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Harmful chemicals

They are hidden in your clothes

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Did you know that harmful chemicals may be hidden in the clothes you wear everyday? Around 8000 synthetic chemicals are commonly used in the production of clothes for dyeing, treating, printing and finishing. Most of these  chemicals are carcinogenic or can lead to other extremly serious health issues such as hormone disruptions and respiratory disease. ⁠

"Cheap fashion is really far from that, it may be cheap in terms of the financial cost, but very expensive when it comes to the environment and the cost of human life."

– Sass Brown

Chemicals have become the norm in fashion

What do you know about the harmful consequences of the chemicals that are used to make our wardrobe staples?

Every year an estimated 43 million tons of chemicals are used for the  production of textiles. This figure doesn’t even take into account the amount of pesticides (16% of all the insecticides and 7% of all herbicides used worldwide) or water (around 2700 litres) used to grow natural resources such as cotton.

Triggers of allergic reactions

Health disorders can result from allergic reactions to paint residues and from the absorption of other harmful residues in clothing:

  • Pesticides and insecticides, agents for brightening, bleaching and dyeing
  • Finishing substances to make a textile antibacterial, waterproof, non-iron, wrinkle-resistant, flame-retardant, more non-slip, softer or stronger
  • Fasteners or buttons, for example made of nickel, can cause allergic reactions.

Triggers of allergic reactions

Health disorders can result from allergic reactions to paint residues and from the absorption of other harmful residues in clothing:

  • Pesticides and insecticides, agents for brightening, bleaching and dyeing
  • Finishing substances to make a textile antibacterial, waterproof, non-iron, wrinkle-resistant, flame-retardant, more non-slip, softer or stronger
  • Fasteners or buttons, for example made of nickel, can cause allergic reactions.

Harmful chemicals hidden in your products

Every day we come into contact with textiles in many different ways. We sleep in bedding, we wear clothes, we dry ourselves with towels, and we sit on furniture.
Chemicals are added to all of these products, but they can cause unnecessary health effects in people, including allergies. ⁠

These chemicals not only harm the environment

Some of the chemicals used in production remain in the textile. Fomaldehydes or heavy metals with allergenic and carcinogenic potential are used in the finishing and refining of cotton.

These can migrate into the body when the clothing is worn. Even during transport, toxins are used, such as fungicides and mold blockers, to protect the textiles during the transport.

List of the 13 most critical groups of chemicals

As part of the Detox campaign, Greenpeace has compiled a list of the most critical groups of chemicals. PBT substances are not or only extremely difficult to degrade and can be highly toxic. Therefore, a ban on these chemicals is urgently needed.

  • Azo dyes
    Used in the textile industry.
    – Can cause cancer with skin contact
  • Brominated and chlorinated flame retardants
    Used for fire protection (especially in workwear).
    – Critical for water
    – Have also hormonal effects
    – Can affect the reproductive organs
  • Chlorinated solvents
    Help remove chemical residues from textiles and clean them. Some damage the ozone layer.
    – Can damage the central nervous system, liver and kidneys in living organisms
  • Chlorobenzenes
    Are used as biocides and solvents in textile production.
    – Can damage the liver, thyroid and central nervous system
  • Chlorophenols
    Are used as biocides in the textile industry.
    – Are highly toxic to aquatic organisms and can damage organs in humans
  • Chrome tanning
    Is the common method of tanning leather, although it is a potent environmental toxin at low concentrations.
    – Some heavy metals can cause cancer
  • Heavy metals
    Are found in dyes and pigments.
    – They can accumulate in the body and damage organs and the central nervous system
  • lkylphenols
    Used in the textile industry in the dyeing process for washing.
    – Act in a similar way to estrogens
    – Can disrupt the development of the reproductive organs of fish and other aquatic animals
  • Organotin compounds
    Have antibacterial effects.
    – Can prevent perspiration odor
  • Perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs)
    Widely used for dirt protection, water repellency and are “forever”
    – Known to accumulate in the blood
    – Can also cause cancer
    – Can weaken children’s immune systems
    – Limit fertility and alter hormone systems
  • Phthalates
    Are plasticizers and used in the textile industry for artificial leather, rubber, reinforcements, and in dyes.
    – Can affect reproductive organs
  • Short-chain chlorinated kerosenes (SCCPs)
    Flame retardants and are used for finishing textiles and leather.
    – Are also toxic to aquatic organisms and accumulate in the organism
  • Tributyltin (TBT)
    – Known to accumulate in the bodies of humans and animals
    – Can damage the immune system and reproductive ability

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