Greenpeace Taiwan yesterday called on manufacturers to phase out the use of polyfluorinated compounds (PFCs) — bioaccumulative chemicals frequently used in water-resistant textiles — in outdoor clothing and other products after a survey found 90 percent of the samples tested contained PFCs.
The organization sampled 40 water-resistant products manufactured by major brands from 19 countries, including Taiwan, such as The North Face, Mammut, Jack Wolfskin, Patagonia and Vaude.
Thirty-six of the items tested positive for PFCs, with the chemicals detected in everything but gloves — including jackets, trousers, shoes, backpacks and sleeping bags.
Eleven products contained perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a long-chain compound of the PFC family that is more structurally stable and therefore more environmentally hazardous because it takes so long to biodegrade, Greenpeace Taiwan said.
The North Face products found to contain PFOA included a jacket, a pair of trousers, a pair of shoes and a sleeping bag — which had PFOA levels of 0.11 micrograms (mcg), 0.58mcg, 0.81mcg and 7.1mcg per square meter respectively.
That is more than the 0.1mcg per square meter limit set by Norway, one of the few countries in the world to have a concentration limit on the substance, the group said.
The North Face in 2014 pledged to replace long-chain PFCs with short-chain PFCs in its manufacturing process beginning in the spring last year, but “the company has apparently not honored its pledge,” Greenpeace Taiwan said.
“Of the leading brands producing outdoor products, the North Face and Mammut are responsible for taking the lead in phasing out PFCs, so fabrics suppliers should step up their effort to develop environmentally friendly substitutes,” Greenpeace Taiwan pollution prevention project manager Chen Ling-yao (陳玲瑤) said.
PFOA and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), the two most commonly used chemicals in PFCs, are endocrine disruptors, which can have a toxic effect on the liver, kidneys and thyroid gland, and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer, said Yen Tsung-hai (顏宗海), director of Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital’s clinical toxicology department.
In Taiwan, PFOS is one of the three controlled toxic substances of the PFC class, and the Environmental Protection Administration only allows it to be used in producing clothing, fire-fighting foam, semiconductors and metallic coatings.
“Major outdoor-product manufacturers present themselves as environmentally friendly brands, but as much as 90 percent of their water-resistant products sampled have been found to contain PFCs, exposing consumers to health hazards and making them accomplices in the pollution of the environment,” Chen said.
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