Occurrence and Washout of Health‐Hazardous Chemicals in Children's Clothing

Background Textile chemicals may constitute a hazardous exposure and lead to skin sensitization or other health problems. Children, due to their thinner, less developed skin, are more susceptible to this exposure. Objectives To investigate the occurrence and levels of 50 textile chemicals in children´s skin‐close clothing. Further, to investigate the washout effect of these textile chemicals and their tendencies to migrate from the textile fibres into artificial sweat. Methods Screening of 60 children's clothes purchased on the Swedish retail market was performed using coupled automated thermal desorption‐gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (ATD‐GC/MS). Results Among the most frequently occurring chemicals were non‐regulated quinolines, halogenated arylamines, phthalates, and nitrobenzenes. The highest concentrations were found for benzyl benzoate, 1400 μg/g, and 2‐bromo‐4,6‐dinitroaniline, 300 μg/g. The highest number and levels of chemicals were detected in garments made of 100% polyester, while the fewest and lowest levels were determined in light‐coloured cotton. Laundry experiments revealed that cotton garments had the greatest washout effect, whereas most of the chemical content remained in 100% polyester garments even after 10 laundry cycles. Conclusions Results indicate a lower exposure from the investigated cotton garments, especially after laundry. On the other hand, cotton exhibited threefold greater chemical migration into artificial sweat than polyester. The strong dependence on fibre material is important to consider when estimating the bioaccessible chemical exposure from garments and related health risks.