The Swedish Chemicals Agency (KEMI) has conducted tests of sports clothing made of synthetics as well as “anti-odor” clothes for babies. The results of the tests were “worse than we expected,” Anne-Marie Johansson of KEMI told newspaper Dagens Nyheter.
The watchdog agency randomly bought clothing and textiles in Swedish stores which are marketed as “anti-odor” or claimed to provide “lasting freshness,” “hygenic protection,” or to be “antimicrobial.”
Of the 30 articles tested in a laboratory, 16 were found to contain silver nano-particles and anti-bacterial agent Triclosan. Although the use of silver particles was most common in sports clothing, investigators also found it in children’s pajamas and other types of clothing.
One of the products containing silver was a hair-band from Buff with a Winnie-the-Pooh design.
Three fourths of the silver particles in the hair-band had been leached out after three washings, according to the Swedish study.
“One can really ask questions about usage, especially when it comes to children’s clothing. There are concerns about the effects on health; children may suck on their clothing,” Anne-Marie Johansson of KEMI told DN.