Toxic Textiles: Hidden Dangers in India's Fashion Industry
An NGO report reveals hazardous hormone-disrupting chemicals, specifically nonylphenol ethoxylates, in textiles sold across India, affecting garments and river ecosystems near textile hubs. The study emphasizes the need for stricter regulations on these chemicals, currently restricted only in cosmetics, posing risks to human health and the environment.
- Country:
- India
A recent report by the NGO Toxics Link highlights alarming levels of hazardous hormone-disrupting chemicals found in textiles sold across India, including innerwear. The study, titled 'Toxic Threads: Assessing Nonylphenol in Indian Textiles and the Environment,' identified the presence of nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) in various garments and surface waters near textile hubs.
According to the report, these endocrine-disrupting chemicals were detected in 15 out of 40 textile products tested, with 60% of baby and children's garments showing contamination. The report raises concerns about public health risks associated with NPE exposure, known to mimic estrogen and increase cancer risk.
Toxics Link has called for enhanced regulations on the use of nonylphenol across textiles and industrial effluents, emphasizing the urgency for national action. The study also found significant NPE contamination in river ecosystems near textile hubs, urging India to adopt safer, biodegradable alternatives.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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