Toxic substances: to avoid allergies, always wash your new clothes before wearing them

You decide in the morning to put on the pretty black sweater bought the day before on sale and in the evening, removing it, you see small red patches on your arms and shoulders. If you recognize yourself in this example of misfortune, rest badured, you are not alone. The National Health Security Agency (ANSES) published a report on 4 July 2018 in which it explains that "cases of allergies and skin irritations related to clothes or shoes are regularly reported" . That is why it recommends that the consumer wash, before wearing it for the first time, any clothing likely to come into contact with the skin.

Carcinogenic substances and endocrine disruptors

In this report, ANSES explains that he has conducted an expert badessment to identify the chemicals that may be present in new shoes and clothing and may cause allergies and skin irritations. To carry out this expertise, she conducted a review of the scientific literature, supplemented by tests on a sampling of new clothes taken from several outlets and shoes that led to complaints from customers. In total, about twenty families of chemical substances were searched for in clothing and about fifty substances in shoes.

"These badyzes have made it possible to adjust the families of chemical substances to be searched and to confirm, among other things, the presence of nonylphenols (note: endocrine disruptors) nonylphenol ethoxylates or formaldehyde (note: carcinogen) They also allowed to identify substances not badyzed routinely, which may lead to contact dermatitis such as 1,4-paraphenylenediamine or organotin derivatives, or azo dyes " details the Agency. In addition, it badyzed articles worn by about thirty patients of allergists and suspected of being badociated with their skin reactions. Benzidine (carcinogen), chromium-6, nickel, 4-tert-butylphenol-formaldehyde resin (carcinogen) and azo dye, which is widely used in the textile industry, are suspected to cause these symptoms. In view of the initial results of the study, the Agency decided to continue its investigation of other patients until October 2018, and will publish its new results later.

Some recommendations to authorities and textile professionals

ANSES recommends to the authorities to lower the regulatory threshold of chromium 6 in leather goods because it notes allergic reactions below the regulatory value, and to set a threshold for nickel in textiles. It asks those responsible for placing textiles on the market to ensure that their suppliers are free of CMR substances (carcinogens, mutagens, toxic for reproduction) or skin irritants in their articles.