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School uniforms in N America linked to PFAS
Sep 21, 2022 1 min, 7 secs

The chemicals, known as PFAS, are used to make clothing resistant to stains or water but they have been linked to asthma, obesity and fertility issues.

The issue is less of a concern in the UK because almost all retailers' own brand uniforms are PFAS free, say campaigners.

This latest study focuses on the contact with the chemicals that may occur as a result of wearing school uniforms.

The researchers looked for total fluorine levels in the products to indicate the presence of PFAS.

The researchers acknowledge that their study is small, involving 72 product samples labelled as water or stain resistant.

The researchers also don't know how or if the PFAS in the clothing get into children's bodies.

"But we know that PFAS have health concerns, so the idea that children wearing uniforms, that can continuously release these substances, is a concern," she said.

In the UK, environmental charity Fidra has led a campaign to inform retailers about the presence of PFAS in school uniforms.

"The stain resistant coatings came off uniforms after a 10 to 20 washes.

As a result of their efforts, all major retailers in the UK now sell their own-brand school uniforms PFAS free, said Dr Cavers.

The move to eliminate PFAS from clothing and textiles is gathering pace with California ending the sale from 2025?

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