Did you know that cute character shirt your child is wearing probably contains hundreds of toxic chemicals? These chemicals are used in all different processes including the dyes, waterproofing, fire proofing, screen printing, and stain protection. Just some of the samples tested in the study listed below contained PHTHALATES (BBP, DEHP, DBP, DEP, DnHP, DINP - chemicals of high concern to children), SOLVENTS (ethylene glycol, MEK, D4: octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane - chemicals of high concern to children) and METALS (arsenic, cadmium, lead, antimony, molybdenum, cobalt).
Clothing with nano particle and silver technology (silver particles and nanoparticles are embedded into the clothing to prohibit stains and bacterial growth from sweat) are also a concern. Nano particles are small enough to cross our skin-cell’s membrane and burrow into organs. Bioaccumulation from these can pose many health threats such as production of free radicals, DNA damage and gene mutation.
Look for certification programs such as Oeko-Tex and Gots, which have responsible manufacturing standards that restrict use of certain chemicals and limit others. If budget is a concern, focus on clothing that your child spends most of their time in (pajamas, under garments).
