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India Today
02-06-2025
- Health
- India Today
Are you wearing cancerous chemicals in branded clothes?
On the face of it, Nonylphenol (NP) and Nonylphenol Ethoxylates (NPEs) might sound like scientific gibberish, but these are chemicals that every consumer should be aware are endocrine-disrupting chemicals that pose significant health risks to humans even at very low levels. These compounds can mimic oestrogen—the primary female sex hormone—and may cause developmental abnormalities in embryos, foetuses and children. Additionally, they have carcinogenic properties and are linked to prostate cancer in men and breast cancer in and NPEs are used across a wide range of industries, including leather, detergents and cleaning products, paper and pulp, food packaging materials, cosmetics and construction. However, what is particularly concerning is their extensive use in India's textile manufacturing sector, where they function as wetting agents, detergents and emulsifiers in various processes, such as washing, scouring, lubrication, bleaching, dye levelling and to the report 'Toxic Threads: Assessing Nonylphenol in Indian Textiles and the Environment', released by New Delhi-based nonprofit Toxics Link, NPEs were found in 15 out of 40 textile products purchased from retail stores and online platforms across India. Most of these 15 products were innerwear and babywear—items that pose an increased risk of exposure due to their prolonged and close contact with human skin, allowing easier absorption into the body. Alarmingly, the highest concentration was found in innerwear, ranging from 22.2 mg/kg to 957 mg/kg. The highest level (957 mg/kg) was detected in a piece of female 60 per cent of baby and children's products tested positive for NPEs, with concentrations ranging from 8.7 mg/kg to 764 mg/ report also detected NP in the surface water of five major rivers: Cooum and Adyar in Chennai, Buddha Nullah in Ludhiana (Punjab), Bandi in Pali (Rajasthan) and the Sabarmati in Ahmedabad. The research noted that NP concentration in water increases significantly around textile hubs in the many countries, particularly in the European Union, have regulated the use of these chemicals in textiles and cosmetics, India continues to lag. The EU has banned the manufacture and import of textiles containing NPEs. However, due to lack of regulations in the Asia-Pacific region—and in India specifically—these toxic chemicals remain widely used.'The presence of NP in environmental matrices and textile products is a serious public health concern,' said Satish Sinha, associate director at Toxics Link. He emphasised the need for regulatory standards that limit the presence of NP and NPE in consumer products and ensure these chemicals are not released into the environment through industrial effluents. Currently, the only restriction in India applies to their use in Link also spoke to several textile exporters who confirmed that they manufacture textiles without NPEs for clients in countries where the chemical is banned. 'Alternatives are available. What we need is regulation to ensure the adoption of safer chemicals,' said to India Today Magazine
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Survey finds hazardous chemicals in garments, surface water of five rivers near textile hubs
New Delhi: A new report by an NGO has revealed the presence of hazardous hormone-disrupting chemicals in garments sold across India, including innerwear, as well as on surface water of five rivers near textile hubs. The study by Toxics Link published in the report titled "Toxic Threads: Assessing Nonylphenol in Indian Textiles and the Environment" found nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) -- a group of endocrine-disrupting chemicals -- in 15 out of 40 textile products examined. These garments were sourced from popular retail shops and online platforms in 10 major textile hubs across the country, according to the report released on Monday. Ten of the NPE-contaminated items were innerwear, with one female hosiery product recording the highest concentration of 957 milligram/kilogramme. Sixty per cent of baby and children's garments tested also contained NPEs, according to the report. NPEs and their breakdown product, nonylphenol (NP), are known to mimic estrogen, disrupting the hormonal system and increasing the risk of developmental disorders and cancers, Toxics Link said in the report. Despite their documented health risks, these chemicals continue to be widely used in India in textiles and various industrial sectors, including leather, detergents, food packaging, and cosmetics, it said. "These chemicals are known endocrine disruptors, and their detection in clothing and riverwater is a serious public health issue," said Toxics Link associated director Satish Sinha. "India needs to urgently regulate the use of nonylphenol not just in cosmetics but also in textiles and industrial effluent," he added. The study also tested environmental samples and detected NPEs in the surface water of five rivers -- Cooum and Adyar in Chennai, Buddha Nullah in Ludhiana, Bandi river in Pali, and Sabarmati in Ahmedabad. The Cooum recorded the highest NPE concentration at 70 micrograms/litre while the Buddha Nullah had the highest NP contamination in sediment samples at 460 micrograms/kilogramme and mixed isomers at 1,190 micrograms/kilogramme. The presence of these chemicals was confined to downstream locations near textile hubs, pointing to industrial discharges as the likely source. NP, which is persistent and bio-accumulative in nature, poses a long-term risk to aquatic ecosystems and human health. India restricts NP only in cosmetics while several other countries have set broader regulations due to its toxicity, according to the report. Toxics Link has called for a national action plan to regulate NP use in textiles, including stricter monitoring of industrial effluent and promotion of safer, biodegradable alternatives.
Time of India
19-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Survey finds hazardous chemicals in garments, surface water of five rivers near textile hubs
A new report by an NGO has revealed the presence of hazardous hormone-disrupting chemicals in garments sold across India, including innerwear, as well as on surface water of five rivers near textile hubs. The study by Toxics Link published in the report titled "Toxic Threads: Assessing Nonylphenol in Indian Textiles and the Environment" found nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) -- a group of endocrine-disrupting chemicals -- in 15 out of 40 textile products examined. These garments were sourced from popular retail shops and online platforms in 10 major textile hubs across the country, according to the report released on Monday. Continue to video 5 5 Next Stay Playback speed 1x Normal Back 0.25x 0.5x 1x Normal 1.5x 2x 5 5 / Skip Ads by Ten of the NPE-contaminated items were innerwear, with one female hosiery product recording the highest concentration of 957 milligram/kilogramme. Sixty per cent of baby and children's garments tested also contained NPEs, according to the report. Live Events NPEs and their breakdown product, nonylphenol (NP), are known to mimic estrogen, disrupting the hormonal system and increasing the risk of developmental disorders and cancers, Toxics Link said in the report. Despite their documented health risks, these chemicals continue to be widely used in India in textiles and various industrial sectors, including leather, detergents, food packaging, and cosmetics, it said. "These chemicals are known endocrine disruptors, and their detection in clothing and riverwater is a serious public health issue," said Toxics Link associated director Satish Sinha. "India needs to urgently regulate the use of nonylphenol not just in cosmetics but also in textiles and industrial effluent," he added. The study also tested environmental samples and detected NPEs in the surface water of five rivers -- Cooum and Adyar in Chennai, Buddha Nullah in Ludhiana, Bandi river in Pali, and Sabarmati in Ahmedabad. The Cooum recorded the highest NPE concentration at 70 micrograms/litre while the Buddha Nullah had the highest NP contamination in sediment samples at 460 micrograms/kilogramme and mixed isomers at 1,190 micrograms/kilogramme. The presence of these chemicals was confined to downstream locations near textile hubs, pointing to industrial discharges as the likely source. NP, which is persistent and bio-accumulative in nature, poses a long-term risk to aquatic ecosystems and human health. India restricts NP only in cosmetics while several other countries have set broader regulations due to its toxicity, according to the report. Toxics Link has called for a national action plan to regulate NP use in textiles, including stricter monitoring of industrial effluent and promotion of safer, biodegradable alternatives.
