There's really a lack of rigor in this post. 1. The author needed to clarify why polyester microplastics are harmful in a way that cellulose microscopic fragments aren't. 2. Natural fibers could just as well be treated in a manner that gives you all the issues described.
Really, the salient issue here are the treatments and dyes involved in the production of cheap modern fabrics, and polyester itself, and OEKO-TEX is concerned with those.
Of course, polyester microplastics are environmentally harmful, but that's a different argument altogether.
Even if what this article claims is false, I'm 100% in favor of buying organic fabrics like wool and cotton. I'm doing it as much as I can and it's not that difficult except for shoes and some water proof layer. There are also solutions for that but I admit they are a bit less convenient for certain uses like hiking
The microplastics are getting everywhere and I don't want to know what happens if the amount keeps increasing... But I guess we will know.
From the abstract of [0]:
Microplastics and nanoplastics [..] particles can penetrate the skin, especially if the skin barrier is compromised. [they] may cause oxidative stress, trigger inflammation, and induce senescence. This article calls for research on the topic and advocates for plastic-free or bio-degradable alternatives.
Which part of that statement is untrue if you substitute "natural fiber" for "Microplastics and nanoplastics"?
Literally anything can penetrate the skin if the skin barrier is compromised. That's just sophistry: "If you shove things into a cut, they will be inside your skin!"
This is fearmongering. Your skin does not absorb everything it touches, otherwise I would be drunk from using 70% ethyl alcohol hand sanitizer. And the claim that microplastics, physical particles, go right into your skin also seems questionable.
Even if you do eat them, there's no evidence (or I suppose I should say no evidence yet) of microplastics being harmful when ingested. Nanoplastics, on the other hand, have been found to impact animal embryos and cells grown in labs.
A problem with microplastics is that they come bundled with numerous xenoestrogens and other harmful contaminants. This too is what makes them very harmful, especially when conceiving a child.
Really, the salient issue here are the treatments and dyes involved in the production of cheap modern fabrics, and polyester itself, and OEKO-TEX is concerned with those.
Of course, polyester microplastics are environmentally harmful, but that's a different argument altogether.
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