Emily
Editor, Senior Moderator
https://thehill.com/policy/energy-e...und-in-childrens-textiles-pet-food-packaging/
Toxic ‘forever chemicals’ found in children’s textiles, pet food packaging
by Sharon Udasin - 11/03/22 12:01 AM ET
Cancer-linked “forever chemicals” are contaminating a broad assortment of pet food packaging and textiles made for babies and toddlers, a new investigation has found.
These toxins — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — are common ingredients in children’s and pet product coatings, and can wear off as dust over time, according to the Environmental Working Group, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy organization.
While these coatings aren’t being directly ingested, exposure to dust can be problematic to populations who spend a lot of time on the floor, researchers from the group explained. They therefore commissioned a series of independent lab tests to determine just how pervasive this issue might be.
“It’s almost impossible to avoid PFAS, because as these tests confirm, they’re prevalent in all aspects of our daily lives,” project leader Sydney Evans, a science analyst at the Environmental Working Group, said in a statement.
Notorious for their presence in industrial discharge and firefighting foam, PFAS are found in a variety of household products, including food packaging, nonstick pans and stain-resistant fabrics.
Scientists have linked PFAS exposure to many illnesses, including thyroid disease, testicular cancer and kidney cancer.
With regards to children’s textiles, the lab tests found that bedding contained the highest content of total fluorine, which is an initial marker for possible PFAS presence...
Toxic ‘forever chemicals’ found in children’s textiles, pet food packaging
by Sharon Udasin - 11/03/22 12:01 AM ET
Cancer-linked “forever chemicals” are contaminating a broad assortment of pet food packaging and textiles made for babies and toddlers, a new investigation has found.
These toxins — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — are common ingredients in children’s and pet product coatings, and can wear off as dust over time, according to the Environmental Working Group, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy organization.
While these coatings aren’t being directly ingested, exposure to dust can be problematic to populations who spend a lot of time on the floor, researchers from the group explained. They therefore commissioned a series of independent lab tests to determine just how pervasive this issue might be.
“It’s almost impossible to avoid PFAS, because as these tests confirm, they’re prevalent in all aspects of our daily lives,” project leader Sydney Evans, a science analyst at the Environmental Working Group, said in a statement.
Notorious for their presence in industrial discharge and firefighting foam, PFAS are found in a variety of household products, including food packaging, nonstick pans and stain-resistant fabrics.
Scientists have linked PFAS exposure to many illnesses, including thyroid disease, testicular cancer and kidney cancer.
With regards to children’s textiles, the lab tests found that bedding contained the highest content of total fluorine, which is an initial marker for possible PFAS presence...