Monday, 18 November 2024

Facial Tissue Brands Found To Contain ‘Forever Chemicals,’ Report Says

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The group Mamavation tested 13 facial tissue brands for PFAS, otherwise known as ‘forever chemicals.’

Mamavation focuses on eco-wellness product investigations.

“Mamavation’s EPA-certified laboratory found indications of PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ after analyzing popular facial tissues on the market today,” Mamavation wrote.

“PFAS are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances that have been used for many decades as stain-resistant, oil-resistant, grease-resistant, & water-resistant chemicals in commerce,” the group noted.

Mamavation summarized its findings:

  • 46% of total facial tissue products tested had indications of PFAS “forever chemicals.” That’s 6 detections out of 13 facial tissue brands that had organic fluorine above 10 parts per million (ppm) according to our laboratory.
  • 66% of the products with detections of organic fluorine were advertised made from bamboo. That’s 4 out of 6 products that had detections of organic fluorine.
  • 100% of the products with detections of organic fluorine were advertised as having some type of environmentally friendly feature such as being made from bamboo, having a “sustainable” certification like Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), or being classified as “tree-free.” That’s 6 out of 6 products that had detections of organic fluorine.
  • Ranges of organic fluorine, a marker for PFAS, were from 10 ppm to 25 ppm. These are not levels of PFAS that would be considered “intentionally added” and are more likely to be from contamination in the supply chain.

    • It’s clear from the reporting we received from our EPA-certified laboratory that claims of “sustainability” or something similar have no bearing on traces of organic fluorine, which is an indicator of PFAS “forever chemicals.” Therefore, just because your box of facial tissue has a sustainable claim doesn’t mean they are avoiding all indications of PFAS. Our research also suggests that bamboo versions of facial tissue may have additional contamination issues that may not be shared by larger or more conventional tissue brands.

    Mamavation organized the facial tissue brands into the following categories:

  • “Not Our Favorite Facial Tissues”
  • “Better Facial Tissues”
  • “Best Facial Tissues”

    • The Defender reports:

    Facial Tissues were purchased or donated from community members between January 2023 and April 2024. Our EPA-certified laboratory received and tested each box of facial tissues we sent.

    No products were donated by the manufacturer. Many types of facial tissue were represented — some of these brands were lotion-free, dye-free, soft, hypoallergenic or sustainable however, each brand is made for daily use.

    Some facial tissue boxes were donated to a local community center because we received more than we could test, i.e. many of the same brand of facial tissue was received when purchased online.

    Testing: Mamavation’s EPA-certified laboratory uses marker testing to identify the potential presence of PFAS “forever chemicals” in facial tissue. Organic fluorine is a marker for PFAS because all PFAS chemicals are carbon-based compounds that contain fluorine.

    The specific lab method used to test for total fluorine was the Determination of Total Fluorine by Oxygen Flask Combustion and Ion-Selective Electrode.

    If total fluorine was observed at a detection level of 10 ppm or greater, the lab did the “Determination of free Fluoride Ion” in the product by Ion-Selective Electrode and then subtracted that from the “Total Fluorine” to determine the amount of organic fluorine. This marker testing is likely to show the presence of PFAS.

    Organic fluorine can also capture other fluoropolymers, pharmaceuticals, and common hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants, such as 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (commonly known as R-134a) and 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (commonly known as HFO-1234yf), which are all also PFAS. None of which you want around your food, personal care products, or facial tissue.

    Scott Belcher, Ph.D., an associate professor with the Center for Environmental and Health Effects of PFAS at North Carolina State University said:

    “Fluoropolymers, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), are extremely common forms of PFAS that could be contributing to the organic fluorine found in facial tissues. Methods used for detecting individual PFAS, such as PFOA or GenX, cannot directly identify PTFE.”

    “However, the analysis of total organic fluorine (TOF) does account for all PFAS contaminants in facial tissues, including PTFE. Therefore, this method of testing serves as a good ‘spot-check’ of consumer products.”

    Mamavation organized the facial tissue brands as followed:

    Not Our Favorite Facial Tissues – “These facial tissue products were sent to our EPA-certified laboratory and it was reported back they had detections of organic fluorine, which is indicative of PFAS ‘forever chemicals,'” Mamavation stated.

  • Amazon Aware 100% Bamboo Facial Tissues — 12 ppm organic fluorine
  • Cloud Paper 100% Bamboo Tissue Paper — 17 ppm organic fluorine
  • Gaia’s 100% Recycled Treeless, and Plastic-Free Facial Tissue — 16 ppm organic fluorine
  • Puffs Plus Lotion — 25 ppm organic fluorine
  • The Cheeky Panda Bamboo Ultra Sustainable Tissue made with natural bamboo — 10 ppm
  • Who Gives a Crap You Smell Like a Fancy Candle Bamboo Tissue — 10 ppm organic fluorine

    • Better Facial Tissues – “These facial tissue products were sent to our EPA-certified laboratory and it was reported back they had non-detect organic fluorine results. The detection limit of the testing was 10 ppm and thus anything under that amount would not be detectable to our lab. However, based on the materials used, they were deemed to be “better” and not ‘best’ based on the less environmentally friendly inputs used. They are more representative of regular tissues, but some may be soft tissues or sensitive skin tissues,” Mamavation stated.

  • Kleenex Ultra Soft Hypoallergenic Tissues — non-detect organic fluorine
  • Up & Up (Target) Kids Tissue — non-detect organic fluorine
  • Kirkland Facial Tissue — non-detect organic fluorine
  • Scotties Premium White Tissues — non-detect organic fluorine

    • Best Facial Tissues – “These facial tissue products were sent to our EPA-certified laboratory and it was reported back they had non-detect organic fluorine results. The detection limit of the testing was 10 ppm and thus anything under that amount would not be detectable to our lab. These products were also made from materials that are less problematic to the environment,” Mamavation stated.

  • Eco Soul Bamboo Ultra Soft Facial Tissues — non-detect organic fluorine
  • Caboo Tree Free Facial Tissue — non-detect organic fluorine
  • Seventh Generation 100% Recycled Facial Tissues Whitened without Chlorine Bleach 2-Ply Tissue — non-detect organic fluorine

    • Read the full report at Mamavation.


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