Josefine Carlsson and Professor Ulrika Nilsson at the Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Stockholm University. Photo: Angela Westin/SU.

Harmful chemicals in our clothes may soon be a thing of the past, thanks to a groundbreaking method developed by researchers at Stockholm University. A new method has been developed led by Professor Ulrika Nilsson, which is proposed to become the European standard for monitoring harmful substances in textiles.

Ulrika and her research group have worked for several years on the method to make it easier, faster, and cheaper to detect banned and potentially hazardous substances hidden in our clothes.

"The chemicals used in manufacturing, especially in dyeing and producing synthetic materials, often remain in the finished garments. Textile chemicals are more easily released when we sweat and can then be absorbed by the skin," says Ulrika Nilsson.

Exposure to textile chemicals is a risk that Ulrika is determined to eliminate. As an expert with the Swedish Consumers' Association, Ulrika can also influence standardization efforts at the European level. She hopes that the new method will help authorities and manufacturers monitor chemical use and lead to mandatory labeling of clothing contents. This would be a significant step forward for consumer safety in Europe.

Click the link to read more about Ulrika Nilsson's research

This link leads to the Swedish Consumer Association´s website

Thesis on New Testing Method for Chemicals in Clothing

Josefine Carlsson at the Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry. Photo: private.

Josefine Carlsson is one of the researchers, who under Ulrika's supervision, contributed to developing the new screening method which could become a European standard. The hope is that the method will be implemented within the textile industry and, over time, help expand the regulation of textile chemicals.

In September, Josefine will defend her doctoral thesis and research on harmful chemicals in clothing, focusing on skin-sensitizing substances.

Josefine has demonstrated that several allergenic and mutagenic substances are frequently found in common garments, of both synthetic and blended materials. However, the health risks are generally low, provided the clothes are worn only a few times and thereby less exposure. The risk of allergic reactions could be higher for individuals who already have a textile allergy or with repeated skin exposure to the garments.

"Textile allergies are relatively common, but which of the various compounds in clothing are the main culprits is less well-known. In my dissertation, I have identified several common allergens that were previously unknown in clothing," explains Josefine Carlsson.

Josefine emphasizes that the textile industry continually introduces new chemicals in its production processes. The new screening method will make it easier to detect previously unknown, potentially harmful textile chemicals.

Dissertation – Josefine Carlsson

Josefine Carlsson will present her thesis, "Is Your Wardrobe Making You Sick? Textile Chemicals with a Focus on Skin Sensitizers – Analytical Methods, Occurrence, and Dermal Exposure", at the Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry at Stockholm University, and online, on September 13.

Click this link to read more about Josefine Carlsson´s thesis defence

Click this link to read the full thesis in DiVA

Text: Angela Westin