator fluorine.
Moving
toward PFAS alternatives
The
good news? Items that weren’t branded as stain- and waterproof seemed to be
PFAS-free. And some outdoor companies, like Mammut and Black Diamond, have
started using alternative finishes to waterproof their clothes, the report
notes. Toxic-Free Future recommends that textile makers stop using PFAS in
their products and screen any replacements for hazardous effects. The nonprofit
has been campaigning outdoor retail giant
REI to stop selling PFAS-containing clothes and gear.
“While
a number of retailers have adopted policies to reduce and eliminate PFAS, it's
clear that more work is still needed to drive these chemicals out of supply
chains that are still being found in products available on store shelves,” said
Schade.
Related: Investigation finds evidence of PFAS in workout and yoga pants