Restrict/Label Formaldehyde in Textile Products
Safbaby.com is urging legislation to restrict the presence of formaldehyde in textile products. For any clothing articles that do contain formaldehyde, a mandatory label ("contains formaldehyde...") needs to be available for the consumer to know that the presence of this toxic gas is there.
Formaldehyde is strongly suspected of carcinogenic properties and can provoke allergic reactions like irritation of the eyes, skin and the respiratory system. Furthermore, formaldehyde can cause lung oedema and asthma when it is taken up through the respiratory organs.
It is commonly used in the clothing manufacturing industry as a stain resistant mechanism, to resist mildew, to fix color to a fabric, to give a permanent press effect, to stop shrinking and to make fabric more flame resistant. The application of formaldehyde primarily concerns cotton, viscose, linen and their blends with synthetic fibers.
Although Europe and Japan have limits set as to what they will allow for formaldehyde in textiles, the USA does not have ANY safety standard in place.
European Countries like Austria, Finland, Germany, Norway and Netherlands have laid down national legislation restricting the presence of formaldehyde in textile products. The US needs to get with the times here as well. This needs to be done for the health and well-being of our children and consumers at large.
Safbaby.com is urging legislation to restrict the presence of formaldehyde in textile products. For any clothing articles that do contain formaldehyde, a mandatory label ("contains formaldehyde...") needs to be available for the consumer to know that the presence of this toxic gas is there.
Formaldehyde is strongly suspected of carcinogenic properties and can provoke allergic reactions like irritation of the eyes, skin and the respiratory system. Furthermore, formaldehyde can cause lung oedema and asthma when it is taken up through the respiratory organs.
It is commonly used in the clothing manufacturing industry as a stain resistant mechanism, to resist mildew, to fix color to a fabric, to give a permanent press effect, to stop shrinking and to make fabric more flame resistant. The application of formaldehyde primarily concerns cotton, viscose, linen and their blends with synthetic fibers.
Although Europe and Japan have limits set as to what they will allow for formaldehyde in textiles, the USA does not have ANY safety standard in place.
European Countries like Austria, Finland, Germany, Norway and Netherlands have laid down national legislation restricting the presence of formaldehyde in textile products. The US needs to get with the times here as well. This needs to be done for the health and well-being of our children and consumers at large.
We are writing to express our concern about the lack of regulations regarding the dangerous gas, formaldehyde, that hides excessively in textiles in the United States.
European Countries and Japan strictly restrict the presence of formaldehyde in textile products and following label must be added to textiles: "Contains Formaldehyde. It is recommended to wash this garment before the first use to avoid irritation of the skin"
Formaldehyde is strongly suspected of carcinogenic properties and can provoke allergic reactions like irritation of the eyes, skin and the respiratory system. Furthermore, formaldehyde can cause lung oedema and asthma when it is taken up through the respiratory organs.
Our children are especially vulnerable to these toxins!
It's time for the US to take action to restrict and clearly label formaldehyde in textiles. We are urging strict regulations and labeling in children's clothing and bedding.
Thank you for looking into this issue, and for making our children's health and well-being a top priority.
Please protect us from harmful chemicals that are being used in almost everything, from clothing to furniture to foods that we consume daily. A great number of people are not even aware that these chemicals are in our products. There are alternatives!
Please help to allow our babies to grow up healthy without chemicals that are known to create health problems.
Please help to allow our babies to grow up healthy without chemicals that are known to create health problems.
What a sad world we live in now... Remember when foods and clothing didn't contain poisons? ....So sad....
I am a new mother and am quite frusterated with all the knowledge I must acquire just to purchase some clothes for my child. I cannot believe all of the chemicals being allowed in childrens clothing and products. Please ban these horrible chemicals from products or at least make it a legal issue where companies must disclose what has been used on the clothing/products. Thank you
Mr. Obama, Please help us keep our babies safe from as much chemicals as possible. You have two daughthers and I'm sure you understand how a parent feels when you come to find out that the clothing your babies have been wearing aare full of harmful stuff. Please help us stop the BIG manufactures from rui our babies overall health and growth. THANK YOU! My 6 months old baby will appreciate that very much!
It is a sham we even have to have a petition for this.
It is unforgiveable that this can happen.
Restricting the use of harmful chemicals in children's clothing is a social justice issue. It is not surprising that discount retailers like Children's Place and Target (sources of inexpensive kids clothes that my family and many other lower-middle class Americans depend on) use formaldehyde and other toxics in their manufacturing processes. Expensive organics and brands like Hanna Andersen are free of harmful chemicals but are priced out of reach for many parents. It is wrong that rich people are better able to ensure their children's health than poor people. Please take action on this matter.
We have the right to know what our children are exposed to. The government should do everything in its power to protect our children from being harmed further, which includes exposing these known toxins. If the dangers are known, there are no excuses for not taking every action possible!
Formaldehyde is a toxic substance and people have the right to know if a company is choosing to use a toxic substance. Otherwise...please restrict it's use!
Why can't we get something right in the U.S.? We're destroying the environment, our food supply and water are so polluted it's a death sentence to eat conventional and unfiltered, and now I've become aware that we don't even regulate the junk we put on our children's clothes? What is wrong here?? Let's think about what this might mean for our future.
President and Mrs. Obama, As parents setting a wonderful example for the rest of the nation, I'm sure you care about the chemicals all our children are exposed to. By calling national attention to this delima, and supporting legislation to change it, your voices would be extremely important and infulential.
I think it's a real shame that we as a country place profit ahead of our children's safety. We should at least follow European standards in this issue. We should be ashamed.
It is time we got serious in the USA about protecting our children. Too many chemicals are unregulated and too many are added to items for children with no proof that they are harmless. It is time that we stopped assuming synthetic chemicals are safe unless proven to do harm. They should have to be proven to be safe before they are used.
