A latest video from MyLifeOutdoors is making waves by diving deep into the environmental and well being impacts of PFAS in out of doors gear and clothes — particularly rain gear. Often called “endlessly chemical compounds,” PFAS are extremely persistent within the atmosphere and linked to important well being dangers together with cancers and liver injury.
Let’s discuss what the difficulty is, how the out of doors trade is responding, why, as a hiker, it’s best to care, and what you are able to do.
What Are PFAS?
PFAS, brief for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a gaggle of over 15,000 man-made chemical compounds which have been broadly used because the Forties. They’re greatest recognized for his or her water- and stain-resistant properties, making them well-liked in mountain climbing merchandise like rain jackets, tents, and even the down inside your coats and quilts.
Whereas probably the most infamous PFAS compounds, PFOA and PFOS, are linked to probably the most critical well being points, each PFAS studied to date has been proven to be detrimental to your well being.

PFAS are used within the manufacturing of most rain gear as a result of chemical compounds’ potential to repel water. Picture through Brandon Chase.
Why Ought to Hikers Care?
One of many largest issues about PFAS is that they don’t break down simply within the atmosphere, incomes them the nickname “endlessly chemical compounds.” As soon as they enter water sources, they’ll persist for hundreds of years, accumulating within the tissue of fish, wildlife, and, finally, human beings.
Research have proven that even tiny quantities of PFAS can have dangerous results, with the EPA stating that there isn’t a acceptable stage of PFAS in consuming water.
Given their persistence within the atmosphere, PFAS pose a big threat not simply to non-public well being but additionally to the ecosystems we attempt to shield. Hikers carrying clothes and utilizing gear with PFAS may contribute to the more and more prevalent PFAS contamination, particularly once we go to water sources. Traces of PFAS could be detected even in distant areas, highlighting the abundance of this chemical contamination.
The Water Pattern Findings
Within the video, Steven of out of doors Youtube channel MyLifeOutdoors takes water samples from numerous sources: his residence faucet, the Dillon Reservoir (the water provide for Denver, CO), the ocean, and a distant alpine headwater stream. He additionally builds a chamber to simulate rainfall, and after leaving a rain jacket within the chamber for twenty-four hours, collects a pattern of the runoff. All 5 samples are discovered to include measurable ranges of PFAS.
His findings spotlight the alarming prevalence of PFAS even in pristine environments. Additionally they recommend that rain jackets do shed PFAS, regardless of claims on the contrary from most firms.
“So are hikers serving to to infect streams and different pristine water sources by taking PFAS-riddled gear into these distant areas? In all probability to not the extent that makes a big distinction,” Steven says within the video. “PFAS is such a broadly used chemical, and the variety of backcountry customers going to anybody location is so small, a lot of the air pollution might be coming from different sources.” Some PFAS can evaporate with water and fall with precipitation, carrying it to distant areas.
This serves as a reminder that, whereas our gear performs a job, it’s only half of a bigger downside that wants addressing. “However that is an out of doors channel, and I wished to concentrate on the function the out of doors trade has performed and what we will do about it,” Steven continues.
How Is the Outside Gear Business Responding?
In mild of the well being dangers related to PFAS, the out of doors trade is more and more centered on decreasing or eliminating these chemical compounds from merchandise. The video factors out that regulatory adjustments in states like California and New York are prompting manufacturers to adjust to stricter requirements, resulting in improvements in PFAS-free manufacturing processes.
Corporations equivalent to Gore-Tex are committing to creating PFAS-free alternate options, aiming to offer high-performance gear with out compromising security. Client demand for transparency can also be driving this shift, with manufacturers like REI pledging to take away PFAS-treated gadgets from their choices.
Nonetheless, even with this new consciousness, there stays an extended approach to go to successfully regulate and take away PFAS from out of doors clothes.

Picture through Ariella Nardizzi.
What Can You Do?
Steven suggests a number of actions you may take motion towards PFAS contamination, beginning educating your self concerning the subject. Watching the unique video by MyLifeOutdoors is a wonderful approach to delve deeper into the experiments and scientific findings associated to PFAS in out of doors gear. Understanding the affect of those chemical compounds is essential for advocating for change.
When you’re knowledgeable, contemplate reaching out to your representatives to specific your issues about PFAS laws. Your voice issues in pushing for insurance policies that prioritize public well being and environmental security.
Moreover, you may have interaction with out of doors manufacturers by writing to them about their PFAS utilization and urging them to decide to safer alternate options. Supporting organizations devoted to PFAS consciousness by way of donations also can make a distinction. These charities work tirelessly to boost consciousness, promote analysis, and advocate for legislative adjustments to guard our well being and the atmosphere.
By taking knowledgeable motion, you may assist pave the way in which for a safer and extra sustainable out of doors expertise for everybody.
Featured picture: Brandon Chase.
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