Brussels, 25/01/2015 (Agence Europe) - Perfluorinated and polyfluorinated chemicals (PFCs), persistent chemical substances that are hazardous to human health and the environment, have been found in outdoor equipment and clothing by leading brands, despite claims of sustainability and love for nature, Greenpeace revealed on Monday 25 January.
Its report, “Leaving Traces. The hidden hazardous chemicals in outdoor gear”, delivers the results of tests carried out on 40 products purchased in 19 countries and regions. The report, which was presented at a press conference at ISPO Munich, the biggest outdoor trade show in Europe, states that PFCs were found in clothing, footwear and equipment such as backpacks, tents ropes and even sleeping bags. Only one product in four did not contain PFCs. While most of the brands tested claim no longer to use long-chain PFCs - the most dangerous - these chemicals were found in high concentrations on 18 items.
“We found high levels of PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid), a long-chain PFC that is linked to a number of health effects, including cancer, in some products from The North Face and Mammut. This substance is already restricted in Norway”, said Mirjam Kopp, Detox Outdoor project leader. She underlined: “These are disappointing results for outdoor lovers who want their clothes to be as sustainable and clean as the places they explore”.
Over 200 scientists from 38 countries recently signed the Madrid statement which recommends avoiding the use of PFCs in consumer products, including textiles. The Detox campaign calls on the major brands to make a commitment to abandon their harmful ways and remove PFCs from the entire production chain. Thirty five international clothing brands have already signed up. “We are convinced that the outdoor community really has the leverage to be a game-changer in the industry”, said Kopp.
PFCs are used in many industrial processes consumer goods. The outdoor activities industry uses them to make its goods waterproof and dirt-repellent. Once released into the environment many PFCs degrade very slowly and enter the food chain, making pollution almost irreversible, Greenpeace states. They have been found in very remote areas of the planet, in animals like dolphins and in polar bears' livers and even in human blood. Some PFCs may be toxic to reproduction, cause tumours and disrupt the endocrine system. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)
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