Chemical trail from washing machines can harm fertility

Scientists discover that dangerous compounds released during cleaning find way to rivers and lakes

THE mystery of how hormone-disrupting chemicals have come to be found in lakes and rivers has been solved – and the culprit is the washing machine.

Scientists have long puzzled as to how flame-retardant compounds and chemicals used in making plastics flexible – called phthalates – end up in the environment, as factories take care to avoid spills.

There is increasing evidence that the chemicals and retardants damage fertility and could be the reason why male sperm counts have fallen dramatically since the 1940s. Women with the highest concentration of phthalates in their bodies are also more likely to suffer low libido.

Researchers at the University of Toronto now believe they have found out how the chemicals are polluting the natural world.

It appears human clothing can trap the chemicals in the fibres and on laundry day they are released into the washing machine water before being swept into the sewerage system. Wastewater plants extract less than 20 per cent of the chemicals, meaning most will find their way into rivers and lakes.

Dr Miriam Diamond, lead author, from the university’s department of physical and environmental sciences, said: “Clothing is unique in the indoor environment as it undergoes continual laundering. These results support the hypothesis that clothing acts as an efficient conveyer of [chemicals] from in- doors to outdoors through accumulation from air and then release during laundering.”

Phthalates are used in items from synthetic fragrances to plastic food containers, vinyl flooring, insect repellent, shower curtains and even steering wheels and dashboards.

They are not chemically bound to the plastics to which they are added, so are continuously released into the atmosphere. Plastic that was once flexible tends to harden and become brittle over time because the phthalates have leached out.

The study found that natural fibres were the worst for trapping phthalates, with cotton picking up nearly double the level of the man-made polyester.

As well as fertility problems, studies in animals and humans have linked flame retardants to thyroid disorders, memory and learning problems, delayed mental and physical development, lower IQ, diabetes and advanced puberty.

Health scares have led to some retardants being phased out in recent years, but older items such as sofas could still be coated in the chemicals.

Scientists have called for research into whether the new flame retardant now being used is having the same health impact.

The University of Houston recently showed that two of the more commonly used flame retardants – used on circuit boards and on plastic casings for electronics – disrupted hormones and promoted obesity.

The team also believe that chemicals used in dry cleaning could be left on clothes and transferred back into the environment.

The research was published in the American Chemical Society journal Environmental Science & Technology.

Dr Michael Warhurst, executive director of CHEM Trust, a charity, said phthalates could also be found in household dust, which can get on clothes. “We can reduce part of our exposures to problem chemicals by keeping our homes clean, but ultimately we need to get these chemicals out of our lives by them being banned from products in the first place,” he said.