INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
global fashion hub supplying international brands, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly known as forever chemicals, were
found in 27 water samples collected close to textile factories in the capital, Dhaka.In many of the samples, taken in 2019 and 2022, PFAS
levels were far above regulatory limits set in the EU and the US, while several contained one or more globally banned chemicals, according
to the report by the Environment and Social Development Organization (Esdo) and Ipen, a network of NGOs.PFAS are a family of about 10,000
chemicals that have been linked to a wide range of serious illnesses, including certain cancers
They have been used in manufacturing and added to everyday consumer products since the 1950s.They are called forever chemicals because
scientists say they could take hundreds or even thousands of years to degrade after the products they were used in are thrown away
If PFAS leak into water, they could remain there for centuries
The textiles industry accounts for 50% of the total global use of PFAS.View image in fullscreenWastewater filled with fabric dye flows from
globally under the Stockholm Convention, of which Bangladesh is a signatory, and others are under review
The global treaty aims to protect human health and the environment from the effects of persistent organic pollutants.Of the 27 samples found
with PFAS, 67% contained one or more globally banned PFAS chemicals
Samples with high levels were common in areas near textiles factories, suggesting that the industry may be a significant source of water
Samples taken in two waterways downstream from large factories in 2022 showed higher levels of PFAS than samples taken upstream.The highest
PFAS levels were detected in water taken from the Karnatali River at more than 300 times the proposed EU limit
The sample had the highest level of two banned PFAS
These were more than 1,700 times higher than a Dutch advisory limit for perfluorooctanoic acid and more than 54,000 times higher than the
limit for perfluorooctane sulfonate.Bangladesh has no specific regulations for PFAS so the study compared findings with standards in the EU,
The water bodies are major sources of irrigation, agriculture, industrial development and drinking water
This article first appeared/also appeared in theguardian.com
