Cindy Carr, cindy.carr@sierraclub.org
OAKLAND -- On Wednesday, the menstrual underwear brand Thinx settled an up to $5 million class action lawsuit that claimed its products contain PFAS chemicals, or Per- and Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substances. PFAS are synthetic chemicals widely used in consumer products like raincoats, food containers, and furniture, because they make paper and fabrics stain and water-resistant. These “forever chemicals” are under intense scrutiny because they build up in people’s bodies, never break down in the environment, and are associated with a variety of health problems including cancer, immune system, and reproductive system harms.
The issue was first uncovered by Sierra magazine Ms. Green author Jessian Choy in January 2020, who published an investigation about contamination in Thinx brand menstrual underwear after mailing a sample to Dr. Graham Peaslee, a nuclear scientist and Notre Dame professor, for analysis.
In response, Sierra magazine Ms. Green author Jessian Choy and Sierra Club Senior Toxics Advisor Sonya Lunder issued the following statements:
Jessian Choy: “Time and again, consumers are learning new and disturbing information about the toxic chemicals we come into contact with daily, yet all too often it is left to journalists and members of the public to do the ‘detective work’. The federal rules often shield the chemical industry by allowing them to withhold information about chemicals from the public and the government as ‘trade secrets.’ Until the EPA, FDA, and other federal agencies treat this crisis like a crisis, we’ll continue to discover PFAS in more and more products.”
Sonya Lunder: “PFAS chemicals are just the latest example of how public health suffers because we don’t have an effective and modern process to screen industrial chemicals for safety and restrict the use of those that threaten our health. While Federal agencies are scrambling to assess the damages caused by PFAS contamination in our food and drinking water, companies are still using them in surprising ways. Fortunately, some states -- including Maine, Washington, and Colorado -- are banning the use of all PFAS chemicals in things like textiles, food packaging, children’s products, and cosmetics. We need more states and the federal government to follow their lead.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.