Clothing and Toxic Chemicals
The skin can become toxic by our clothing. I have never read a label on my clothes that said “formaldehyde for wrinkle-free, shrinkage-free” but it has been studied by Greenpeace Research Laboratories at Exeter University in the UK and at independent accredited labs. They found hazardous chemicals in clothing from well-known brands such as Gap, H&M, Levi’s, Moda, Victoria’s Secret and many others.
They tested jeans, trousers, t-shirts, dresses and underwear designed for men, women and children and made from both artificial and natural fibers. For the study a total of 141 items of clothing were purchased in April 2012 in 29 countries and regions worldwide from authorized dealers. Quoted from the study , Martine Hojski, Detox Campaign coordinator at Greenpeace International said “some of the Zara items tested came out positive for substance that break down to form cancer-causing or hormone-disrupting chemicals which is unacceptable for both consumers and the people living near the factories where these clothes are Made.”
What were the results of the study? It was a bit unnerving in that several items contained nonylphenol ethoxylates, or NPEs. NPE’s were found in 2/3 of the clothes tested. NPE’s are known to interfere with estrogen function.
Delthia Ricks called NPE’s in the environment as “gender bending”. She said “studies have shown NPEs to be potent gender-benders, believed to be responsible for transforming male fish into females in waterways worldwide. Marine scientists at Stony Brook University say NPEs are the likely culprit in the decline of male winter flounder in Jamaica Bay.”
The highest NPE’s concentration was in items from Zara, Metersbonwe, Levi’s, Calvin Klein, Jack & Jones, C&A, Mango and Marks & Spencer. In four of the garments high levels of toxic phthalates were found. Cancer causing amines were detected in two garments.
How about synthetics and man-made fibers such as polyester, nylon, acrylics and rayon? Sorry, these all start out in chemical vats. Cotton used to be considered pure and clean but it is now heavily drenched in pesticides and insecticides. California’s cotton fields are covered every year with more than 17 million pounds of pesticides.
WHAT TO AVOID
When buying clothes, these are what to avoid:
- anti-shrink,
- anti-bacterial,
- anti- static,
- anti-odor, anti-flame,
- anti-wrinkle, etc…
- Easy Care-wrinkle-free, shrinkage-free-these release formaldehyde
- Anti-cling, anti-client, anti-anything
- Moth-proof and mildew resistant (chemicals had to be added to avoid these)
- Water Repellent- Fluor polymers (Teflon) used to repel oil and water
- Flame retardants
- Perspiration-proof
- Chlorine resistant
Now we know what to avoid but what should we wear? Begin with natural organic clothing such as cotton, hemp, bamboo and organically grown wools. Here is a more thorough list from Cool Organic Clothing:
- Cotton: organic is preferred. It accounts for less than 1% of worldwide production.
- Flax: one of nature’s strongest fibers.
- Hemp: grows without the need for fungicides, herbicides, or pesticides because it’s naturally insect-resistant. The fibers have been reported to be 4 times stronger than cotton.
- Silk: known as the “queen of fabrics”. Watch out for the use of synthetic dyes in this fiber.
- Wool: most of today’s wool is contaminated with chemicals. Organic wool is becoming more common.
- Others: alpaca, angora, camel, cashmere, mohair, and ramie are also acceptable.