Sickening Attire Do you ever wonder what dangers may be lurking in your clothes? Most of us have not. A new report from Greenpeace may have you questioning everything in your closet. Greenpeace purchased 27 items at the flagship stores of eight top-shelf brands. Tests showed that: 12 items contained hormone-disrupting nonylphenol ethoxylates. 5 had been treated with perfluorinated chemicals, which have been relates to breathing problems and headaches, as well as to skin and eye irritation. 5 were made with phthalates, which have been linked to cancer. 3 contained antimony, a carcinogenic metalloid with toxicological similarities to arsenic. Altogether, 16 of the 27 products, or 59% had issues, some of them had multiple issues. Greenpeace had previously tested 82 items of childrens clothing in January. Those items came from leading mainstream brands and discovered even more shocking findings, a staggering 93% of those items had similar problems. Clearly, clothing isnt as benign as we all may have thought. These chemicals can easily be absorbed into your body through your skin. They can also outgas and you can inhale them. The obvious take away from this is that we should shop for clothing with more caution. To the buyer beware! Your best bets are clothing with organic natural fibers, made of materials such as wool, cotton, silk, linen, hemp and cashmere. Try to avoid the following clothing: 1. With labels that say as water, stain, or odor-resistant. They likely contains chemicals such as perfluorochemicals and untested nanotechnology. 2. Anything made from polyester, which typically contain residues of antimony trioxide, a carcinogen, used during their manufacturing. 3. Sandals, shoes, boots, or raingear made primarily from rubberized plastics or other similar materials. Tests in Hong Kong on this kind of flexible plastic footwear found that more than half of all samples contained phthalates, as well as carcinogens called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. 4. Anything containing plastisol. You may not know the name but youve seen the material. It is the rubbery material used to create raised writing and printed graphics on tee-shirts and other items. Phthalates give plastisol its necessary flexibility. 5. Anything permanent press or wrinkle free. The processing of the material could involve formaldehyde, which is toxic and related to causing cancer. Permanent press fabrics can also have perfluorinated chemicals (Teflon). Washing garments may help with some of these issues. Those nonylphenol ethoxylates, for example, are residues left over from what manufacturers use to clean their textiles. Theyre likely to get rinsed out in subsequent washings, but theyre highly toxic to aquatic life, which negates that potential solution. Clothing toxins like phthalates and fabric treatments are designed to last, which means washing wont dissipate those problems. The only real solution is to try to avoid these toxins to the greatest extent possible. If you are a concerned consumer, you should read your clothing labels as carefully as your food labels!
Posted on: Tue, 08 Apr 2014 11:55:23 +0000
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