Formaldehyde lurks in organic clothing

The skin is the body's largest organ, and it's covered in millions of tiny mouths. Almost everything that comes into contact with the skin can be absorbed and actively metabolized by the rest of the body. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has standards in place to protect workers from exposure to hazardous agents. Considering we spend most of our lives covered in fabric, it's important to consider what goes into our clothing and what kind of hazardous agents might be seeping into our skin.
 
Last year the Federal Trade Commission cracked down on companies that had been advertising their rayon cloth as pure bamboo. When plant fibers are treated to make fabric softer, the process requires petroleum and releases toxins into the environment. The end result is hardly bamboo. But even clothing made from natural and certified organically grown fibers can harbor harmful chemicals.
 
Fibers are spun, dyed, woven, rinsed and processed multiple times. Each rinse can release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and bleach into waste water. After weaving, fibers are often treated with formaldehyde and other VOCs to fix colors and make them wrinkle-free. The US Department of Health and Human Services considers formaldehyde a probable human carcinogen. Symptoms of exposure include nose and throat irritation, headache, allergic skin reaction, vomiting, nosebleeds and fatigue. Due to the low concentration of VOCs in consumer products, symptoms develop slowly over time and can be difficult to diagnose.
 
At a 2009 Senate Committee hearing on "Formaldehyde in Textiles and Consumer Products", the National Cotton Council's senior scientist Dr. Phillip Wakelyn testified that formaldehyde in clothing does not pose a health hazard because emissions are below the level of concern. "It is easy to neutralize the formaldehyde with Clorox 2," he states. "It has been known for a long time that normal commercial detergents greatly reduces any formaldehyde or lowers to non-detectable levels."
 
Wakelyn notes that certain fruits and vegetables, from apples to green onions, naturally produce formaldehyde. He also states that allergic contact dermatitis can be caused by reasons other than chemical additives, such as clothing rubbing against the skin, poor hygiene and heat retention, and concludes that, "in view of all the studies over the last 30 years indicting that there is not a problem with US textiles and regulations already in place concerning formaldehyde and textiles, no new regulations are necessary."
 
However, research presented in 1989 by Linda Birnbaum of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences demonstrated that chronic, low-level exposure to VOCs can present health risks. Mice that received smaller doses of the chemical dioxin absorbed twice as much dioxin through their skin as mice that received larger doses. "Chemicals administered at low doses are more effectively absorbed through the skin than are chemicals administered at high doses," writes Birnbaum. "This may be important for human exposures, which usually occur at low doses over long periods rather than in high doses over short periods."
 
It's important to bear in mind that both the Federal Trade Commission and National Cotton Council have much to gain from protecting the cotton industry against a growing market for alternative fibers like bamboo and hemp.
 
Bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world, nearly as strong as steel, light-weight, edible and able to be shaped into everything from rope to paper to acupuncture needles. It requires no pesticides or fertilizers and remains green all year round. It may, in fact, be the most sustainable material on earth. 
 
Like bamboo, hemp is naturally resistant to pests and can be irrigated with nothing but rain water. A deep root system anchors the plant and prevents soil erosion. Its fiber is three times stronger than cotton, while being more absorbant and more effective at blocking UV radiation. When woven, it holds its shape and doesn't need chemical additives to stay wrinkle-free.
 
Colorado-based company Onno sells clothing made from bamboo, hemp and organically grown cotton. Altiplano, also based in Colorado, sells clothing made from another natural fiber, llama wool. Clothing made from these materials retain their quality and have a much longer lifetime than synthetic clothing, which means fewer resources need to be used and fewer T-shirts need to end up in a landfill. 
 
Natural fibers like bamboo, hemp and wool have clear economic and environmental benefits. Choosing clothing made from these materials can give us a stronger, greener wardrobe as long as we make sure they are sustainably grown. The health benefits of natural fibers are not as clear, however, and we as consumers presently have to decide for ourselves how much chemical treatment is acceptable in our clothing. It is, after all, our skin.