UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – New legislation could outlaw harmful PFAS in uniforms, as experts warn of health risks linked to synthetic fibres worn daily by millions of students.
As reported by The Guardian, health and environmental experts are pushing for stricter rules on school uniforms, urging their peers to support the child bill amendments.
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, now in committee at the House of Lords, may soon regulate uniform costs and limit branded items in England and Wales.
How “forever chemicals” in uniforms could harm children’s health?
Concerns are rising over the use of PFAS and synthetic fibres in uniforms, as new evidence links these chemicals to serious health and environmental risks.
PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, refers to a large class of long-lasting chemicals that break down very slowly in the environment.
Health issues linked to PFAS include:
- High cholesterol
- Fertility issues
- Immune system disorders
- Kidney disease
- Birth defects
- Some cancers
Amendments 202A and 202B regarding uniforms
Under Amendment 202A, lawmakers are urging an urgent ban on PFAS in schoolwear, along with mandatory digital records of all chemicals used by manufacturers.
The amendment 202B proposes action within 12 months on school uniforms that may “endanger the health or safety of persons [or] cause unreasonable public health or environmental health risk”, focusing particularly on artificial fibres.
What did Natalie Bennett say about PFAS and plastics?
Natalie Bennett, the Green Party peer, who has supported both amendments, said,
“What we’re failing to grasp is the cocktail effect, which is the fact that all of us, but particularly our children, are being exposed to microplastics and nanoplastics.”
She said,
“We’re being exposed to PFAS, we’re being exposed to pesticides. And the level of all of these things is mounting up all of the time.”
Lady Bennett stated,
“The phrase ‘cocktail effect’ comes from river campaigners who started to focus on the environmental impact of this. But actually [this is] what’s happening to human bodies.”
She said,
“It’s obviously breathed in. So you know, you run for the bus in your blazer, you’re probably taking in great gulps of plastics, straight into your lungs and potentially into your bloodstream. And also of course, you know, you touch it and then you touch your mouth and you can also orally ingest it.”
Ms Bennett added,
“My broader frame of this is planetary boundaries … One of them is so-called novel entities, which for my shorthand is pesticides, pharmaceuticals and plastics. And we have exceeded the planetary boundary for novel entities. And so that’s where it’s sort of the whole cocktail effect argument comes in, you know, we are poisoning this planet, we are on a poisoned planet, and we’re poisoning our own bodies.”
What did Dr Santillo warn about chemicals in kids’ clothing?
Dr David Santillo, senior scientist at Greenpeace Research Laboratories, said,
“Most parents are probably not aware that the uniforms their children are required to wear may be treated with a mix of forever chemicals, something that is almost impossible to tell from the label. Although some PFAS are already banned in textiles, there are many more still in widespread use. Only a ban on the whole group will be effective in reducing children’s exposure to these chemicals while they are at school.”
He added,
“Action on school uniforms should go hand in hand with a wider ban on the use of any PFAS in any children’s textiles, so that it is not a lottery of exposure based on what your child is wearing. Forever chemicals have no place in everyday consumer clothing and should be phased out in all but essential uses in specialised workwear.”
What did Ruth Chambers say about toxic chemicals in uniforms?
Ruth Chambers, a senior fellow at the Green Alliance, said,
“Toxic chemicals in school uniforms are yet another example of why we need stronger chemical laws. Before Brexit, the UK was part of the world’s gold standard system for regulating chemicals, which restricted or banned hundreds of substances linked to health concerns like cancer, but our protections have significantly weakened since then.”
He added,
“The government should commit to catch up with EU standards in its legally binding environmental improvement plan, and it should work towards fully banning the use of these harmful chemicals to protect people and nature.”
What did studies reveal about microfibres inside the human body?
New research shows synthetic microfibres, tiny threads under 5mm, are entering the human body – found in semen, lungs, breast milk, bone marrow, placenta, testicles, and brains.
Experts say clothes made from synthetic fibres can shed hundreds of microfibres per gram in just 20 minutes of wear, without even being washed.
Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill UK
- Child ID: SUI was introduced for better safeguarding.
- School rule: All state schools must follow the National Curriculum.
- Home Ed: Local registers, limits under protection plans.
- Vulnerable Support: More help for care leavers and kinship carers.
Teacher rules: Equal pay/qualifications; no forced academies. - School power: Councils can open non-academy schools.