Are brightly colored clothes toxic? Do dark-colored clothes contain formaldehyde? Should I get rid of these clothes?

As we all know, colorful clothes are made through dyes, and most of the dyes used for clothes are chemical dyes.

So there are rumors that textile dyes are toxic , especially dark and brightly colored clothing, because chemical dyes contain certain elements that are not good for the body . In addition, dark dyes contain formaldehyde , and brightly colored clothes are prone to contain decomposable aromatic amine dyes that are banned by the country. Consumers can easily buy "toxic" clothes if they are not careful.

So, are dark and bright clothes healthy? Should we continue to wear them? Let's start from the beginning.

01

The increasing popularity of synthetic dyes

This rumor touches on two issues regarding textiles: one is whether the dyes used in textiles are toxic, and the other is the formaldehyde problem in clothing.

Let's first understand the two important processes in textile production: "printing and dyeing" and "finishing". The printing and dyeing process gives textiles rich colors and patterns, and various dyes are used in the processing process; the finishing process can improve the appearance and internal quality of textiles, improve performance or give textiles some special functions, and various finishing auxiliaries are also used in the processing process.

Nowadays, the chemical synthesis industry has been fully developed. Chemical synthetic dyes have almost replaced traditional plant dyes in the textile field because of their lower cost, more complete color spectrum, better dyeing and fixation properties than plant dyes.

So, will chemical dyes affect our health?

Brightly colored dyes | Tuchong Creative

02

Are dyes toxic? National standards protect you

First, although there are many types of chemical dyes, they are not toxic in themselves. They react chemically with textile fibers during the printing and dyeing process to achieve the purpose of dyeing, and they are not toxic after combining with the fibers.

The largest category of compound dyes is azo dyes. Azo dyes are a type of dye that contains azo groups in their molecular structure. There are more than 3,000 varieties, and they are not toxic in themselves. A small number of azo dyes will mix with the body's metabolites when worn, and will undergo a reduction reaction under certain conditions, releasing carcinogenic aromatic amines that harm human health. However, this type of azo dye has long been banned by national mandatory standards . The European Union, North America and other countries also have clear regulations and textile standards that prohibit the use of azo dyes.

Printing and dyeing companies must follow mandatory standards to control and ensure the quality and safety of their products during the production process. Clothing products that violate the regulations and use banned dyes cannot be sold. Newly purchased textiles will also fade when they are washed for the first time. These floating colors can be removed by washing and are harmless to the body, so there is no need to worry too much.

03

Formaldehyde? There are also strict restrictions

Formaldehyde in textiles usually comes from resin finishing agents, softeners, color fixatives, flame retardants, waterproofing agents, etc. used in the finishing process. The use of these finishing auxiliaries can improve the performance of the fabric or give it corresponding special functions . At present, the textile industry has gradually replaced formaldehyde-containing auxiliaries with formaldehyde-free or low-formaldehyde finishing auxiliaries to reduce the risk of excessive formaldehyde in textiles after finishing. In addition, formaldehyde scavengers are also used in the finishing process of textiles to effectively reduce the formaldehyde content of the finished product to meet the above-mentioned factory standards .

The content of formaldehyde in textiles is also strictly regulated and required in national standards . The national mandatory standard GB18401-2010 "National Basic Safety Technical Specifications for Textile Products" stipulates that the formaldehyde content of Class A textiles is ≤20mg/kg, the formaldehyde content of Class B textiles is ≤75mg/kg, and the formaldehyde content of Class C textiles is ≤300mg/kg; among them, textile products for infants and young children should meet the requirements of Class A, products that directly contact the skin should at least meet the requirements of Class B, and products that do not directly contact the skin should at least meet the requirements of Class C.

If you are concerned about the small amount of formaldehyde remaining in textiles, you can also wash and dry the newly purchased textiles and clothing before wearing them. Because formaldehyde is easily soluble in water, the remaining formaldehyde can be removed by washing .

Author: Song Lidan, Engineer of Industrial Research Department, China Textile Construction Planning Institute

Review | Zhang Jie, Chief Engineer, China Textile Construction Planning Institute

This article is jointly produced by the "Science Rumor Refutation Platform" (ID: Science_Facts) and the China Textile Construction Planning Institute. Please indicate the source when reprinting.

The pictures in this article are from the copyright gallery and are not authorized for reproduction.

References:

National Standard GB18401-2010 "National Basic Safety Technical Specifications for Textile Products"