Whether found in a raincoat or a pair of yoga pants, PFAS are used widely in our clothing, shoes, and accessories. These chemicals also cause pollution at every stage of production. At the PFAS chemical manufacturing facilities and garment factories, they often contaminate the air, water, and soil of the surrounding environment.
Products coated in PFAS can also expose consumers directly during use. And PFAS-treated apparel that is washed and eventually dumped in landfills or incinerated leaks “forever chemicals” into the environment at the end of its life cycle too. Pollution generated far away also circles the globe, for example, through ocean waves or rain, with wide-reaching impacts.
“The functionality that PFAS provides—a more stain-resistant coat or more breathable yet water-resistant gym shorts—is not necessary and certainly not worth the health risks,” says Sujatha Bergen, a co-author of a recent NRDC report.
Generally, you’re better off assuming that something does contain PFAS, particularly if you find keywords like “waterproof,” “stain-repellent,” or “dirt-repellant” on the tag.
Lindwall. (2023, April 12). “Forever Chemicals” Called PFAS Show Up in Your Food, Clothes, and Home. Retrieved October 4, 2023, from https://www.nrdc.org/stories/forever-chemicals-called-pfas-show-your-food-clothes-and-home
#zeguea#goodcouture#organiccotton#undyed#waterconservation#waterpollution#cleanocean#marinelife#ecosystems#naturalliving#skinhealthawareness#skinhealth#wardrobecleanout#wardrobeplanning#healthfacts#chemicalfreeclothes#foreverchemicals
Photographer Curioso Photography @curioso.photography