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Sweat it Out: Could Your Sportswear be Toxic?

Summer is a time when many families will be participating in recreational activities. Kids will be participating in summer sports, parents will be exercising, and they may both be exposing themselves to potentially hazardous toxins. According to a new report by Greenpeace “apparel companies are failing to regulate the chemicals in the sportswear they manufacture.” The chemicals in question are dyes, solvents, and polyfluorinated chemicals (PFC’s). PFC’s are used to make clothing “water, grease, and stain proof.” While researchers aren’t sure short-term exposure to PFC’s will cause “acute toxic problems”, they don’t know what long-term exposure to endocrine disruptors mean for our health. Companies such as Adidas and Nike are some of the biggest producers of sportswear worldwide, and according to Greenpeace, they are on different levels when it comes make safe clothing. Greenpeace listed Adidas as “trendsetter” and Nike as a “greenwasher”. While Adidas is getting it right, Nike has disagreed with Greenpeace’s findings, stating that they have “phased out long-chain PFC’s…” The effects of exposure to PFC’s and the work of companies like Adidas and Nike to rid their clothing of them remains to be seen. What’s clear though is it’s important families become more aware of the chemicals used to create the clothes many of us will this summer.

To learn more about the Greenpeace’s findings, follow the link: http://bit.ly/1KCYxFE