High levels of toxic PFAS chemicals have been found in surface and tap water samples collected near industrial areas that are centres of the textiles industry throughout and around Dhaka. PFAS chemicals were found in nearly all samples, according to a field study.
- The water analyses showed PFAS amounts in many samples at levels above current or proposed regulatory limits in the EU, US, or the Netherlands, with several samples containing one or more globally banned PFAS.
- The study, Persistent Threat: PFAS in textiles and water in Bangladesh, has been published by the Environment and Social Development Organization (ESDO) and IPEN.
- PFAS have been found in countless products where they provide water-, grease-, and stain-resistance and are widely used by the textiles industry, which accounts for about 50% of the total global use of PFAS and ranks second in PFAS emissions.
- The textiles industry in Bangladesh is a global manufacturing centre of the fast fashion sector, with dozens of factories making clothing for major brands.
THE HIGHLIGHTS: As Bangladesh has no specific regulations on PFAS, the study compared its findings with standards developed or in development in the EU, Netherlands, and USA (expressed in nanograms per litre or ng/L). Key findings from the study include:
- PFAS were detected in 27 of 31 surface water samples (87%). Of the 27 samples containing PFAS,
- 18 samples (67%) contained one or more of the globally banned PFAS chemicals PFOA, PFOS, and/or PFHxS.
- 19 samples (70%) had PFAS levels exceeding the proposed EU regulatory limit (4.4 ng/L).
THE DETAILS: The highest PFAS levels were detected in 2019 in water from the Karnatali river, with levels more than 300 times the proposed EU limit. That sample also had the highest level of two banned PFAS, more than 1,700 times above a current Dutch advisory limit for PFOA (0.3 ng/L) and more than 54,000 times above a current Dutch advisory limit for PFOS (0.007 ng/L).
- Another sample, from Hatirjheel Lake in 2022, also contained both PFOA and PFOS, the latter testing at 185 times above a current Dutch advisory level for PFOS.
- Samples with high PFAS levels were common in areas near textile producing facilities, adding to the evidence that the textiles industry may be a significant source of PFAS water pollution.
- In two waterways where samples were taken in 2022 downstream and upstream from Export Processing Zones (the Dhaka and Adamjee EPZs), samples taken downstream from the facilities showed higher PFAS concentrations, reinforcing the conclusion that the textiles industry is the likely source of PFAS pollution.
- Three of the four tap water samples from 2019 contained PFAS and tested above the US PFOA threshold for drinking water (4 ng/L).
- The study also analysed clothing purchased in Bangladesh, as another potential source of PFAS exposure to residents. PFAS were detected in all five clothing items sampled, with one men’s jacket containing the globally banned chemical PFOA.
