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Some sports articles may contain substances that are harmful to health, whether they are carcinogenic or toxic to the reproductive system, according to research by the European project “LIFE AskREACH”, released this Thursday.
Through the project, 82 products acquired in 13 European countries, one of them Portugal, were tested by an independent and accredited laboratory, and 20 of them contained substances of concern, half of them with a high content of these substances.
According to a statement released this Thursday by the environmental association Zero, a partner in the project, products such as gym balls, yoga mats, bathroom utensils, gym shoes or sports bottles, among many others, were tested. The presence of materials such as plasticizers, flame retardants, heavy metals or alkylphenols was evaluated. (organic compound of the phenol family) on flexible plastic items.
In the statement, Zero recalls that when the percentage of these substances is higher than 0.1%, this obliges the producer and the retailer to inform consumers about their presence, if they request such information.
However, none of the companies that manufactured these products responded to the request for information sent on the presence of these substances “, says Zero, recalling that according to the REACH regulation (Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemical Substances) companies are obliged to make the information available (in cases above 0.1%) if the consumer requests it and has 45 days to do so.
Specifically, according to the analysis, The presence of two plasticizers that are restricted in the European Union has been detected. (EU) since July 2020 for being toxic to reproduction and interferes with the hormonal system. The statement explains that concentrations of these products higher than 0.1% are not allowed in the European market, but a pilates ball had a concentration of 41% and an overball (also for pilates classes) a concentration of 35%.
An exercise rope it contained a 2.6% concentration of short-chain chlorinated paraffins, which cannot be present in products in concentrations higher than 0.15%.
“The test results demonstrate the difficulty of implementing the EU strategy of asking companies to voluntarily stop using these substances in articles. This approach results in plasticizers that are toxic to reproduction, persistent paraffins, and flame retardants. that are carcinogenic still circulate in articles of daily use “, warns in the document.
And it is also considered that there is an urgent need to improve the implementation of the REACH system, to ensure better knowledge about the presence of dangerous substances in products.
The “LIFE AskREACH” project is a consortium of 20 partners from 13 member states of the European Union to promote the rights of consumers to information about chemicals in the items they buy. It has an application (Scan4Chem) to facilitate communication between consumers and companies.
In the statement, the Zero association advises consumers to avoid plastic items, especially flexible PVC or low-cost dark items made of rigid plastic, and look for eco-labels.
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