Investigation Finds Evidence of PFAS in Workout and Yoga Pants

Testing finds fluorine—an indicator of PFAS—in women’s sportswear from popular brands like Old Navy and Lululemon.

Fluorine is a strong indicator of the “forever chemicals”— which have been linked to everything from cancer to birth defects to lower vaccine effectiveness. Bruce Mars/Unsplash

One in four pairs of popular leggings and yoga pants tested have detectable levels of fluorine, an indicator of toxic PFAS, according to a new report from Mamavation.

Partnering with Environmental Health News (EHN.org) the environmental wellness blog and community Mamavation tested the activewear and found levels of fluorine ranging from 10 parts per million (ppm) up to 284 ppm in eight pairs of leggings and pants, out of 32 tested. EHN.org partially funded the testing and Pete Myers, chief scientist of Environmental Health Sciences, which publishes Environmental Health News, reviewed the findings.