EDF Health

New report finds endocrine disrupting chemical in more than one-third of tested Indian clothing products

By Maria Doa, PhD, Senior Director, Chemicals Policy / Published: July 8, 2025

What’s new: A new report has found the cancer-linked endocrine disruptor, nonylphenol (NP), in one-third of tested Indian clothing products at levels exceeding European Union (EU) safety standards.

Scientists also detected NP in major Indian rivers downstream from textile hubs at levels that significantly exceeded international water quality standards. The report, Toxic Threads, was published by the Indian environmental research and advocacy organization Toxics Link in partnership with Environmental Defense Fund.

Common industrial applications of nonylphenol chemical

Common industrial applications of nonylphenol chemical (Toxics Link)

What is NP and where does it come from? NP is a chemical byproduct of degrading nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs), which manufacturers across several sectors use as a base ingredient in detergents, wetting agents, dispersants, defoamers, de-inkers and antistatic agents. Textile producers use NPEs most commonly in cleaning agents.

The Toxic Threads report’s key findings include:

  • NP was detected in 15 of the 40 products examined (about 35%).
  • NP levels in 13 out of the 40 products exceeded the current EU limit (<100 mg/kg).
  • 60% (9 out of 15) of baby and children’s products contained NP.
  • Female innerwear made with hosiery had the highest NP concentration of all garment types.
  • Significant NP contamination was found in several rivers near key Indian textile hubs.
  • NP’s presence in downstream locations and absence upstream strongly suggests point-source pollution from industrial activities, particularly textile manufacturing.

Why it matters: NP is an endocrine disruptor and has been linked to cancer. People, particularly children, can be exposed to it through everyday products they touch or might put in their mouths. NP’s persistence (how long it lasts), toxicity and ability to build up in the body over time makes it a significant threat to human health, the environment, marine ecosystems and the food chain. Because many textiles produced in India are exported, the associated health risks could extend to consumers in importing countries that don’t regulate NP in clothing, such as the United States.

Nonylphenol's path to waterways, marine ecosystems and the human body

Nonylphenol’s path to waterways, marine ecosystems and the human body (Toxics Link)

How can India protect its people and aquatic life from the dangers of NP? While several countries have taken proactive measures, India has yet to fully regulate against the harms of NP and NPE contamination.

The report recommends Indian leaders take decisive action to align with global efforts in restricting NP and NPE use. Strengthening regulations and promoting safer alternatives in textile manufacturing and consumer products are key to safeguarding human and environmental health and ensuring sustainable market practices.

Go deeper: Read the full Toxic Threads report here.

Also posted in Adverse health effects, Carcinogenic, Chemical regulation, Cumulative impact, Environmental justice, General interest, Health policy, Health science, Public health, Worker safety / Authors: / Leave a comment

European Commission plans to ban food uses of BPA. We ask again: Where is FDA?

By Maricel Maffini, PhD, Consultant and Tom Neltner, Senior Director, Safer Chemicals Initiative / Published: June 9, 2023

Maricel Maffini, consultant, and Tom Neltner, Senior Director, Safer Chemicals

What Happened?

On June 2, the European Commission, the executive body of the European Union (EU) responsible for proposing legislation and implementing decisions, announced it is preparing an initiative that “will impose a ban on the use of BPA [bisphenol A] in food contact materials (FCMs), including plastic and coated packaging.” It also said it would “address the use of other bisphenols in FCMs to avoid replacing BPA with other harmful substances.” The Commission’s proposal is based on the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) scientific opinion that exposure to BPA is a “concern for human health.”

Why It Matters

In April, EFSA concluded that Europeans were exposed to levels of BPA from food that were 100 to 1,000 times greater than the estimated safe amount, and that this exposure could lead to an overactive immune system producing out-of-control inflammation. BPA was also associated with disrupting the endocrine system, harming reproduction, and reducing learning and memory. The immune system was most sensitive to BPA exposure. Recognizing these risks, the Commission moved quickly to protect Europeans’ public health by banning uses of BPA.

Our Take

Americans’ exposure to BPA from food is similar to that in Europe. Unfortunately, FDA doesn’t share the same sense of urgency to protect our families as the European Commission is demonstrating by its actions. While Europe is moving forward to ban the use of BPA in food contact materials, the FDA has failed to take action.

EDF and our allies submitted a food additive petition asking the agency to limit BPA exposure from food by revoking approvals for using BPA in adhesives and can coatings and to setting strict limits on using BPA in plastic that contacts food. FDA filed the petition on May 2, 2022 and has not made a final decision on it despite a 180-day statutory deadline. It is now more than 400 days overdue.

In January, FDA Commissioner Califf announced “a new and transformative vision for the FDA Human Food Programs” which includes a Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods with “decision-making authority over policy, strategy and regulatory program activities.” These are important steps, but a real measure is making timely decisions to protect American’s health by restricting the use of toxic chemicals such as BPA.

Pile of silver metal food cans with no labels

Next Steps

We will continue to press FDA to make a final decision on the petition, including potentially taking legal action for unreasonable delay in responding to our petition.

Also posted in BPA, EFSA, FDA, Food contact materials, Food packaging, Health hazards, Plastic, Public health, Reproductive toxicity / Tagged , , | Authors: , / Comments are closed

Representatives Call For FDA Public Hearing on Phthalates

By Joanna Slaney and Maricel Maffini, PhD, Consultant / Published: June 6, 2023

By. Joanna Slaney, Senior Director, Federal Affairs, and Maricel Maffini, PhD, Consultant

U.S. Capitol dome framed by trees

Source: A. Paige Baker, ShutterSights.com©

What Happened?

On May 19, Reps. Katie Porter, Steve Cohen, Nanette Diaz Barragán, Earl Blumenauer, and Raúl Grijalva issued a letter [PDF, 300KB] to FDA Commissioner Robert Califf calling on FDA to “act expeditiously to protect the public from the health risks posed by phthalates in food and food packaging.”

They asked the FDA to hold a public hearing on ortho-phthalates (phthalates), chemicals associated with disruptions to the development of the male reproductive system and neurodevelopment, among other health effects.

Why It Matters

In 2021, Reps. Porter and Lieu led a letter with 12 colleagues urging FDA to take action on phthalates in food and cosmetics. That letter, in part, called on FDA to take action on a 2016 petition filed by EDF and allied environmental health organizations asking FDA to revoke its approval for all uses of phthalates in food packaging and processing equipment.

In May 2022, after the petitioners sued, FDA denied the petition. The petitioners formally objected to the decision and requested a public hearing pursuant to FDA’s regulations. The agency has not provided any timeline for acting on the objections.

Request for a Public Hearing

The Representatives stated in the letter submitted last month that  FDA’s decision denying the petition was flawed. “[W]e are deeply concerned about the denial, which was made without deciding whether the remaining approved uses of phthalates in food and food packaging are safe.” (Emphasis original)

They reminded Commissioner Califf of his recent statement that chemical safety is a “really, really important area for the future – for humankind, really – and where science is evolving rapidly,” urging FDA to hold a public hearing on two areas of concern:

  • The agency’s failure to evaluate the safety of phthalates as it was legally required to do before denying the 2016 petition. The letter stated, “failing to evaluate the safety of phthalates is an abdication of the FDA’s continuing obligation to oversee the safety of the food supply.”
  • FDA’s failure to address new toxicity information that raises significant questions about the safety of phthalates. Phthalates are associated with numerous health issues, including reproductive and developmental toxicity, endocrine disruption, immune toxicity, and epigenetic alterations. The letter stated, “the denial of the petition fails to acknowledge, let alone analyze, the dozens of peer-reviewed studies that underscore the toxicity of the phthalates that remain approved for food contact use.”

Next Steps

EDF and our allies will continue to press FDA to hold a public hearing on the safety of phthalates used in food packaging and processing equipment.

Go Deeper

EDF blogs on phthalates

Also posted in Congress, Developmental toxicity, FDA, Food, Food packaging, Health science, Phthalates, Public health, Public hearing, Regulation, Reproductive toxicity / Tagged , , , , , | Authors: , / Comments are closed