PFAS-free clothing: why Lagoped refuses these pollutants

On February 12 , the National Assembly's Sustainable Development Committee adopted a bill aimed at gradually banning PFAS , these "eternal pollutants" that permanently contaminate our environment and our health. Led by Green MP Nicolas Thierry, this text provides for the banning of several products containing PFAS by 2026 and 2030, such as textile products containing PFAS in January 2030, with the exception of certain categories of textiles for professional use. This is a major step forward that demonstrates a growing awareness of the dangers of these substances. The final vote in plenary session, scheduled for February 20 , will be decisive in confirming this ban and making France one of the pioneering countries in Europe on this issue.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, better known by the acronym PFAS , are a family of more than 10,000 synthetic chemical compounds. Used since the 1940s in industry for their non-stick, water-repellent and stain-resistant properties, they are omnipresent in our daily lives: food packaging, fire-fighting foams, stove coatings and, of course, technical clothing .

The major problem with PFAS? Their extreme persistence in the environment. Once released, these molecules do not degrade, or only very slowly, and accumulate in water, soil and the food chain, with serious consequences for human health and ecosystems. Once released, these pollutants are present for hundreds, even thousands of years.

The carbon-fluorine bonds that make up PFAS are among the strongest in organic chemistry. This strength makes them virtually indestructible in nature, where they migrate long distances, contaminating rivers, groundwater, and farmland. According to several studies, these pollutants are found in drinking water and the food we eat.

After observing the concentration of PFAS in our environment, there is no longer any doubt: "eternal pollutants" are a real danger for living things and for humans in particular. Indeed, exposure to PFAS is associated with a growing list of chronic diseases and toxic effects:

• Cancers (kidney, liver, testicle)

• Hormonal disorders and infertility

• Impaired neurodevelopment in children

• Weakened immune system

The populations most exposed are workers in the chemical industry , professionals handling these substances, and residents close to highly contaminated areas, called "hot spots".

The use of PFAS has exploded in recent decades, despite scientific warnings. Here is a timeline of the key milestones in this environmental scandal:

• 1940s-1950s : In the United States, 3M begins production of PFAS for various industrial applications.

• 1960s-2000s : Massive expansion into textiles, coatings and food packaging.

• 1997: Kris Hansen, an employee of the 3M company exploiting PFAS, discovers large-scale contamination (Minnesota, USA).

• 2000s : The health scandal broke out in the United States when lawyer Robert Bilott looked into the dumping of thousands of tons of sludge containing PFOA into the environment by the DuPont group. In the early 2000s, the 3M company announced that it would stop producing PFOS after its health impact was highlighted.

• 2001 : The Stockholm Convention begins to regulate these persistent organic pollutants, including several compounds in the PFAS family.

• 2009: PFOS - perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, classified as a possible carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, is banned in Europe.

• 2012 : Tefal, the French brand that manufactures non-stick pans, claims to have stopped using PFOA in its manufacturing and at its factory located in Haute-Savoie, in Rumilly. A region heavily polluted by PFAS

• 2019 : PFOA, a widely used PFAS, is banned in Europe after being classified as carcinogenic.

• 2020 : Europe regulates monitoring of PFAS in drinking water.

• 2022 : 3M announces it will end PFAS production by 2025, amid regulatory pressure and health concerns.

• 2023 : Fluoropolymers are classified as carcinogenic to humans.

• February 2023 : uPFAS - draft “universal restriction” of PFAS. Publication of a European project to ban all of these eternal pollutants: Germany, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands and Sweden are proposing a text that would affect the entire chemical universe of PFAS at once, i.e. more than 10,000 substances

• February 2025 : Adoption of a bill to gradually ban PFAS by the Sustainable Development Committee of the National Assembly (France).

• 2026 : possible entry into force of the uPFAS project, delayed due to an intense lobbying and disinformation campaign led by the sectors producing and using PFAS.

Faced with regulatory pressure, manufacturers have introduced new forms of short- and ultra-short -chain PFAS. These molecules, supposed to be less harmful, are in reality more mobile and more difficult to decontaminate than their predecessors. Far from providing a solution, they prolong widespread contamination.

Europe has at least 23,000 sites polluted by PFAS. Their decontamination represents a major technological challenge: the only effective solution is to burn these substances at more than 1,100 °C in specialized incinerators. According to an estimate by the Forever Lobbying Project, the total cost of decontamination could reach between 95 and 2,000 billion euros over 20 years, for the European continent .

Why such a difference in the estimate of the cost of decontamination? In an optimistic but unrealistic scenario, in which all PFAS emissions would cease tomorrow, decontamination would cost "only" 95 billion euros. The more realistic scenario of 2000 billion euros, on the other hand, does not take into account the impact on the countries' health systems and negative externalities.

If the polluter pays principle is not applied, the bill will be passed on to consumers. Each European household could pay €480 per year to eliminate PFAS from drinking water. An exorbitant cost that underlines the urgency of banning these substances at source.

Outdoor clothing is among the first to be affected by the use of PFAS , particularly in water-repellent membranes and treatments. Indeed, one of the PFAS that has caused a lot of ink to flow in recent months is a product used in kitchen utensils or water-repellent & waterproof jackets. These are fluoropolymers, a category of "high-performance" PFAS, whose water-repellent or non-stick qualities are exceptional.

But at Lagoped, we have made a radical choice: no PFAS in our products, and this has been the case since the brand was created .

We work with committed partners such as Sympatex , which offers waterproof and breathable fluorine-free membranes. Our water repellents are derived from alternative, environmentally friendly technologies , guaranteeing effective protection without impacting the health of our customers or that of the planet.

To ensure the effectiveness of water-repellent clothing lasts, we invite our customers to take care of their technical jackets and trousers by maintaining the water repellency of their clothing with a water-repellent spray, which obviously does not contain PFAS.

PFAS pollution is a major environmental and health crisis, the scale of which is only just beginning to be understood. At Lagoped, we refuse to wait for regulations to impose change: we have chosen to design technical clothing without PFAS , which is healthier and more sustainable.

Changing our consumption habits is essential. As a consumer, choosing PFAS-free alternatives means actively contributing to more responsible fashion.

To encourage transparency and fair information for our readers, we are providing you with the readings that allowed us to write this summary article. We encourage you to assess the extent of PFAS pollution for yourself through the following sources.