Are the very clothes you wear harming you?

[Guest guest]

_Are the very clothes you wear harming you?_

(http://nitawriter.wordpress.com/2007/07/06/chemicals-in-clothes-harmful/)

_http://nitawriter.wordpress.com/2007/07/06/chemicals-in-clothes-harmful/_

(http://nitawriter.wordpress.com/2007/07/06/chemicals-in-clothes-harmful/)

 

We have all heard of chemicals contaminating our air, water and our food…but

how many of us know that chemicals in the clothes we wear can also harm us?

I didn’t know about this until some weeks ago.

While I was aware that all textiles _contain chemicals, _

(http://www.tradeindia.com/TradeLeads/sell/Chemicals/Textile_Chemicals) what I

didn’t know was

that some chemicals come off on the skin even after washing! Some of these

chemicals are carcinogenic and others can cause skin allergies and irritation

in

human beings.

Some of the most hazardous chemicals commonly used in the textile sector

are: lead, nickel, chromium IV, phthalates and formaldehyde. While these are a

danger to workers who work with these chemicals, this post is not about that.

It is about the harm that chemical laden clothes can cause ordinary,

unsuspecting consumers. And I am not referring to cheap street clothes here,

but good

brands.

_Formaldehyde_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formaldehyde) , a finish used

for textiles, is used to treat various types of fabrics to prevent wrinkling

and for easy maintenance of the fabric and it is one of the harmful chemicals.

Cheap street clothes don’t use this finish (they may contain other hazardous

chemicals). Formaldehyde can come off on the skin, even after washing!

Everyone may not suffer from ill effects, but about 20 percent of the

population is

_susceptible_

(http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0838/is_n65/ai_12694468) . And of

course, children are the most vulnerable. Formaldehyde can cause

problems ranging from skin irritation and respiratory problems to headaches,

nausea, and even insomnia. Some studies suspect this chemical of being_

carcinogenic_ (http://www.hkstc.com/whatsnew/PDF/TCD%20flyers/july2000-1.PDF) .

Harmful dyes on clothes also contain highly “carcinogenic benzidinesâ€, some

of which could be absorbed by human skin.

There are also the fluorinated environmental toxins (found in all-weather

jackets) which come from the waterproofing agents which are used to treat

all-weather clothing. These toxins are said to _harm _

(http://www.snf.se/snf/english/nyhet.cfm?CFID=6539405 & CFTOKEN=14738384 & id=1239)

fertility and interfere

with the hormone functions of mammals.

So what is being done about all this? Well, not surprisingly, the countries

in the EU are already far ahead of everybody else. They have an action plan

in place. All clothing and textiles (including childrens’ toys) which come

into contact with human skin have strict_ guidelines _

(http://www.hkstc.com/whatsnew/PDF/TCD%20flyers/july2000-1.PDF) that have to be

followed during the

manufacturing process. Countries like the Netherlands, Norway, Finland, German

and France all have regulated the quantity of the formaldehyde that is used in

textiles.

But this high level of awareness seems to exist only in Europe. Consumers in

Europe are fairly well educated on the _dangers _

(http://www.bfr.bund.de/cm/230/textiles_e_aug_2002.pdf) of chemicals in

textiles, both as a risk to

workers and to consumers, but here in India one has not read anything about it.

In Europe, not only is information given out in the media, famous designers

like Carmen March, Antonio Pernas and fashion brands like Mango have _created _

(http://mailman.greenpeace.org/pipermail/press-releases/2006-June/000239.html)

awareness of this issue by designing and producing clothes without the use

of toxic chemicals. These designers have promised to phase out dangerous

chemicals from their own clothing lines!

I tried to find something about the dangers of using chemicals in clothes in

India but could not get anything much. I got _this_

(http://www.ecology.kee.hu/pdf/0401_111118.pdf) 2005 paper which said (about

the chemical dyes used

in the textile industry) that “their chemical nature and biological hazards

are not known.†However at the same time the paper said that the dyes used

are

carcinogenic…but this has been discussed in connection only with the safety

of workers. There is no information or discussion about the hazards that

unsuspecting consumers may face. And some other articles I found discussed how

the

making of dyes affects the environment.

I am not an expert on these things, but the questions that came to my mind

are:

1) Does the government have in its possession the vast amounts of research

done on this subject by other countries? And if so, what are they planning to

do about it? Do they think that the EU is over-reacting (that is presently

what authorities in the US think, but others feel this is bowing down to ‘

lobbies.’)

2) Are vegetable dyes safe? Or do today’s vegetable dyes contain chemicals

and are these chemicals harmful? What worries me is that street clothes which

are often coloured with vegetable dyes run easily and the colour comes off on

the skin…is this safe? After all, we do know that these colours are not

allowed to be used in food…and human skin can be very absorbent.

I feel that the world is rushing ahead with development at a fast pace

without considering the ill-effects on humanity and the environment. Whether

its

global warming, cancer causing chemicals in food and water, air pollution,

ill-effects of certain medications or the harmful effects of noise - we humans

seem to react when the damage is done. This is going to happen with our daily

wear too. How long do we have to wait before a high level of awareness has

been created on this issue? In any case, what choices will be offered to

consumers? Even if there was a choice, I am sure these clothes would be far too

expensive for an average person to buy. Today in India most people cannot afford

to buy organic food, or even juice without white refined sugar! Even whole

wheat bread is 25 -30 percent more expensive than white bread (which is made

from maida). Its like we are being discouraged to take care of our bodies.

Related Reading:

_The chemical cocktail we consume everyday_

(http://nitawriter.wordpress.com/2006/11/16/youve-had-this-chemical-cocktail/)

_http://nitawriter.wordpress.com/2006/11/16/youve-had-this-chemical-cocktail/_

(http://nitawriter.wordpress.com/2006/11/16/youve-had-this-chemical-cocktail/)

 

_The unhealthy instant noodles_

(http://nitawriter.wordpress.com/2006/09/27/maggi-atta-noodles/)

 

_Food can cause mood changes_

(http://nitawriter.wordpress.com/2006/09/19/moody-food-depression-nervousness-an\

xiety-irritability-blame-it-on-the-food/)

 

_Harmful toxins in food packaging_

(http://nitawriter.wordpress.com/2006/09/30/watch-what-you-are-eating-from/)