are your children’s school trousers toxic?

[PrettyShiningPeople]

Why is it that as far back as 2004 there were warnings about the possible health implications of Teflon in children’s school uniform, yet we’re still being sold clothing that is coated in the stuff?

It’s pretty much impossible to find the standard style polyester school trousers that haven’t been treated with some sort of coating. If you’ve managed to find any please let me know!

www.wwf.eu/?14944/Check-school-clothes-for-toxic-chemicals-says-WWF

www.wwf.eu/?14944/Check-school-clothes-for-toxic-chemicals-says-WWF

I was paranoid about this years ago when my DC were in primary. I used to buy cotton trousers for my boys, chino type ones, they're so much more expensive though.

Then as they got older/secondary school I just caved and bought the Teflon ones
I can't believe they still make them, no wonder cancer rates are going up and up.

I wonder whether people tend to think that because something is sold in the shops, particularly for a child, it must be safe? I suppose you’d reasonably think that was the case, but sadly it seems like an increasingly unreliable position.

As long as your children aren't in the habit of eating or burning their clothes or dissolving the clothes in water and then drinking the water, they should be in no danger.

Yes, as witschend says, how is the Teflon getting into your child?

I can sympathise with concern that Teflon gets into the water supply, food chain etc, but it won't protect you to avoid the trousers.

I hate no idea whether my dc's clothes are Teflon coated or not (I bought them months ago) but Teflon is absolutely everywhere and is already in all of our bodies and our drinking water and everything. It's impossible to avoid it now. It's a bit like a present day asbestos scandal.

Your skin comes into contact with the fabric and, especially with sweating or friction, the chemical treatments can be absorbed.

What’s quite frustrating about this is that consumers aren’t exactly demanding these products, they’ve been imposed on us and we’ve been left with very little choice.

Yes, you have pores in your skin so it must be getting absorbed.

I thought more people would care about it to be honest.

I think people get overwhelmed by things that are bad for them/their children so stick their fingers in their ears and ignore it.
Sad because if enough people boycotted/complained then they'd have to change it.

It's the same with those plastic lunch boxes, some of them are definitely dodgy. I used to hunt everywhere for the safe ones

I'd never heard this before, so had a quick Google, and according to the American Cancer Society, Teflon doesn't cause cancer. The Cancer Council of NSW says the same. That was just from the first page of results, I expect the other cancer charities/societies will be the same, so I'm not going to worry about it.

Who mentioned cancer? Cancer’s not the only health threat of concern.

Oh sorry, when I googled 'dangers of teflon' it came up with cancer worries.

What exactly are you concerned about then?

Because when you say Your skin comes into contact with the fabric and, especially with sweating or friction, the chemical treatments can be absorbed. this appears to not be the case, from what I've read, admittedly as I said, only after a brief Google. Maybe you could post some links?

Like said, I've never heard of this being a problem before, so if you could help that would be great.

Teflon's pretty inert biologically, and is stable up to about 300 degrees C - at which point if you breath the fumes for several hours you may be at risk of lung problems. Obviously that's more likely to happen with teflon in cookware than clothing.

Not sure where you're getting your scare stories about teflon in trousers from.

Not true, I’m afraid. I just read a scientific article earlier this week that discussed evidence that our skin absorbs forever chemicals from contact. School trousers/ shorts/ skirts are in contact min 7 hrs/ day most days a week, from age 4-18, with our children’s legs. They sit in them, brush against them, sweat in them, day in day out for nearly a decade and a half.
Teflon/ PFAS etc are endocrine disruptors and possible carcinogens. It’s no wonder chronic disease and cancer rates are skyrocketing and fertility rates are plummeting!