A growing number of athletic clothing brands have been discovered to have elevated levels of the toxic chemical Bisphenol A (BPA). BPA is an industrial chemical that is used to make certain plastics, and some bodies of research show possible concern for how the compound affects hormones, asthma, cancer rates, and the heart, among other things.
According to a CNN report, the Center for Environmental Health (CEH) recently sent legal notices to eight additional athletic brands whose shorts, shirts, leggings, and sports bras showed the clothing exceeded the upper limits of BPA, per California-based standards. Testing determined that the athletic wear could expose consumers to up to 40 times the safe limit of the toxic chemical.
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The maximum upper limit for BPA via skin exposure is three micrograms per day, according to Proposition 65 which was enacted in California in 1986.
The recently examined brands and their products include shorts from Adidas, Nike, and Champion, shirts from Fabletics, leggings from Champion, Nike, Kohl’s, Patagonia, and Athleta, and sports bras from Sweaty Betty.
In a statement from Athleta on Wednesday, a spokesperson claimed, “As a certified B-Corp, Athleta is deeply committed to ensuring all our products are made to applicable safety standards. We believe the CEH claims have no merit and stand by our products and practices.”
In October, consumers were warned by the CEH that testing on sports bras from Athleta, Asics, PINK, The North Face, Nike, Brooks, FILA, and All in Motion could expose wearers to up to 22 times the safe limit of BPA, predicated on California’s upper limit maximums.
Additionally, the organization had also tested athletic shirts in October from brands that included Athleta, Reebok, New Balance, Mizuno, Brooks, and The North Face, finding comparable results.
The athletic wear companies were sent legal notices from the CEH, stating they were given 60 days to correct the violations prior to the group filing a complaint in the California court system, requiring them to do so. Consequently, lawsuits against the companies were initiated by the CEH in February.
“Studies have shown that BPA can be absorbed through skin and end up in the bloodstream after handling receipt paper for seconds or a few minutes at a time. Sports bras and athletic shirts are worn for hours at a time, and you are meant to sweat in them, so it is concerning to be finding such high levels of BPA in our clothing,” Kaya Allan Sugerman, CEH’s illegal toxic threats program director, said in a statement.
Investigations have currently found BPA only in spandex-containing, polyester-based clothing. “We want brands to reformulate their products to remove all bisphenols including BPA. In the interim, we recommend limiting the time you spend in your activewear by changing after your workout,” the CEH said.
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