Britons could be unknowingly putting their health at risk by wearing waterproof jackets made with ‘forever chemicals’.
Scientists have been warning about the dangers of perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, for years.
They are called ‘forever chemicals’ because they can stay in the environment for hundreds of years and are attached to everything. Cancer and high cholesterol to infertility.
When PFAS enters the body through the food and water people eat and drink, or by inhaling contaminated air, it can spread throughout the body’s tissues and organs.
Now, one social media influencer — known for his outdoor videos — says PFAS may be hiding in popular Arctic jackets.
This is despite the brand claiming that the tested waterproof jacket contains a new PFAS free material – ePE membrane.
But the Canadian brand told MailOnline it ‘has never been promoted as PFAS-free.’
Hiking and outdoor influencer Steven Smith, who boasts over 220,000 followers on his mylifeoutdoor Instagram label, said it found ‘five different toxic PFAS chemicals’ after testing the jacket 24 hours later.
Now, one social media influencer — known for his outdoor videos — says PFAS may be hiding in popular Arctic jackets.
Walking and outdoor influencer Steven Smith, whose Instagram account mylifeoutdoors boasts more than 220,000 followers, claims his jacket found ‘five different toxic PFAS chemicals’ after 24 hours of testing.
In the video, he places his yellow jacket in a self-powered machine that circulates purified water over the jacket all day.
Prior to the experiment, tests on the water confirmed that there were no traces of PFAS.
‘Five different toxic chemicals, including 21 parts per trillion (ppp) of PFBA’ – one type of PFAS – they took off the jacket.
“This jacket is made from toxic chemicals called PFAS,” he added.
The other four chemicals contained 0.65 ppt of PFOA — a different type of PFAS, he said.
According to Arctic, this should have been removed from their clothing in 2016.
Spokesman b Arctrix told MailOnline: ‘The jacket featured in this story is actually the Model SS24 Beta Lt Jacket, which was advertised as PFAS-free.’
Online, the Canadian brand also says the ePE membrane is a sustainable achievement that we’re committed to bringing to our line of all GORE-TEX jackets by the end of 2025.
The government announced in February that it was restricting the use of PFAS in consumer products as potentially hazardous under the UK’s REACH chemical regulations.
In the UK, other popular outdoor clothing brands Paramo and Finisterre say they do not use PFAS in their products, while Fjällräven, Alpkit, Lowe Alpine and Patagonia are largely PFAS-free.
They and more than a dozen other organizations say they will end their use of PFAS next year.
But in June, a survey by Ethical Consumers found that more than 10 outerwear brands were using PFAS in more than 8 outerwear brands.
The campaign magazine said that of the 27 companies it reviewed, 82 percent had products that contained a chemical component.
About half of all companies also had no deadline for using PFAS, according to Ethical Consumers.
Renowned for their durability and stain resistance, PFAS have been used in many non-stick cookware, clothing, packaging, cosmetics and even children’s toys.
But industries are now moving away from them because of their harmful influence.
PFAS has previously been linked to kidney cancer, prostate cancer and breast cancer, among others.
Although these links are not definitive and research is ongoing, part of the concern is that PFAS are so pervasive in modern life and persist in the environment for so long that they leach into water supplies and increase exposure.
