New clothing, including clothing from some major brands, may be manufactured with nonylphenol ethoxylates, according to a just-released report from Greenpeace International. In the environment, NPEs break down to nonylphenol, a persistent toxic substance likely having endocrine disrupting properties.

The Greenpeace report provides a summary of the test protocols and products tested, which include some well-known major brands available in Canada. The report acknowledges that the clothes themselves likely present no risk to wearers of the clothing but that the use of NPEs in manufacturing is contributing to build up of these toxic substances in the aquatic environment worldwide.  Greenpeace also considers that the presence of these substances is indicative of a careless attitude towards toxic chemicals by many companies in the clothing industry.

The report is available at http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/publications/reports/Dirty-Laundry-2/

GallonDaily has not verified the Greenpeace data and is reporting it with no guarantee of the accuracy of the statements made by Greenpeace International.