An analysis found high levels of BPA, a chemical compound used to make certain types of plastic, which can have harmful health effects such as asthma, cardiovascular diseases, and obesity, in sportswear from various brands.
The study was conducted by the California Environmental Health Center (CEH), which, after testing, sent legal notices to more than eight brands whose leggings, shorts, sports bras, and athletic shirts were found to contain chemicals that could expose users to up to 40 times the safe limit of BPA, based on standards set in California.
According to California law, the maximum level of BPA exposure through the skin is 3 micrograms per day.
The tested sportswear brands include leggings from Athleta, Champion, Kohl’s, Nike, and Patagonia, sports bras from Sweaty Betty, athletic shirts from Fabletics, and shorts from Adidas, Champion, and Nike.
The CEH had already warned consumers last October that the sports bras from Athleta, PINK (Victoria Secret), Asics, The North Face, Brooks, All in Motion, Nike, and FILA were tested for BPA over a six-month period, and the tests showed that the clothing could expose users to up to 22 times the safe limit of BPA.
“We want brands to reformulate their products to remove all bisphenols, including BPA. In the meantime, we recommend consumers limit the time they wear their sportswear, changing it after workouts,” the group advised.
BPA (Bisphenol A) is found in a large number of everyday products, from water bottles and canned foods to toys and flooring. In adults, exposure to BPA has been linked to diabetes, heart disease, cancer, obesity, and erectile dysfunction.
Source: CNN