I just spent the last week (in June, 2023) reading the newly released book, "To Dye For: How Fashion is Making Us Sick -- and How We Can Avoid It" by the EcoCult funder, Alden Wicker. The book takes you through the history of some of the most toxic colors (e.g. green, black) to heavy metals in leather, azo dyes, and the negative effects of long-term plastic exposure (e.g. PCV, PU [vegan leather]) on our health.
While this is one of the rare books that faces the consumer, it should be marked that the workers are the ones most severely affected by and exposed to these chemicals, and whose workplaces many "standards" are set for safe limits of use based on. Another thing to note is that there is no way to know what's in your clothes 100%. You can't really get "rid" of it. Dyes are a trade secret not even the brands who purchase fabric in a color know what's in. Certifications are our "best" bet, but they are still limited in which chemicals they test for and how often. This is why I am sharing this sort of summary of advice from the book on how to best navigate toxic clothes per Alden Wicker's point of view and research.
How does exposure to potentially harmful chemicals happen to the consumer?
We absorb all types of chemicals through exposure to our skin from what we touch and wear, we breathe particles in with the dust in our house, and every time we wear fabric, tiny particles falls off. We get exposed through water and food, and so on. Over time, fabrics and dyes break down, creating "amines" or other toxic ingredients that weren't there originally. Children's clothes have safe limits in many countries for harmful chemicals, but no such line is set for adults.
Linking the chemicals on our clothing to illnesses scientifically is not a doable task. Most people do not live in a closed-off environment to be able to pin that "this correlates with this" without other influential factors. However, some may experience contact reactions, and then it's much easier to know what to avoid for you personally. MOST [~80%, not statistically significant] WILL NOT EXPERIENCE ANY ACUTE REACTIONS, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO MANY OF THESE MAY NOT NEGATIVELY AFFECT YOU IN ANY WAY.
What are the most common issues experienced due to toxins in our clothing?
* Heightened risk for various cancers
* Infertility \ fertility issues
* Asthma and acute airway irritation
* Rashes, skin conditions, eye irritation
* Heightened risk of heart disorders
* Autoimmune diseases
* In worst cases, death (this requires you to be in a field with high exposure over time)
Which chemicals can be dangerous? An incomplete list of chemicals, performance qualities, and dyes.
* PVC -> Phtalatates (plasticizers) -> Endocrine disruptors, reproductively toxic -> "Science has agreed that there is no safe dose for endocrine disruptors."
* PVC > vinyl chloride (gas) -> "no safe dose for vinyl chloride"
* DMDHEU -> Formaldehyde -> when you can smell it (around 1ppm), it's at a dangerous level. Any higher levels are carcinogenic.
* PFAS\PFOA -> endocrine disruptor -> the forever chemicals, that accumulate in your body, in fish, in water sources, etc. Over 12k different types. Long and short-chained. Some are banned in some countries, but there are big differences. EU: banned some, working on banning more. USA: may depend on the state, some banned in some types of products.
Examples of performance finishes:
> especially found in outdoor wear and sportswear and may contain some of the chemicals listed above.
* flame retardants (on literally everything, even organic cotton)
* stain repellent
* wrinkle-resistant (on literally everything, DMDHEU)
* antimicrobials
* anti-odor (often use nano sliver)
* anti-shrinkage
* no-iron
* water-repellent\water-resistant (often most PFAS)
* quick dry (most likely PFAS)
Dyes
* Disperse dyes (dyes that are used on synthetic fibers) -> "From an exposure standpoint, there are no safe synthetic dyes on the market today." -> Neon and bright-colored dyes are worse than less intense colors.
What are some advice to "avoid" this as much as possible?
1. Only purchase from trusted vendors. Counterfeits and dropshipping are not your friends. Counterfeits turned out to be some of the more unregulated items sold and prone to higher contents of toxic chemicals and heavy metals. Dropshipping is often a "B2C" (brand to consumer) way of shipping which leaves national control organs out of the overseeing of an imported product. PS, SHEIN is not a trusted vendor in this regard. Physical stores in your country are obligated to follow national or international safety regulations and items are overseen at import and are thus a better choice if you live in Europe or shop online within the European Union.
2. Look for third-party labels or certifications.
3. Pick natural materials over synthetics. Synthetics are more likely to contain harmful chemicals.
4. Avoid performance fabrics. If you own and wear a lot of sportswear or raincoats, wear a thin sweater beneath to reduce prolonged skin contact with the fabric. Preferably, only wear these types of wear when you need to.
5. Avoid strong and sharp colors. They are more likely disperse dyes.
6. Always wash your new clothing before use.
7. Trust your nose. If the item reeks of chemicals, return it.
8. Purchase secondhand. Most chemicals should be washed out by the time you wear it. If it is pre-used and washed.
If you want to know even more, pick up a copy of the book!
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