Alarming levels of ‘forever chemicals’ found in water near Bangladesh garment factories

By Sarah Johnson | The Guardian | May 29, 2024

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"Rivers, lakes and tap water in areas of Bangladesh that host garment factories are swarming with dangerous levels of toxic “forever chemicals”, some with links to serious health issues, according to new research.

In the first study of its kind conducted in Bangladesh, a global fashion hub supplying international brands, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly known as forever chemicals, were found in 27 water samples collected close to textile factories in the capital, Dhaka.

In many of the samples, taken in 2019 and 2022, PFAS levels were far above regulatory limits set in the EU and the US, while several contained one or more globally banned chemicals, according to the report by the Environment and Social Development Organization (Esdo) and Ipen, a network of NGOs."