IPEN

Dhaka, Bangladesh-A study released today by the Environment and Social Development Organization (ESDO) and IPEN reveals high levels of toxic PFAS chemicals in surface and tap water samples collected near industrial areas that are centers of the textiles industry throughout and around Dhaka. PFAS chemicals were found in nearly all samples. The water analyses showed PFAS amounts in many samples at levels above current or proposed regulatory limits in the EU, US, or the Netherlands, with several samples containing one or more globally banned PFAS. 

The study, “Persistent Threat: PFAS in textiles and water in Bangladesh,” notes that the textile industry in Bangladesh is a global center of the export “fast fashion” sector, with dozens of factories making clothing for major brands. PFAS are found in countless products where they provide water-, grease-, and stain-resistance and are widely used by the textiles industry, which accounts for about 50% of the total global use of PFAS and ranks second in PFAS emissions.

“Bangladesh is an international textiles manufacturing hub, and the prevalence of toxic chemical emissions from this sector puts our residents at higher risk. The fashion export industry should not get a free pass to contaminate our rivers, lakes, and taps with PFAS,” said Siddika Sultana, Executive Director of ESDO in Bangladesh. “We are not against industry, but we are against pollution. As a party to the Stockholm Convention, Bangladesh should implement PFAS regulations and health-protective standards.”

Highly Hazardous Pesticides pose ongoing threats, especially in the Global South

Nairobi, Kenya-A report from the world’s leading scientific and medical experts on hormone-related health conditions raises new concerns about the profound threats to human health from endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that are ubiquitous in our surroundings and everyday lives. 

The report, “Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals: Threats to Human Health” provides a comprehensive update on the state of the science around EDCs, with increasing evidence that this large group of toxic substances may be implicated in rising global health concerns. 

The report from the Endocrine Society, co-produced with the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN), includes detailed analyses on exposure to EDCs from four sources: plastics, pesticides, consumer products (including children’s products), and per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a class of thousands of chemicals known or suspected to be EDCs. 

The Endocrine Society-IPEN report is being released during the U.N. Environment Assembly (UNEA-6) meeting in Nairobi. At UNEA key agenda items include welcoming the newly adopted Global Framework on Chemicals, advancing global action on highly hazardous pesticides, and threats to the circular economy from plastics and toxic chemicals.  The groups’ report anticipates an update from UNEP and the WHO expected later this year on their 2012 Report on State of the Science of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals.