More and more athletic apparel, including sports bras, are being discovered to contain high concentrations of the hormone-disrupting chemical, BPA, and have long-term health effects.
In late May, the non-profit organisation The Centre for Environmental Health (CEH) updated information from October by finding eight more sporting gear manufacturers that may be exposing consumers to elevated BPA concentrations.
“Studies have shown that BPA can be absorbed through the skin and end up in the bloodstream after handling receipt paper for seconds or a few minutes at a time,” said Kaya Allan Sugerman, illegal toxic threats program director at CEH.
The chemical acts like estrogen and it has the ability to interrupt the body’s typical functioning methods, including metabolism and reproduction processes in addition to development and growth, according to the CEH.
The new apparel companies and goods that CEH is criticising include Kohl’s, Champion, Athleta, Nike, and Patagonia leggings, Sweaty Betty sports bras, Fabletics shirts, and Champion, Nike, and Adidas shorts. According to the most recent assessment from CEH, those products might expose wearers to up to 40 times the daily safe BPA limit of 3 micrograms established by California.
CEH called out 14 brands in October 2022, including Nike, Brooks, Mizuno, PINK, Asics, and Athleta, for subjecting people who wore their gear to excessive BPA levels that might expose the wearer to as much as 22 times the legal limit
