PFAS and toxic substances, pollution that threatens children's health

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Published by Sabrina Bergamini on 11 October 2024

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Plastic bottles, clothing, toys and clothes: from everyday products comes an endless list of chemicals that threaten children's health. Children are in fact exposed to PFAS, dangerous "forever chemicals", including those that have been banned by law; to a series of chemicals that come from plastic; to known chemical additives but also to unknown substances, whose effects are not even known.

The results of several studies, including studies on substances that migrate from plastic bottles and tests on jackets and outdoor clothing, highlight the risk to which the youngest are exposed - who are also the most vulnerable, because they are growing - in the face of pollution from toxic substances present, or released, by consumer products.

From this awareness, the European Environmental Bureau (1) has asked the European Commission to improve as soon as possible the regulatory framework to protect children's health from toxic pollution. The request is to quickly update Reach, the EU's chemical control system, which is almost two decades old.At present, it takes on average more than 19 years to phase out chemicals with well-known hazard profiles, while many other chemicals are allowed on the market despite unknown properties – the EEB informs – The system lags behind the scientific consensus, with chemicals such as PFAS, bisphenols, halogenated flame retardants and PVC remaining on the market.".

Substances that migrate from plastic bottles

They remain on the market and pose a danger with unknown implications. The study “Chemical migration from reusable plastic drinking bottles for children”, conducted by the Tegengif Foundation in the Netherlands, in collaboration with five European NGOs (2), found that plastic bottles for children release diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP), a chemical additive banned in plastic, known to alter hormones and harm reproduction and fetal development.

'Although the quantities of DIBP detected are lower than the European limit, the mere presence of this substance in children's products is alarming', says Annelies den Boer, director of the Tegengif Foundation.

A systematic review analyzed for the presence of dozens of chemicals. The test found that DIBP migrates from polypropylene bottles (13 bottles in the sample) and polyethylene bottles (9 types of bottles). After dishwasher cycles, DIBP was found in 22 of 39 bottles and in only one unwashed bottle.

From the studio A startling factual discovery also emerges: only a small fraction of the hundreds of chemicals leaking from the bottles have been identified; the rest are unknown substances. What are the possible effects?

'This means that we don't know what substances they are and what they do, we are exposing children to unidentifiable chemicals. Plastic has become a black box," den Boer stressed. "We simply don't know what our children are exposed to.'.

Outdoor Jackets, PFAS Danger

Another search, conducted in 2023, found that children are exposed to PFAS when wearing outdoor jackets and other clothing. The Toxics in Our Clothing study (3) by Arnika/IPEN shows that more than half of children's outdoor jackets and other clothing contain PFAS, a group of highly persistent, toxic and bioaccumulative 'forever chemicals' used to provide stain resistance and water repellency, but linked to serious adverse health effects, including cancer and impacts on the immune, reproductive and hormonal systems.

'In children's clothing Banned PFAS, such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), were also found”, reports Karolína Brabcová, from Arnika's Toxics and Waste Programme.

On 72 samples Of the jackets tested, 16 had PFAS levels above the EU proposed limits; 13 contained at least one PFAS above the limit; and another 3 had levels above the limits for the category of PFAS known as PFCAs.

In 17 jackets PFOA, a PFAS chemical known to be highly toxic and banned globally, has been found.

In 17 products including jackets, raincoats and an apron, PFDA was found. This chemical is restricted under EU regulations and is recommended for a global ban.

Of the 15 PFAS identified in the analyzed garments, 6:2 FTOH was measured at the highest concentrations.

PFAS, substances very toxic for children

'The PFAS are widely used in fabrics and people can be exposed to them when wearing jackets and dresses. It is especially concerning to find PFAS in children's products, as children may be more vulnerable to exposure to PFAS. As long as the industry continues to produce PFAS, the threats to the health of our children and families will continue. We need a global ban on PFAS as a group to stop the release into the environment and human exposure to PFAS', says Jitka Straková, Global Researcher at IPEN and lead author of the study. (4)

A positive element but it is there. And it is the presence of garments free of forever chemicals. Safer alternatives exist, so much so that 21 waterproof or stain-resistant jackets without PFAS were found.

Many of the products tested are for children and end up in direct contact with the skin. A 2022 review by the American Academy of Pediatrics, cited by the authors, said that children are more vulnerable to exposure to PFAS. The researchers point out that 'There is likely an association between chronic exposure to PFAS in children and medical problems such as elevated blood cholesterol levels, dyslipidemia, slightly reduced birth weight, and reduced antibody response to certain vaccines/infections.'

40 studies reviewed from 2017 to 2022 found PFAS contamination of umbilical cord blood. And this suggests that newborns are already being born with exposure to these pervasive pollutants.

Sabrina Bergamini