Toxic Chemicals in Yoga Mats, KEMI Investigates

Air pollution, second leading cause of death for children

7 September 2024

Vajont. White night with round table and bonfire at the foot of the dam

21 September 2024

Published by Marta Strinati on 14 September 2024

The KEMI Yoga Mat Survey

The KEMI Agency (Kemikalieinspektionen) analyzed 40 exercise products, mainly yoga mats and exercise balls, from 23 companies in the laboratory. (1)

The results show that seven products, or 18% of the sample, contain excessively high levels of prohibited substances.

The toxic substances identified

Analyzes they highlighted the presence of two categories of chemical substances dangerous to health

– the phthalate DIBP, that like all phthalates It can affect the ability to have children and fetal development, as well as being a cause of premature mortality.

– chlorinated paraffins (SCCP and MCCP), classified as carcinogenic and also very harmful to aquatic organisms.

Exposure by skin contact

The substances identified are notoriously dangerous (therefore prohibited) and when present in the objects examined can penetrate the organism through skin contact.

'It is surprising that products that come into direct contact with the skin in many cases contain such high levels of these dangerous plasticizers (phthalates, ed.)', comments Susan Strömbom, KEMI inspector.

Children most at risk

Yoga Mats, balls and other exercise equipment are also used by children, who are particularly sensitive to dangerous chemicals.

'Some substances chemicals can negatively influence their development with effects that only become apparent later in life.

Also the children They have a lower body weight and put more things in their mouths, which means they are exposed to higher amounts of chemicals than adults in relation to their body size.', explains Susan Strömbom.

The importance of controls

The sneaky look of toxic chemicals, present in various everyday objects, is that the harmful effects are not immediate but long-term.

Prevention It is made possible by the continuous controls on the market by institutions such as the KEMI Agency, which is very efficient but hit by funding cuts decided by the Swedish government, which is much more generous in spending on weapons. (2)

Eight companies reported

Following the investigation, KEMI has reported eight companies to environmental prosecutors for various types of violations of the provisions of the Environmental Code.

As usual, the Swedish Chemical Safety Agency provides the list of dangerous products, indicating every detail to identify them. The list is in this attached.

Marta Strinati