Warning to millions as wearing your favourite clothes ‘could increase risk of serious diseases’
IT might be hard to imagine you clothes could be harming you health.
But new research suggests several of your favourite items might be increasing your risk of several diseases.
Sportswear made by popular brands such as Nike and Fabletics contain toxic levels of Bisphenol A (BPA), a US watchdog has found.
BPA is an industrial chemical believed to increase blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, obesity and .
The Center for Environmental Health (CEH) has initiated legal action against eight brands after tests revealed their clothing could expose wearers to up to 40 times the safe limit of BPA, based on US standards.
Dangerous levels were also found in Patagonia, Athleta, Champion and Kohl's leggings, Adidas and Champion athletic shorts, and Sweaty Betty sports bras.
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The group are now warning people to limit time spent in their activewear.
In California, the maximum allowable dose level for BPA via skin exposure is three micrograms per day.
The UK still follows EU laws on BPA, even after Brexit, which do not outline a limit on skin exposure.
However, in April 2023 the European Food Safety Authority ruled that that a safe daily exposure was 0.2 nanograms per kilogram of body weight.
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BPA is commonly found in food containers and reusable bottles because it makes plastics more flexible and harder to break.
Therefore most BPA exposure has been studied in the context of ingestion.
It's affect on the body through skin absorption has also been studied, but mostly through receipts rather than through clothes.
Professor Ana Soto, an immunologist from Tufts University School of Medicine, told : "The danger of dermal absorption (through skin) of BPA has been known for a while.
"When you are exposed to a little dose orally and a little dose transdermally (through the skin), they will together make a large dose.
"I’ve studied the effects of low doses of BPA during fetal development and found that these low exposure levels increase the risk of obesity, diabetes, behavioural issues and cancer."
The US health body is now calling for the 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," a spokesperson told CNN.
The Sun has contacted all eight companies for comment.
HOW TO PREVENT BPA EXPOSURE
ACCORDING to the , there are several ways you can prevent or limit your BPA exposure.
One is by only using BPA-free products - you can do this by checking out the labels of what you buy.
Manufacturers will label products without BPA.
Another method is to avoid putting plastic containers in the microwave or dishwasher because the heat may break them down, allowing BPA to ooze into food.
You can also try avoiding plastics and use alternatives like glass, stainless-steel or porcelain for food and eating fresh whole fruits and vegetables.