*Some of the PFAS Free Gear I used:* Paramo Rain Jacket: geni.us/nS23hx Fjallraven Pants: geni.us/0vlpeD Fjallraven Shirt: geni.us/MMtgFc Keen Shoes: geni.us/vPCR Zpacks Plex Solo: geni.us/iS1P Zpacks Arc Haul: geni.us/3pBiA *See the description section of the video to find links to my PFAS sources and other companies committed to NOT using gear containing PFAS
As a Chemical Engineer the issue is generally that while the polymer itself is very very stable, the monomer is never completely consumed in the reaction and cleaning of the polymer fibers is never sufficient to remove ALL remaining monomer. Think of it like a big bowl of spaghetti, toss in in sauce, then freeze it... then wash the sauce off the outside without letting it melt... still lots of sauce mixed in the middle to slowly leak out.
even if the final product itself was completely free of the harmful byproducts, the harmful byproducts are still being emitted into our environment, circulating throughout it, and entering our and our planet's flora and fauna's air and water and food. so it really wouldn't be good enough even if they could prove they cleansed the jacket or whatever. they'll just dump the waste products into the sewers or groundwater.
Could you freeze the spaghetti in water then shatter it into smaller pieces? I have this idea in my head that you might be able to somehow encapsulate the chemical then break it apart into smaller more manageable pieces, but idk. Sounds like you would need stronger chemical bonds that what the forever chemicals are held together with which is just making more forever chemicals. Is ozone a forever chemical? That's the strongest molecule I can think of but once again I don't know a whole lot.
@@jllemin4 the issue is you want long stable polymers which is good, but polymerization always leaves some monomer and short chain polymer trapped in the ball of long chains. If you break the long chains you destroy the useful properties. Generally you'll use a solvent bath and water bath to remove the excess but you're never going to get it perfect.
Considering Indeonella Sakaiensis and other plastic eating bacteria have been known and researched for a few years now, how viable do you think engineered cultures of multi-plastic digestion foams to be dispersed on floating garbage patches and landfills would be? There is no such thing as a forever chemical, stable or not, entropy always wins. Petrified forests were very common millions of years ago, before fungus evolved to eat a cellulose matrix. The only difference this time, is that the petrified plastic causes giga cancers. I have 'faith' that an exotic enzyme will come to our rescue here. Sounds like distilled water is on the menu until we can carpet bomb the planet with plastic-eating bacteria foam.
I was under the impression that long chain polymers that are more stable are the ones that degrade into micro and nano plastic particles ? Short chain polymers are the ones that are easier to recycle ?
@@medimalismus lmao Yvon created a monster and had to let go, there is no way they can counteract whatever they have done to produce the amount of shit consumers/investors are expecting from them. The euros dropped goretex YEARS ago and patagucci still the only mayor "environmentally responsible" brand to keep on working with them, military contract or just business reasons, they just dont care enough as they want you to believe.
@@medimalismus As of Fall 2024, 99% of Patagonia’s fabric, by weight, with water-repellent chemistries is made without intentionally added PFAS. For most stuff they've replaced Goretex with a PFAS free membrane that still performs to their H2No standards, don't know who makes it. They've also switched to PFAS-free DWR. If I'm not mistaken, the remaining 1% is mostly down to some submersible products or some zippers.
As a backpacker whose day job is in the field of environmental cleanup (including PFAS), I can say this video was very well researched, clearly presented, and refreshingly accurate. I'll be sharing it widely!
Same, happy to see more interest in PFAS, but I did see some things that made me cry - no gloves during sampling (cross contamination from sunscreen or a million other things), etc. etc. My folks would get.cruficiled for this, but this video isn't demonstrating some sort of legal compliance, it's showing the ubiquity of PFAS - the stuff is everywhere. The test with the jacket I kept thinking about tubing, since when we pull samples from wells we have to ensure there aren't low-density plastics because of cross contamination. The whole PFAS situation is a mess, and the more of a public push there is to just cease use (like asbestos or lead-based paint), the better - and this video really does a good job of explaining the bigger picture. If the TH-cam thing doesn't work out, I'd hire Mr. MLO to work for me, hahaha
Polyfluoral compounds are everywhere and in everything and it's scary. I work in a lab that does analysis of polyfluoral compounds I wish you were wearing nitrile gloves while gathering the water because these analytes can be absorbed through the skin. PFBA is very common, and yes contamination is a very real concern when doing testing.I have been using a filter that does a decent job at removing PFAs from water, and I use silicone as a water repellent. Just wait until you learn about VOC's and Micro plastics. 🤓
@@Globetrotter-1I like your joke, but those bottles are the best ones to use to prevent PFAS contamination. They look to be HDPE which are used in the industry, and I believe PE can be used as well. Micro plastics will show up every no matter where you look 👻
@@Jeff13mer It really doesn't bother me at all. There's no problem with wearing the clothing and zero problems drinking the water. When you see what India and China dumps into their rivers and environment on a daily basis you'll realise that worrying about a minute amount of plastics washing off you during a rainstorm is total nonsense.
Thank you! I’m an environmental specialist in the water industry and I can’t tell you how glad I am that someone made such an approachable video demonstrating the ubiquity of this problem.
Just a friendly reminder that manufacturers knew about the dangers of these chemicals decades before it became common public knowledge and just didn’t give a shit.
Unsurprising in a country that, since industrialization, has valued profit over human health, quality of life, mortality, and even the sustainability of our planet. 😖
I work for a company that pioneered making PFAS-free non-stick cookware 17 years ago and has been proudly fighting the PFAS infested cookware industry ever since. Can't be more thrilled to see other channels spreading awareness around this topic! Keep up the good work as they are still slithering their way through A LOT of other products!
Not sure if I am able to express myself properly in English as I am Dutch. I'm a projectleader in soil and groundwater remediation in The Netherlands. We have a massive PFAS problem due to some large PFAS and GenX producing factories either in The Netherlands or in the countries around us that are close to the bigger rivers. All those rivers cross through The Netherlands towards th North Sea. But we have set limits on what we allow in the soil and water, but also have put research on what the humane risk level is. It has been set on: 59ug/kg PFOS in soil 60ug/kg PFOA in soil 57ug/kg GenX in soil 9,9 ng/l PFOS in water (including consumption) 20 ng/l PFOA in water (including consumption) 330 ng/l GenX in water (including consumption) There is a lot of research going on, on how we can destroy the strong molecular chains of PFAS. Slowly we are seeing aucceses in those research. Like the company Groundwater Technology in Rotterdam is getting some positive results in that field. PFOS hasn't been allowed to use since 2017 here, for one exception. Firefighters at chemical plants and at airfields are allowed to use foam with PFOS because there hasn't been an alternative found yet for controlling the extreme temperatures that come with fires at chemical plants and aircrafts.
Honestly, the research into enzymes (and other methods) to break down chemicals and pollutants like this is beginning to look like the only thing that can possibly turn things around for the better. I hope the research continues and a useable option is found for such cleanup.
When a Dutch person questions their English and proceeds to write or speak in perfect English you know they are not lying about being Dutch 😆🫡 (ps. Inderdaad er tering sooi met PFAS in ons grondwater.
@@edouhoekie Dank je voor het compliment. Toch blijf ik het soms lastig vinden mezelf vanuit mijn vakgebied correct te uiten in het Engels. Lastiger dan met gewoon regulier gesprekstof. PFAS is echt een groot probleem, maar gelukkig staat de wetenschap niet stil en zien we wel resultaten in de onderzoeken 😄
Excellent reporting! Shows up the many shortcomings of "legacy" media: even if a network news show wanted to tell you the whole story, even if they have determined investigative journalists and no pro-corporate bias, they just can't delve in to these issues deeply for more than 2 or 3 minutes - and these media corporations most certainly do not want to make enemies of wealthy and powerful corporations they rub elbows with in the community
We need as many people like you as we can get these days. Honestly sometimes feels like everyone knows that we're destroying our planet and health yet no one gives a shit.
Are we destroying our planet and health? Are you one of those malthusian environmentalist nazis that believes that we humans are a virus, a plague on this planet? Because let me enlighten you. The planet doesn't even know that we're here and will go on to live its remaining 4.5 billion year lifespan with that same indifference long after we've gone extinct. But now to address the health concern. I'm of the view that we should be skeptical of new things we introduce into the environment since the unknown dangers might end up being too great, however for all the talk I've heard about PFAS and microplastics. I have yet to hear anyone substantiate the dangers with anything more than, "it may be linked to some cancers". Well, Chocolate may be linked to some cancers, the Impossible Burger might be linked to some cancers. Show me something that shows causation.
That's the big issue. Those in the know don't say it (think big names / producers of products with harmful contents). Those same people are the ones lobbying government who also know, but turn a blind eye, except maybe the EPA per the video. At the end of the day, the biggest issue is greed. Finding the cheapest way to produce something irregardless of longterm effects is the goal to maximize profits. Yuck.
@@emilhozan71 Notice that he never quantified the harm he alleges this is doing to you. I'm skeptical of new products on the market, until they have a track record for being safe, but I'm also skeptical of hysterical claims of "harm" with no evidence to show and/or quantify the harm. And you should be skeptical as well.
@@MyLifeOutdoors it is 😂 I shared this video with my friends because we were just discussing this topic, it was incredibly cool for this to pop up when it did!
In Denmark, it would be illegal to advertise a product as "PFAS-free", as it would be considered 'greenwashing'. It is something along the lines that you don't need to advertise that you are sticking to the law, as being PFAS-free is a legal requirement. Awesome video sir!
Thanks for doing the haard work. I try not to stress too much about knock on effects on myself, but taking care of the environment for my future generations is a virtuous act and knowledge is power.
Thanks Cliff. I don't have the disposable income to throw money at issues, but this is where I'd be putting $ if I had it. This concerns everyone. Hopefully I can give in the future.
The jacket test was very kind to the manufacturer, because if the jacket was on a moving human, subject to abrasion and human "chemicals" (sweat, salt...) I would expect the amount of PFAS shed would be astronomically higher.
@@grizz6582 Yeah I can't imagine the jacket was actually shedding any PFAS, but it likely had PFAS dust and residue from manufacturing. He could run the test again and we would have a better idea if the PFAS contamination was a one-time-ish thing from manufacturing, or if the jacket actually sheds PFAS from the main material.
@@NNFaNRacingI agree it would be very interesting if he changed the water and ran the test again. Maybe there is only shedding when the material is new.
I can highly recommend Vaude, they've started to phase out PFAS over a decade ago when the public had no idea what that stuff even was. Now, their entire clothing line is 100% free of PFAS and other fluorocarbons. They're not cheap, but the quality is great and they offer a good repair service. My dad bought a tent in the 80s and they still repaired it for him a few years ago when a zipper broke. I think they didn't even charge him.
Ultimately it's only following the rules of capitalism, the best product that most fits "human desire" wins. Don't hate the player, hate the game perhaps.
Dude your videos are on a completely different level than any other backpacking TH-camr out there. I'm glad we have folks like you raising awareness of our role in keeping our planet healthy. My company makes performance fabrics for use in multiple outdoor applications including shade/awnings, furniture, boating, windows and other uses. We have been on a journey to eliminate PFAS from our product portfolio and can say it is a technical challenge but not one that can't be overcome. In our industry, we have been a market leader for decades and (somewhat unsurprisingly) many of our customers are now asking for options that reduce/eliminate PFAS to the extent possible.
@@MyLifeOutdoors Could you run your PFAS investigation on PE and PVC plastic water pipes. It’s supposed to be 0. Since you got the lab set up I got interested. Should be 0…
i would love to support! i don't own a rain jacket (so far it's been too expensive for me to buy) but if i can, and you're allowed to share, what is this company? if i can afford it, i'd love a safe rain jacket
@@rachrbonez1335 look up how to waterproof fabric with mineral oil and wax. Theres a vid here on youtube. You can turn a cotton hoodie into a rain jacket. Just need to have the right ratio of oil to melt wax into.
Analytical chemist here. Thank you so much for this video to spread awareness. For us, it is very obvious why PFAS are still an issue: proper analysis is sophisticated and therefore alarming PFAS levels don't show up on routine analysis - it requires specific targeted analysis and it is very difficult to get funded for such an analysis before it gets proven multiple times to be an issue. Also, the industry doesn't like to be proven as problematic and every university in the USA is funded by the industry. This means most research groups are basically prohibited to research it, because state funding for non-profitable innovation has been successfully defeated. If you want to know why the analysis is hard, it's because everything is a source of contamination and it is hard to prove the results to be true. The very instrument itself and necessary consumables to measure them will shed PFAS, if no special parts are used. You will all hear more from PFAS in the following decades.
One thing i have learned being a chronic pain patient is that health is not important until you dont have it anymore... People please look after your personal health, always think first about professional personal protection when doing things and also look after your environment. We can ignore it, say it is not important until it very quickly is and then a sorry wont change anything anymnore.
If you don’t listen to your body, it will make you do at some point… I too am a stubborn learner… recovering from so many little things that eventually add up… don’t take for granted the little things. Few days shy 4 years sober from letting alcohol destroy my mind, body, and life. Can’t emphasize enough about listening to your body.
Never seen your videos but when this popped up on my feed, I had to watch. The amount of work and effort you put into answering this question was admirable. Keep it up!
Well this just sums it up, we are all doomed by PFA's no matter how healthy you try to be, there are adversaries everywhere around us. Thanks for taking the time to educate us and bring awareness!! It's coming back around again and we need to spread it wide so companies will STOP using them because we won't be buying it!! WE appreciate it!!
It's spread on our crop fields in the form of bio waste. I've made some videos showing where they're spreading the biaways on our wheat fields. And canola oil fields. So it's getting directly into our food source thanks to the e.P a approving it.
There’s a map of contaminated farmland in Maine and I read news about some farmers developing cancer and illness from working the soil. Apparently a lot of farms use processed sludge which concentrates the PFAS chems from the waste water contaminating farmland and making people ill.
Thank you so much! For YEARS, and I mean YEARS, as an outdoor enthusiast on the water and backpacking or just glamping in the outdoors with my family, I've sworn by Arc'Teryx as the industry's luxury outdoor wear. But after watching this video, I realize that I've spent thousands of dollars on friends and my own family by purchasing gear utilizing PFAS with the intention of giving them the best, and instead I'm putting them at risk for becoming ill. This is not what I was paying for. Shame on these companies, and it's time for an entire industry change altogether. Thanks for doing the research and being diligent in getting the word out. Knowledge is power!
Pretty sure she already completed that task, to the point where it's inspiring and impressive. A lot of people won't do a 180 on something they've believed all their lives. @@michelvanbriemen3459 You've proven you're more than capable of thinking critically :)
Parts per trillion. You do know the Teflon pan you are cooking with gives you a sh!t ton more PFAS? HUGE amounts end up in your food, to the point of giving you allergic symptoms if you are unlucky.
@@TRDiscordian Yes, the new ones, but lots of people have old cookware PFOA. There are documentaries made with production sites of this sh!t killing animals and giving people cancer through contamination of the drinking water and environment.
@@pdloderyes it’s what they call teflon tape. i’m a former hvac/pipefitters apprentice. that stuff is in every comercial and residential pipe for the last 70 years. there’s something new called a sharkbite joint that basically uses clamping force as a seal instead of a screwed seal. the sharkbite doesn’t require teflon tape.
Great video! I test wastewater at work and we have just begun testing it for PFAS. It is scary of how prevalent these compounds are in the environment. I also know that you must have spent a lot of money running these tests. They are not cheap. Kudos to the companies taking a lead at not selling PFAS containing products.
This was one of the best videos I’ve seen. Very thorough and objective. Also Gore is known as an unethical and predatory company. They force manufacturers to use only their crappy waterproofing fabric.
That was known for years. 15 years ago I bought a jacket with a PU based membrane exactly for that reason. The Scandinavians were (trying to?) replacing DWR based on PFOAs for a long time. The info was there for anyone caring to do as much as a simple web search.
Well, that's lovely. As a person who grew up in one of the rainiest places on earth, Juneau, AK, and currently lives in the Pacific NW, I'm pretty much screwed. I think I've been wearing Goretex 75% of my life😢
It's great to finally start seeing this message going out. Thankyou for making this video. I will use it, and others, when explaining to people why I'm making outdoor gear using old school materials and techniques. I'll never have the investment backing that the big brands have, and your video will probably cause them market damage. Which means an enormous quantity of product will be going into landfill fur the next several years. We need more people looking for small scale makers, where investment, quantity and waste remains small. I'm in Australia, making myself, at a very small quantity. I don't look to others to make my designs, especially not to people who are paid low wages and living to a standard i myself would not accept. This means my products are costly compared to the extremely high volume, mass produced, cheap labour, high marketing products that dominate the outdoor world
@@MyLifeOutdoors well, that would be an amazing boost to me, have you ever visited Australia? I'll be your guide. Otherwise, happy to video call. I know some folks in the US, not many, as they keep going out of business!
It goes beyond clothing: PFAS is also found in lots of plastic beverage bottles. it was found in PRIME and you can read all about it on the web. PFAS is being found in remote areas of Montana where I live in places you'd be shocked to find it.
Great video and information. I'm a firefighter/paramedic and our PPE is killing us. In recent years we have linked an alarming amount of cancers to our PPE. Our PPE is used in extreme temperatures and leaches into our bodies.
The manufacturer's lied about the amount in our turnouts. The cities are slow playing replacing them quickly because of the cost. What is the cost of cancer and our lives? Much more.
Great job being specific about the PFAS variants. Since the EPA changes people have been panicked about every type used even though it is a class of compounds that aren't at all equally dangerous. You showed signs of specific compounds and put your results in context. Very informative!
Great video as always Steven! I really love these types of video. I'd really love to see a video about your favourite trail as well though🙂 Could you bring us to your hike, please? 🙂
Thank you. This is one of my favorite hikes even though this hike didn’t go as planned: The ONLY Gear That Matters When You're COLD and WET! th-cam.com/video/4tG6uf65mg8/w-d-xo.html
The way I heard it was DuPont long ago tried to look into blood levels but wanted a control sample that was known not to be contaminated. But they couldn’t find any population anywhere in the world where the blood didn’t already have PFAS in it. Eventually they used frozen blood sample taken from soldiers when they were entering the service for the Korean War.
That reminds me of how the only way to obtain radiation free steel for particle accelerators and stuff in the modern day is to salvage it from ships that sunk before atomic bombs were a thing
Just found your channel and just now getting into the outdoor scene a 35. I'm amazed at how much gear feels "artificial" for a sector of humanity so intent on preserving and enjoying natural beauty. Makes me want to get into "vintage" gear made with heavier materials but more natural.
Brilliant video Steven. Like you I try to do my bit when it come to making ethical choices on gear. But it tough. Unless we go back to traditional heavy materials I don’t know what the answer is. I love my paramo by the way. 👍🏻
Thanks Paul. Love your channel! First thing I noticed about Paramo was how heavy it is 😅. Your “side of the pond” has done a better job with PFAS than we have. There is a lot of catching up to do.
@@MyLifeOutdoorsthe problem is the ocean doesn’t care from which side the bad stuff is coming. Neither do clouds that can carry evaporated stuff to the other side of the globe. So until no one puts bad stuff in the water, it’s a problem for everyone.
You just keep rocking that Paramo gear on your vids & the message will get out there, bit by bit, to your audience. Hard times require difficult choices dude, but we can do it. I love my paramo & vivo's too. Peace, love & happy trails
Minor correction, Teflon is the brand name of PTFE, which is a type of PFAS (the S stands for substances, so there are a bunch of types of them). PFAS it a type of chemical, like an alchohol, or a salt, but it doesn't denote any particular chemical
Hey 👋 Pfas is my research topic. I am a chemcial engineer who is trying to bring awareness to this topic which is widely unregulated. Thank you so much for this video, your reach bigger and it is important for people to understand the health hazards in our daily lives.
In my home state of Bavaria in Germany we have a the so-called 'bavarian chemical industry triangle' and a town located there, Altötting, is so heavily contaminated with PFAS, the residents can't donate blood. Some people working in the plants in the 80s/90s stated, that the chemicals were leaking from pipes from the ceiling and the higher ups were just like 'eeeh, won't be that bad." Unfortunately there are only sources in German.
This content is excellent. As a water treatment operator and avid hiker, this topic is always on my mind. In the drinking water industry, we are rapidly trying to engineer solutions to remove these chemicals. Unfortunately, what makes these chemicals weather resistant also makes them difficult to remove from water. Even then, we are just removing it, not destroying it. The fact that we keep making and buying these products just compounds the problem. Thank you for bringing attention to this.
I did a research project on PFAS pollution in Dordrecht, Netherlands from the Tata Steel factory there. It was truly terrifying how the people that live nearby literally will die if they eat the eggs of their chickens or any vegetables they grow in the ground. It's a serious crisis that will be so hard to come back from due to them being forever chemicals. Well done!
While visiting Scotland, I was shocked as an American to find that none of the locals wore Gore-Tex clothing, despite the constant rain. Instead, they all wore wool and other heavy, natural materials. It was a bit of a wake-up call for me.
Wool is very good at retaining heat, even when it's wet. It might get heavier in the rain, and it can even ice over in the cold, but it will still insulate.
I've had heavy wool, like an old navy pea jacket, keep me fine in the rain. But in the entire SE and SW United States, you can have solid rsin for 24 hours with temperatures of 80-100 F. Wool just doesn't hack it in those places.
As an outdoorsy engineering student, I'm really thankful for people like you who try to keep these gear companies honest. Not to mention it's always fun thinking about how I'd test some of this myself. I'm thankful my rain jacket from Mammut is one such jacket where they didn't intentionally use PFAS in the product at all.
@@antiswat1 I would recommend looking up your year and model to get the most accurate answer. It's entirely possible the no PFAS stuff I read on their website is a bit recent given the history of the policies surrounding it.
This is the future of hardcore outdoor content. This is the only way we stop the wasteful and dangerous trends in our community. Bravo, sir. Well done.
I can't thank you enough for sharing this. These PFAS tests are big money and I appreciate you spending so much do get these tests done and sharing this video
Masterfully done, important message. I'm sure a lot of people who have influence in including PFAS's in our gear are watching and your work will have a positive impact on protecting our fragile environment. Your science is really good and very convincing. Keep up the great work!
Thanks for sharing this information in such a clear and informative way. I have shared and I hope more people are becoming aware of this type of pollution.
The content here is legit. Just recently had the realization that nearly all (if not all) polyester/nylon clothing I've ever worn or bought was likely leaching BPA and other chemicals on to us especially if you sweat and work out like a dog with poly clothing. Literally almost every human on the planet has had this exposure (nearly of course impossible to say). This is such a bigger problem than any of us realize. Organic cotton or other organic plant products for clothing and everything just aren't common let alone affordable if they do exist to our needs.
Right, that price part needs to change at first. Lower the cost so more can be purchased and the production flow continues. Then, as the consumers switch to this type of cotton, linen and wool but not blended, then can go back up if the need truly be. Linen has a high frequency of 5000 hz and can be used and used to be used in hospitals. Wool has a high frequency too at 5000. Blended, they cancel each other out! So, let's start businesses that do things the right way and obsolete these other incompetent and on purpose poisonous objects businesses.
Thank you for having the courage to publish this information! These chemicals are a huge elephant in the room which neither big business nor politicians want to seriously address. Hope this helps raise awareness for a call to action. 👏 Bravo!
I normally enjoy these types of topics and they don't usually "get to me", but man this video gave me that impending sense of doom type of feeling, that hopelessness kinda feeling. But that's ok. We need to know, and man you do the best videos dude keep it up!
I love when content creators are sometimes criticize and not always sympathize the big companys. I think this is the way we could change some things little by little. Thank you, that you collected some samples while hiking 👍. Maybe your best video so far.
“Mom’s favorite fry pan” hit so hard. I just cannot get her to throw them away and move to steel or cast iron. Even when they’ve been chipping for years. It’s maddening. That generation had all this stuff as new breakthroughs and just clung to it
I'm 65 & I bought stainless 3 years ago. My 22 yr old son used metal spoons etc on the coated pan. He doesn't listen wish training him to put trash in acan or bag was possible.
As a once apprentice in electrical engineering field applications, I was required many times to work in full PPE gear in all sorts of weather conditions. We were required to take advanced OSHA courses in one of which we were told that some of the new materials were found to become toxic when mixed with human sweat. Some of us got so sick, instead of graduating, we ended up in hospitals. How do you put that on a resume'? I was once a capable and eager contributor and I ended up sick in the hospital for doing the job. I was once a somebody and I gave a decade of my life to what I thought was a good career opportunity. That career has now become surviving the immune disorder it left me with. I could write a short book on it but hardly anyone who didn't work such jobs ever believes it. Give %110 of your life to make it they told our class... The best electrical program in the country and the world they claimed...
That takeaway warning OSHA left us with was new materials were being used to mimic PPE and they are not authentic. There were things to look for in the ratings labels. Be sure to verify before you assume it is safe they warned. Also there was sun damage to look for if some gear turned red or purple or other colors, you don't want to touch it without gloves let alone wear it.
Khemical Kid also. Father soaked in agent orange conceived me, constantly sick as a kid, first 17 months of life on gabba globulin, worked from 11-19 on family farm, constantly covered in chemicals, 20-26 worked at paint & body shop, drank soda pop, and ate lots of sugar and processed food but, always healthy & fit, until I hit early 40's, and the years of chemical exposure during my physically developmental years caught up to me. Haven't been able to wear synthetic clothing since my late 20's, it makes me sweat constantly and skin literally drips oil from the pores. Chemicals everywhere.
Synthetic fabrics also leach hormone-mimicking chemicals into the skin especially when you are hot and sweaty i.e. the gym. An [ex] friend of mine worked as a chemical engineer for a textile company in the Netherlands trying to find a solution before this issue became a public concern
Sorry for my awful English : Thanks you for exposing and talking about pfas and compagny who are littery killing us and our environment. PFAS was used for a long time and everyone knew it was dangerous but now we have to tell people the about what they eat , wear , drink etc thanks for your important job 👍
thank you so much for talking about this! its great to see this sort of information being shared around. thank you for caring for the enviornment and making people more aware of this issue!
Great work! I’m in fire/EMS and the turnout gear we use contains PFAs. We are testing out new gear that is PFAs free, but they cost twice as much ($8,000 USD) for a jackets and pants compared to our existing equipment. However, if they are as effective as our old gear (waterproof, smoke proof and fire protective) then I think it’s worth it because in the span of a normal 20+ year career, we have one of the highest risks of cancer compared to any other line of work. I’ve been with my department for five years and have already been to six funerals for presumptive cancers related to firefighting.
Which alternative did you try? Our team tried switching away from Gore-tex but we gave up because nothing else was nearly as good, and despite the knowledge from this video they preferred to keep using our current equipment. If you have a SPECIFIC alternative that really is better I'd love to hear it 🤷♂️
@@robnobert we are testing out prototype sets from FireDex. It uses a newer version of their TECGEN fiber which they claim has no intentionally added PFAS. What we currently like is it’s substantially lighter than our older turnout gear. But the reflector strips are way too bright. Almost blinding with a flashlight in a smoke-filled room with your mask on.
Good video. Ive been wearing only wool and cotton for the last year. These chemicals are no joke. The new studies about the health effects are terrifying
I’m so happy this topic is being talked about more! I first heard about these chemicals from a news article documenting the devastating effects they had on the drinking water in West Virginia caused by DuPont and a lawyer named Robert Bilott dedicating his career to uncovering this disgusting pollution and poisoning. I really wish that more information about these chemicals will become mainstream and common knowledge because the scale of this problem is terrifying and must be curbed where it can be (though realistically what’s already in the environment is well… 😬). There’s a map of contaminated farmland in Maine and I read news about some farmers developing cancer and illness from working the soil. Apparently a lot of farms use processed sludge which concentrates the PFAS chems from the waste water contaminating farmland and making people ill.
What's missing is a 2nd or 3rd 24h test with the jacket. It would be really interesting if the shedding came from production residue, then the results would drop significantly with the next measurement. This means it would probably not be that big of an issue for jackets you already own
@@MyLifeOutdoors 1. Great video, important topic. 2. I totally agree with @aggressivli : the wrong message to take away from this is to ditch your existing outerwear to buy something new.
@@MyLifeOutdoors I was going to ask if you paid for these tests out of your own pocket but it sounds like you do. If that is true then you are a true hero for doing this.
I agree that the most likely source of the jacket is production process residuals. I'd highly doubt a jacket would be shedding PFAS at a continuous rate.
It's a valid point however I think concern is even after production these product keeps shedding those chemicals. Even in declining rate, amount of PFBAs released in sample size are huge.
14:18 You can actually donate blood plasma to lower your levels of PFAS in your body!! Not a bad way to do something good for yourself and others at the same time
@Mutombo-d1s if you're in the emergency situation where you need a plasma transfusion, I'm sure you're not thinking about pfas. And how much your being exposed to by other sources in the medical setting anyway like the tubes.
@Mutombo-d1s If you regularly donate you are going to have far less pfas than the average person thus you would actually be lowering the recipients pfas levels. Also blood donations also do it but just at a lower rate and since you can't do it as often you can't lower the amount of pfas as much.
I'm so impressed with how well researched, how thorough and complete your experimentation was. Wow. I don't think it can be understated just how much work is evident for what you've done with this video, and how well you've presented it.
This video is incredibly eye-opening. I’ve been an avid camper for 40 years. I still like to use wool when I can. About your blood… Wouldn’t a four or five day fast clean out or at least reduce the toxins in your blood. The body is an amazing machine!
The problem with it being in your blood is that it allows pfas to circulate everywhere. It moves to other places, bonds with other things. I don't think any kind of detox would remove all of it. Your body may naturally remove some pfas but never all of it, and the problem is that any amount of pfas is a bad amount. Like lead, there is no safe amount in the human body.
Brother, you're one of the real ones for having the 🪨s to talk about PFAS. A lot of people get cagey and religious about their little "branded chemicals", especially in a Niche Space like outdoor sports.... but this cuts rights through that crud, -AND- addresses one of the nastiest problems plaguing outdoor wear. Great job!
Im an old guy . Im an old guy stuck in his ways. When I was a cub scout back in the late 60s / early 70s, we used wool for our outdoor clothing. Our kit was made of canvas. I never upgraded. Im glad I never did.
No my canvas tent rotted away decades ago. Now , when I go hunting, I don't use a tent. I have a canvas ground cloth, that I painted with interior/ exterior latex paint, about 10x10, and a smaller one , I think 6x9. I bring a wool blanket , and sleep on the ground. I have an old surplus canvas gas mask bag for my shooting bag, and use it as a pillow. I still use a stainless steel canteen and canteen cup, and a stainless steel msr seagull pot to cook out of.
I love when you do these deep dive, technical videos. I worked in the bicycle business for 13 years between 1982 and my last stint, 2010. In those years that I worked I was constantly exposed to Teflon, which is one of these chemicals. I would wear surgical gloves, but the stuff is so slippery it would penetrate the membrane. I think I was the first non-medical person to wear those gloves for mechanical work in the entire country, dating back to the mid-1980s.. I caught a lot of teasing for it. But gradually come more and more guys that were teasing me would ask me if I could give him some gloves to use when they were going to do a nasty, dirty job like cleaning a chain or repacking bearings. I'm now 60. Eightyears ago my doctor told me I have very high cholesterol, liver disease and pre-prediabetes. If you saw me, I'm just as fit as you are. I'm not fat. And I don't eat poorly. I eat more organic foods than not. I shouldn't have any of these diseases. The stuff kills. It was invented by 3M and they knew it killed people. But they sold the product to DuPont, which heavily marketed as a miracle product, such as for non-stick cookware. (If you eat out a lot, you're eating food cooked with non-stick cookware. You might want to ask if they're using it before you make it a habit to feat there. Like 3M, DuPont execs and scientists didn't care that it killed people. They killed a lot of people. The executives and scientists of both companies who were responsible might be dead by now, but for the ones that were not, they should be prosecuted for mass-murder.
This is a bit of an exaggeration...PTFE is one of the only ones not to have been shown to cause a direct issue. There used to be PFOA in Teflon, they removed it. It does release fumes when heated to 500f or more, and that's the reason I don't think it should be used for cookware. It doesn't do the 'forever chemical in your blood' thing though.
@@geometerfpv2804 Again, it started all the way back in 1982. Actually, before that as I worked on my own bikes in 1976. And again, I have all of the classic health issues tied to Teflon poisoning. I have to ask - did you make or wholesale/distribute these horrible chemicals for a profession?
@@chriseidam7319if he's anything like me he's in a tertiary industry that uses fluoropoylmers and he isn't wrong on any of those points. The PFOAs that are truly dangerous were run out of the supply chain decades ago and were more of an issue with manufacturing PFAs then using them. That being said I think the time for scotch guard, for Tex and Teflon cooking pans is coming to an end. Plumbers tape, Teflon insulated wire and expanded PTFE bandages will remain
The production value and quality are far above what one would expect on TH-cam. Bravo sir! I understand videos like this require a ton of work, but I thank you for it as it couldn’t be for a better cause. Thank you!
Wool is amazing. My kid goes to forest school and I’ve only recently learned about PFAS. I buy him merino wool base layers and bit knit wool sweaters on top. Wool absorbs about 70% of water so unless it’s a downpour you’ll be dry and warm with wool. I thrift for wool sweaters. Now to find some canvas coats. Try beeswax!
I'd be willing to bet the beeswax is contaminated with PFAS as well given that they forage all over the place. PFAS has been found all over farms, spread from contaminated manure.
Damn, had no idea about this, so glad you got recommended! You are doing great work. Also, at 9:55 you say the comparison is 4 drops in 20 swimming pools, but you could also just say one drop in 5 pools, math.
Thank you so much for looking into this and using your platform to spread the word! I just want to caution everyone about the sleight of hand industry uses when chemicals are banned: they often just switch to lesser-known chemicals with the same or even worse problems. Examples are substituting HCFCs for CFCs, bisphenol-S for bisphenol-A. We need to look for ways to need these things less. So instead of BPA/BPS, we now use stainless steel or glass water bottles. I’m not sure what the answer is for rain gear, but that’s what we need to look for.
I am currently running experiments on BPF, BPS and the replacement flame retardants and their effects on thyroid and steroid hormones - pretty much self classified by producers as safe but the current research available says otherwise.
Organic/medicinal chemist here. The larger issue is plasticisers leaching from polymers in general. PFAS are bad, but so are phthalates. Eventually we'll be able to develop microbes that express enzymes which can specifically break down PFAS, but there isn't much research funding for this.
@@shelbzillathrilla The fact that there were no highly fluorinated compounds in nature prior to the development of organofluorine chemistry seems to explain that, no?
hard agree. we're taking a big stance against PFAS, and it's easy to see why especially when it's a few big companies producing most of the raw stuff and they're so persistent. but as for the hundreds and hundreds of completely untested plasticiers and other plastic additives? yeah, i'm far more worried about the human health effects of microplastics' toxic leachate in our bloodstream. but i'm not sure any American is ready to accept that our world of disposable plastic goods is likely killing us just as fast as our processed food diet and certainly faster than even teflon degradation products
good idea and correct about phthalates and also BPH and the replacement chemical make worse products and use different chemicals-with unrecognized problems.
@@NancyfromCanadayep...Nestle takes it illegally from the Eramosa and Guelph waters...away from the farmers along the rivers who need it. I wish people stopped buying Nestle products altogether.
@@marvanbee If it is illegal then how are they still doing it, not nice and illegal are two different things, but I have heard Nestle water was bad, don't have it in my country.
It would be important, when talking about this it should be explained about measurements and how much we get from other foods and drinks, had to do some research and it turns out I could drink this cup everyday and be 1/10 of the limit here in EU, so unless all of the brands for no reason control it to zero instead of just being under the limit we are getting this either way and probably in bigger numbers from food and drink rather than even coat, that would have to drink water from.
@_espo_5524 big companies ask for forgiveness, not permission. Just because something is illegal it doesn't mean that nobody tries to get away with it anyway. Nestle has been taking that water for decades.
Videos like this have to go viral for a good cause. This is the only way to show companies they have to change something because nobody likes bad reputation. big up 👍🏻
Thanks for putting this out there. The outdoor industry is sick with PFAS - not just gore but also the Fluoro used in fly fishing tippet, ski wax companies, etc. it’s gross how bad these companies have tricked consumers.
Scary stuff, always wondered of the dangers, thanks for the video! The Inuit made waterproof clothing from the intestines and stomachs of seals and bears... the good ole days when your clothing didn't cause cancer.
Considering how these chemicals bio-accumulate in the food chain, I would expect high-order carnivores like bears and seals to be heavily contaminated. If you're going to use animal products, I'd suggest using herbivores - and even then, get them tested before use.
I worked for an electronics manufacturer who coated their outdoor products in "super-hydrophobic paint". I'm only an automation engineer, not a production technician, but after realising what it is, I left, and I still probably have enough in my body that it will eventually kill me. But thank you for the video. I know what to avoid to minimise exposure of my children.
Sir you have done well with this ! These tests aren’t cheap ! Your energy is priceless and you are essentially going against the big names ! Thank you 🙏🏼
Thanks for doing all of this research! I've heard of PFAS before but never knew how bad it is. This also makes me appreciate the brands striving to be more sustainable and environmentally friendly.
*Some of the PFAS Free Gear I used:*
Paramo Rain Jacket: geni.us/nS23hx
Fjallraven Pants: geni.us/0vlpeD
Fjallraven Shirt: geni.us/MMtgFc
Keen Shoes: geni.us/vPCR
Zpacks Plex Solo: geni.us/iS1P
Zpacks Arc Haul: geni.us/3pBiA
*See the description section of the video to find links to my PFAS sources and other companies committed to NOT using gear containing PFAS
muc off chain lube
using affiliate links undercuts your credibility on this topic
I love my Paramo gear. I’ve had one of my jackets for 15 years of being battered rock climbing, snow, torrential rain, and it’s still going strong.
What type of test you took ?
are those plastic sample jars?
As a Chemical Engineer the issue is generally that while the polymer itself is very very stable, the monomer is never completely consumed in the reaction and cleaning of the polymer fibers is never sufficient to remove ALL remaining monomer. Think of it like a big bowl of spaghetti, toss in in sauce, then freeze it... then wash the sauce off the outside without letting it melt... still lots of sauce mixed in the middle to slowly leak out.
even if the final product itself was completely free of the harmful byproducts, the harmful byproducts are still being emitted into our environment, circulating throughout it, and entering our and our planet's flora and fauna's air and water and food. so it really wouldn't be good enough even if they could prove they cleansed the jacket or whatever. they'll just dump the waste products into the sewers or groundwater.
Could you freeze the spaghetti in water then shatter it into smaller pieces?
I have this idea in my head that you might be able to somehow encapsulate the chemical then break it apart into smaller more manageable pieces, but idk. Sounds like you would need stronger chemical bonds that what the forever chemicals are held together with which is just making more forever chemicals. Is ozone a forever chemical? That's the strongest molecule I can think of but once again I don't know a whole lot.
@@jllemin4 the issue is you want long stable polymers which is good, but polymerization always leaves some monomer and short chain polymer trapped in the ball of long chains. If you break the long chains you destroy the useful properties. Generally you'll use a solvent bath and water bath to remove the excess but you're never going to get it perfect.
Considering Indeonella Sakaiensis and other plastic eating bacteria have been known and researched for a few years now, how viable do you think engineered cultures of multi-plastic digestion foams to be dispersed on floating garbage patches and landfills would be?
There is no such thing as a forever chemical, stable or not, entropy always wins. Petrified forests were very common millions of years ago, before fungus evolved to eat a cellulose matrix. The only difference this time, is that the petrified plastic causes giga cancers. I have 'faith' that an exotic enzyme will come to our rescue here.
Sounds like distilled water is on the menu until we can carpet bomb the planet with plastic-eating bacteria foam.
I was under the impression that long chain polymers that are more stable are the ones that degrade into micro and nano plastic particles ? Short chain polymers are the ones that are easier to recycle ?
The questions you're asking and the tests you're doing are what the outdoor industry needs. I'd love if Arcteryx provided some comment.
During my research I saw Arcteryx is now selling one PFAS free jacket. I guess that’s a start
@@MyLifeOutdoors What about Patagonia? I mean they claim to be very environmentally responsible
@@medimalismus lmao Yvon created a monster and had to let go, there is no way they can counteract whatever they have done to produce the amount of shit consumers/investors are expecting from them. The euros dropped goretex YEARS ago and patagucci still the only mayor "environmentally responsible" brand to keep on working with them, military contract or just business reasons, they just dont care enough as they want you to believe.
Arc'Teryx are TOO BIG TO CARE
@@medimalismus As of Fall 2024, 99% of Patagonia’s fabric, by weight, with water-repellent chemistries is made without intentionally added PFAS. For most stuff they've replaced Goretex with a PFAS free membrane that still performs to their H2No standards, don't know who makes it. They've also switched to PFAS-free DWR. If I'm not mistaken, the remaining 1% is mostly down to some submersible products or some zippers.
As a backpacker whose day job is in the field of environmental cleanup (including PFAS), I can say this video was very well researched, clearly presented, and refreshingly accurate. I'll be sharing it widely!
Same, happy to see more interest in PFAS, but I did see some things that made me cry - no gloves during sampling (cross contamination from sunscreen or a million other things), etc. etc. My folks would get.cruficiled for this, but this video isn't demonstrating some sort of legal compliance, it's showing the ubiquity of PFAS - the stuff is everywhere. The test with the jacket I kept thinking about tubing, since when we pull samples from wells we have to ensure there aren't low-density plastics because of cross contamination. The whole PFAS situation is a mess, and the more of a public push there is to just cease use (like asbestos or lead-based paint), the better - and this video really does a good job of explaining the bigger picture. If the TH-cam thing doesn't work out, I'd hire Mr. MLO to work for me, hahaha
Yes... let's all test for PEFAS and micro plastics by using an industrial plastic container and plastic screw lid to hold the virgin liquid...😂
Polyfluoral compounds are everywhere and in everything and it's scary. I work in a lab that does analysis of polyfluoral compounds
I wish you were wearing nitrile gloves while gathering the water because these analytes can be absorbed through the skin. PFBA is very common, and yes contamination is a very real concern when doing testing.I have been using a filter that does a decent job at removing PFAs from water, and I use silicone as a water repellent. Just wait until you learn about VOC's and Micro plastics. 🤓
@@Globetrotter-1I like your joke, but those bottles are the best ones to use to prevent PFAS contamination. They look to be HDPE which are used in the industry, and I believe PE can be used as well.
Micro plastics will show up every no matter where you look 👻
@@Jeff13mer It really doesn't bother me at all. There's no problem with wearing the clothing and zero problems drinking the water. When you see what India and China dumps into their rivers and environment on a daily basis you'll realise that worrying about a minute amount of plastics washing off you during a rainstorm is total nonsense.
Thank you! I’m an environmental specialist in the water industry and I can’t tell you how glad I am that someone made such an approachable video demonstrating the ubiquity of this problem.
Just a friendly reminder that manufacturers knew about the dangers of these chemicals decades before it became common public knowledge and just didn’t give a shit.
I hate it here.
Just a friendly reminder that nearly ALL problems you can trace back to the biggest major flaw in the past 200 years: CAPITALISM!
Unsurprising in a country that, since industrialization, has valued profit over human health, quality of life, mortality, and even the sustainability of our planet. 😖
@@Banjodave77 thats a global problem, mainly because of the inhumane system called capitalism
@@wildlife-austria I think its much more of a human nature problem considering how other government types tend to do the same shit in different ways.
I work for a company that pioneered making PFAS-free non-stick cookware 17 years ago and has been proudly fighting the PFAS infested cookware industry ever since. Can't be more thrilled to see other channels spreading awareness around this topic! Keep up the good work as they are still slithering their way through A LOT of other products!
Company name?
Seconding the company name request please!
Except they still sell air fryers and everything else. Supposedly nontoxic 😢 bs
Third-ing, company name?
I use all cast-iron and I am always looking for non pfa cook ware I would enjoy looking in to the companies product line
Not sure if I am able to express myself properly in English as I am Dutch.
I'm a projectleader in soil and groundwater remediation in The Netherlands. We have a massive PFAS problem due to some large PFAS and GenX producing factories either in The Netherlands or in the countries around us that are close to the bigger rivers. All those rivers cross through The Netherlands towards th North Sea.
But we have set limits on what we allow in the soil and water, but also have put research on what the humane risk level is. It has been set on:
59ug/kg PFOS in soil
60ug/kg PFOA in soil
57ug/kg GenX in soil
9,9 ng/l PFOS in water (including consumption)
20 ng/l PFOA in water (including consumption)
330 ng/l GenX in water (including consumption)
There is a lot of research going on, on how we can destroy the strong molecular chains of PFAS. Slowly we are seeing aucceses in those research. Like the company Groundwater Technology in Rotterdam is getting some positive results in that field.
PFOS hasn't been allowed to use since 2017 here, for one exception. Firefighters at chemical plants and at airfields are allowed to use foam with PFOS because there hasn't been an alternative found yet for controlling the extreme temperatures that come with fires at chemical plants and aircrafts.
Thank you for commenting on this from your background in remediation and perspective from another continent.
Yeah! This is what the internet is for. Sharing knowledge. ❤❤❤
Honestly, the research into enzymes (and other methods) to break down chemicals and pollutants like this is beginning to look like the only thing that can possibly turn things around for the better. I hope the research continues and a useable option is found for such cleanup.
When a Dutch person questions their English and proceeds to write or speak in perfect English you know they are not lying about being Dutch 😆🫡 (ps. Inderdaad er tering sooi met PFAS in ons grondwater.
@@edouhoekie Dank je voor het compliment. Toch blijf ik het soms lastig vinden mezelf vanuit mijn vakgebied correct te uiten in het Engels. Lastiger dan met gewoon regulier gesprekstof.
PFAS is echt een groot probleem, maar gelukkig staat de wetenschap niet stil en zien we wel resultaten in de onderzoeken 😄
Excellent reporting! Shows up the many shortcomings of "legacy" media: even if a network news show wanted to tell you the whole story, even if they have determined investigative journalists and no pro-corporate bias, they just can't delve in to these issues deeply for more than 2 or 3 minutes - and these media corporations most certainly do not want to make enemies of wealthy and powerful corporations they rub elbows with in the community
We need as many people like you as we can get these days. Honestly sometimes feels like everyone knows that we're destroying our planet and health yet no one gives a shit.
Are we destroying our planet and health? Are you one of those malthusian environmentalist nazis that believes that we humans are a virus, a plague on this planet? Because let me enlighten you. The planet doesn't even know that we're here and will go on to live its remaining 4.5 billion year lifespan with that same indifference long after we've gone extinct. But now to address the health concern. I'm of the view that we should be skeptical of new things we introduce into the environment since the unknown dangers might end up being too great, however for all the talk I've heard about PFAS and microplastics. I have yet to hear anyone substantiate the dangers with anything more than, "it may be linked to some cancers". Well, Chocolate may be linked to some cancers, the Impossible Burger might be linked to some cancers. Show me something that shows causation.
We’re a parasite species. Only explanation to this disharmony
That's the big issue. Those in the know don't say it (think big names / producers of products with harmful contents). Those same people are the ones lobbying government who also know, but turn a blind eye, except maybe the EPA per the video.
At the end of the day, the biggest issue is greed. Finding the cheapest way to produce something irregardless of longterm effects is the goal to maximize profits. Yuck.
@@emilhozan71
Notice that he never quantified the harm he alleges this is doing to you. I'm skeptical of new products on the market, until they have a track record for being safe, but I'm also skeptical of hysterical claims of "harm" with no evidence to show and/or quantify the harm. And you should be skeptical as well.
Spaceship Earth is our home and we're polluting it badly.
This is exactly the kind of content I want to support monetarily, thank you for your research
Thank you very much! Is this the Michelle I know?
@@MyLifeOutdoors it is 😂 I shared this video with my friends because we were just discussing this topic, it was incredibly cool for this to pop up when it did!
but gurIs love buyin jackets like this tho
@michellemartin3240 Well, way to go on making a fake engagement then and thank you for letting us know
In Denmark, it would be illegal to advertise a product as "PFAS-free", as it would be considered 'greenwashing'. It is something along the lines that you don't need to advertise that you are sticking to the law, as being PFAS-free is a legal requirement. Awesome video sir!
Oh I am so happy that is the case here
I brought this up to some family and they just said it was socialism lmao
You can't sell the gluten free shovel?
Amazing
It’s so stupid pfas are really dangerous and silently
Thanks for all the hard work and ingenuity that went into this. Well done!
Thanks for doing the haard work. I try not to stress too much about knock on effects on myself, but taking care of the environment for my future generations is a virtuous act and knowledge is power.
Thank you very much for the support!
Well done!
Thanks Cliff. I don't have the disposable income to throw money at issues, but this is where I'd be putting $ if I had it. This concerns everyone.
Hopefully I can give in the future.
@@seventeen9718 a month later can you donate now? I only ask because you are the one to mention it.
The jacket test was very kind to the manufacturer, because if the jacket was on a moving human, subject to abrasion and human "chemicals" (sweat, salt...) I would expect the amount of PFAS shed would be astronomically higher.
I’m surprised the there were no PFAs in the water used before the rain jacket test
@@jayq8050 He said he used distilled water.
Probably not. The reason PFAS is used is for its durability and stability. What is rinsing off is likely loose excess from the manufacturing process.
@@grizz6582 Yeah I can't imagine the jacket was actually shedding any PFAS, but it likely had PFAS dust and residue from manufacturing. He could run the test again and we would have a better idea if the PFAS contamination was a one-time-ish thing from manufacturing, or if the jacket actually sheds PFAS from the main material.
@@NNFaNRacingI agree it would be very interesting if he changed the water and ran the test again. Maybe there is only shedding when the material is new.
If this man goes missing one day, we know why. Stellar work as always!
Feels weird to heart this comment. But the sentiment is still there. 😅
Holy Erin Brockovich, Batman! Time to start using pig lard for rain-proofing
I sincerely doubt that would happen. No offence, but too small of a fish. With that being said, he did better research than most. Very proud!
@@antine1279 thank you for taking this comment too seriously
@@MyLifeOutdoors Robert W Gore coming from his grave to find you
Thank you for this, hope you get widest reach!
I can highly recommend Vaude, they've started to phase out PFAS over a decade ago when the public had no idea what that stuff even was. Now, their entire clothing line is 100% free of PFAS and other fluorocarbons. They're not cheap, but the quality is great and they offer a good repair service. My dad bought a tent in the 80s and they still repaired it for him a few years ago when a zipper broke. I think they didn't even charge him.
Good to know. I buy Vaude clothes for my kids.
They are solid. They are super affordable in comparison to arc'terx (avg jacket is $2400~).
@@Janoobli$2,400??
@@Jordan-sy7myI think they’re Europeaning you
@@MatthewBakke oh, yes. It's that "$240 for the jacket $2,400 for jacket, shipping and handling" haha!!!
Thanks DuPont for poisoning us PERMANENTLY
and making a HUGE profit along the way
I mean remember stuff like phosgene is used in plastic production too. Thankfully that at least decomposes with water.
on the bright side the same people who profit off of poisoning us, are themselves also poisoned. Its impossible to avoid at this point.
so what do we do about DuPont?
Ultimately it's only following the rules of capitalism, the best product that most fits "human desire" wins.
Don't hate the player, hate the game perhaps.
Dude your videos are on a completely different level than any other backpacking TH-camr out there. I'm glad we have folks like you raising awareness of our role in keeping our planet healthy.
My company makes performance fabrics for use in multiple outdoor applications including shade/awnings, furniture, boating, windows and other uses. We have been on a journey to eliminate PFAS from our product portfolio and can say it is a technical challenge but not one that can't be overcome. In our industry, we have been a market leader for decades and (somewhat unsurprisingly) many of our customers are now asking for options that reduce/eliminate PFAS to the extent possible.
Thank you very much. Im curious what company do you work with?
@@MyLifeOutdoors Could you run your PFAS investigation on PE and PVC plastic water pipes.
It’s supposed to be 0.
Since you got the lab set up I got interested. Should be 0…
i would love to support! i don't own a rain jacket (so far it's been too expensive for me to buy) but if i can, and you're allowed to share, what is this company? if i can afford it, i'd love a safe rain jacket
@@rachrbonez1335 look up how to waterproof fabric with mineral oil and wax. Theres a vid here on youtube. You can turn a cotton hoodie into a rain jacket. Just need to have the right ratio of oil to melt wax into.
He's a propagandist is all. Where is the proof of harm?
Analytical chemist here. Thank you so much for this video to spread awareness.
For us, it is very obvious why PFAS are still an issue: proper analysis is sophisticated and therefore alarming PFAS levels don't show up on routine analysis - it requires specific targeted analysis and it is very difficult to get funded for such an analysis before it gets proven multiple times to be an issue. Also, the industry doesn't like to be proven as problematic and every university in the USA is funded by the industry. This means most research groups are basically prohibited to research it, because state funding for non-profitable innovation has been successfully defeated.
If you want to know why the analysis is hard, it's because everything is a source of contamination and it is hard to prove the results to be true. The very instrument itself and necessary consumables to measure them will shed PFAS, if no special parts are used. You will all hear more from PFAS in the following decades.
Thanks! I doubt those water tests were cheap, happy to support.
One thing i have learned being a chronic pain patient is that health is not important until you dont have it anymore... People please look after your personal health, always think first about professional personal protection when doing things and also look after your environment. We can ignore it, say it is not important until it very quickly is and then a sorry wont change anything anymnore.
If you don’t listen to your body, it will make you do at some point… I too am a stubborn learner… recovering from so many little things that eventually add up… don’t take for granted the little things.
Few days shy 4 years sober from letting alcohol destroy my mind, body, and life.
Can’t emphasize enough about listening to your body.
this... 😔
This is so true i feel this every time im sick
Pain is subjective.
@@JoceBeggar 😐😐😐
Never seen your videos but when this popped up on my feed, I had to watch. The amount of work and effort you put into answering this question was admirable. Keep it up!
Well this just sums it up, we are all doomed by PFA's no matter how healthy you try to be, there are adversaries everywhere around us. Thanks for taking the time to educate us and bring awareness!! It's coming back around again and we need to spread it wide so companies will STOP using them because we won't be buying it!! WE appreciate it!!
It's spread on our crop fields in the form of bio waste. I've made some videos showing where they're spreading the biaways on our wheat fields. And canola oil fields. So it's getting directly into our food source thanks to the e.P a approving it.
Wait until you read about micro plastics.
He wrote it so many times in this video, it's PFAS.
There’s a map of contaminated farmland in Maine and I read news about some farmers developing cancer and illness from working the soil. Apparently a lot of farms use processed sludge which concentrates the PFAS chems from the waste water contaminating farmland and making people ill.
Thank you so much! For YEARS, and I mean YEARS, as an outdoor enthusiast on the water and backpacking or just glamping in the outdoors with my family, I've sworn by Arc'Teryx as the industry's luxury outdoor wear. But after watching this video, I realize that I've spent thousands of dollars on friends and my own family by purchasing gear utilizing PFAS with the intention of giving them the best, and instead I'm putting them at risk for becoming ill. This is not what I was paying for. Shame on these companies, and it's time for an entire industry change altogether. Thanks for doing the research and being diligent in getting the word out. Knowledge is power!
Fault not your past ignorances, celebrate that you have learned.
Pretty sure she already completed that task, to the point where it's inspiring and impressive. A lot of people won't do a 180 on something they've believed all their lives. @@michelvanbriemen3459 You've proven you're more than capable of thinking critically :)
Parts per trillion. You do know the Teflon pan you are cooking with gives you a sh!t ton more PFAS? HUGE amounts end up in your food, to the point of giving you allergic symptoms if you are unlucky.
@@Deffine Teflon's biggest concern was PFOA, which it no longer contains.
@@TRDiscordian Yes, the new ones, but lots of people have old cookware PFOA. There are documentaries made with production sites of this sh!t killing animals and giving people cancer through contamination of the drinking water and environment.
Pfas is in ptfe tape, which is used every day to seal threaded fittings in domestic water pipes.
oh that reminded me, bicycle mechanics handle PTFE grease with their bare hands...
Is it?
@@pdloderyes it’s what they call teflon tape. i’m a former hvac/pipefitters apprentice. that stuff is in every comercial and residential pipe for the last 70 years.
there’s something new called a sharkbite joint that basically uses clamping force as a seal instead of a screwed seal. the sharkbite doesn’t require teflon tape.
@@steelesmith1379like
Pro press
@steelesmith1379 we might have to go back to plumber's hemp.
Great video! I test wastewater at work and we have just begun testing it for PFAS. It is scary of how prevalent these compounds are in the environment. I also know that you must have spent a lot of money running these tests. They are not cheap. Kudos to the companies taking a lead at not selling PFAS containing products.
They just replace it with something that isnt banned yet but equally as bad.
Why are the tests so expensive?
Thanks for this! I love seeing research like this.
This was one of the best videos I’ve seen. Very thorough and objective.
Also Gore is known as an unethical and predatory company. They force manufacturers to use only their crappy waterproofing fabric.
Keep up the great work dude!
Thank you very much!
That was known for years. 15 years ago I bought a jacket with a PU based membrane exactly for that reason. The Scandinavians were (trying to?) replacing DWR based on PFOAs for a long time. The info was there for anyone caring to do as much as a simple web search.
Well, that's lovely. As a person who grew up in one of the rainiest places on earth, Juneau, AK, and currently lives in the Pacific NW, I'm pretty much screwed. I think I've been wearing Goretex 75% of my life😢
I would say🤷🏽♂️
You got really screwed ,damn.
With all the cheap stuff coming over from China now, through temu and all, I'm sure everything will get much worse.
@@derealized797 no joke
Switch to waxed cotton?
It's great to finally start seeing this message going out. Thankyou for making this video. I will use it, and others, when explaining to people why I'm making outdoor gear using old school materials and techniques. I'll never have the investment backing that the big brands have, and your video will probably cause them market damage. Which means an enormous quantity of product will be going into landfill fur the next several years. We need more people looking for small scale makers, where investment, quantity and waste remains small. I'm in Australia, making myself, at a very small quantity. I don't look to others to make my designs, especially not to people who are paid low wages and living to a standard i myself would not accept. This means my products are costly compared to the extremely high volume, mass produced, cheap labour, high marketing products that dominate the outdoor world
Thank you for the support. I’m interested in doing a video on natural fibers. It’s too bad we are so far apart
@@MyLifeOutdoors well, that would be an amazing boost to me, have you ever visited Australia? I'll be your guide. Otherwise, happy to video call. I know some folks in the US, not many, as they keep going out of business!
Are landfills the right place for this stuff?
It goes beyond clothing: PFAS is also found in lots of plastic beverage bottles. it was found in PRIME and you can read all about it on the web. PFAS is being found in remote areas of Montana where I live in places you'd be shocked to find it.
Thanks for your efforts😮
Great video and information. I'm a firefighter/paramedic and our PPE is killing us. In recent years we have linked an alarming amount of cancers to our PPE. Our PPE is used in extreme temperatures and leaches into our bodies.
The manufacturer's lied about the amount in our turnouts. The cities are slow playing replacing them quickly because of the cost. What is the cost of cancer and our lives? Much more.
I assume fire rated clothing is toxic?
❤
Imagine the old asbestos fire suits
Algorythm
Great job being specific about the PFAS variants. Since the EPA changes people have been panicked about every type used even though it is a class of compounds that aren't at all equally dangerous. You showed signs of specific compounds and put your results in context. Very informative!
Great video as always Steven! I really love these types of video. I'd really love to see a video about your favourite trail as well though🙂 Could you bring us to your hike, please? 🙂
Thank you. This is one of my favorite hikes even though this hike didn’t go as planned: The ONLY Gear That Matters When You're COLD and WET!
th-cam.com/video/4tG6uf65mg8/w-d-xo.html
The way I heard it was DuPont long ago tried to look into blood levels but wanted a control sample that was known not to be contaminated. But they couldn’t find any population anywhere in the world where the blood didn’t already have PFAS in it. Eventually they used frozen blood sample taken from soldiers when they were entering the service for the Korean War.
Holy shit this is so dystopian
Scary.
That reminds me of how the only way to obtain radiation free steel for particle accelerators and stuff in the modern day is to salvage it from ships that sunk before atomic bombs were a thing
@ Kodak knew about the bomb before anyone else. Tiny spots of exposure began appearing on the film and paper from radioactive particles.
TVA Tennessee Valley Authority...surrounded by Kodak and Dupont. Who knew?
They knew.
Thank you for going all the way for making such a thorough video on PFAS!
Just found your channel and just now getting into the outdoor scene a 35. I'm amazed at how much gear feels "artificial" for a sector of humanity so intent on preserving and enjoying natural beauty. Makes me want to get into "vintage" gear made with heavier materials but more natural.
Brilliant video Steven. Like you I try to do my bit when it come to making ethical choices on gear. But it tough. Unless we go back to traditional heavy materials I don’t know what the answer is. I love my paramo by the way. 👍🏻
My Fav outdoor TH-camr commenting on my other Fav outdoor TH-camrs video.
This must be a dream . . 🤣
Thanks Paul. Love your channel! First thing I noticed about Paramo was how heavy it is 😅. Your “side of the pond” has done a better job with PFAS than we have. There is a lot of catching up to do.
@@MyLifeOutdoorsthe problem is the ocean doesn’t care from which side the bad stuff is coming. Neither do clouds that can carry evaporated stuff to the other side of the globe.
So until no one puts bad stuff in the water, it’s a problem for everyone.
Or China for that matter
You just keep rocking that Paramo gear on your vids & the message will get out there, bit by bit, to your audience. Hard times require difficult choices dude, but we can do it. I love my paramo & vivo's too. Peace, love & happy trails
Minor correction, Teflon is the brand name of PTFE, which is a type of PFAS (the S stands for substances, so there are a bunch of types of them). PFAS it a type of chemical, like an alchohol, or a salt, but it doesn't denote any particular chemical
He mentioned there were over a thousand of them
@9:10
Thanks for all of the effort! This will affect my purchasing decisions.
Hey 👋 Pfas is my research topic. I am a chemcial engineer who is trying to bring awareness to this topic which is widely unregulated. Thank you so much for this video, your reach bigger and it is important for people to understand the health hazards in our daily lives.
This was years ahead of everything else on the "platforms". You are doing the right thing, thanks.
Why are you speaking in past tense?
In my home state of Bavaria in Germany we have a the so-called 'bavarian chemical industry triangle' and a town located there, Altötting, is so heavily contaminated with PFAS, the residents can't donate blood. Some people working in the plants in the 80s/90s stated, that the chemicals were leaking from pipes from the ceiling and the higher ups were just like 'eeeh, won't be that bad." Unfortunately there are only sources in German.
Servus, könntest du bitte die Quellen auf deutsch teilen. Vielen Dank :)
You can have a dive into the shitshow we have in The Netherlands surrounding PFAS. 0 accountability.
Altötting more like all-tödlich ☠️
@@lillexus5589wait i thiught our water is clean. Now should i install a filter?
@@MZzz-cg4rtwont filter out PFAS
This content is excellent. As a water treatment operator and avid hiker, this topic is always on my mind.
In the drinking water industry, we are rapidly trying to engineer solutions to remove these chemicals. Unfortunately, what makes these chemicals weather resistant also makes them difficult to remove from water. Even then, we are just removing it, not destroying it. The fact that we keep making and buying these products just compounds the problem.
Thank you for bringing attention to this.
I did a research project on PFAS pollution in Dordrecht, Netherlands from the Tata Steel factory there. It was truly terrifying how the people that live nearby literally will die if they eat the eggs of their chickens or any vegetables they grow in the ground. It's a serious crisis that will be so hard to come back from due to them being forever chemicals. Well done!
While visiting Scotland, I was shocked as an American to find that none of the locals wore Gore-Tex clothing, despite the constant rain. Instead, they all wore wool and other heavy, natural materials. It was a bit of a wake-up call for me.
How do they wear wool in active rain? Do they cover it with anything?
Wool is very good at retaining heat, even when it's wet. It might get heavier in the rain, and it can even ice over in the cold, but it will still insulate.
I've had heavy wool, like an old navy pea jacket, keep me fine in the rain. But in the entire SE and SW United States, you can have solid rsin for 24 hours with temperatures of 80-100 F. Wool just doesn't hack it in those places.
Where or how can we send water or fabric samples for PFA/PFB testing?
I mean, that’s cool. But for multi-week glacier and mountain based expeditions… I’m gonna use solid waterproof layers.
As an outdoorsy engineering student, I'm really thankful for people like you who try to keep these gear companies honest. Not to mention it's always fun thinking about how I'd test some of this myself. I'm thankful my rain jacket from Mammut is one such jacket where they didn't intentionally use PFAS in the product at all.
Wait. I have mammut teiss jacket, it doesnt have PFAS?
@@antiswat1 I would recommend looking up your year and model to get the most accurate answer. It's entirely possible the no PFAS stuff I read on their website is a bit recent given the history of the policies surrounding it.
Been wondering about the implications of PFAS for rainproofed gear for a while...glad you're using your platform to raise awareness!
Great reporting. I wonder if you could also test those remote mountain streams for elevated levels of aluminum and barium.
From the chemtrails
This is the future of hardcore outdoor content. This is the only way we stop the wasteful and dangerous trends in our community.
Bravo, sir. Well done.
I can't thank you enough for sharing this. These PFAS tests are big money and I appreciate you spending so much do get these tests done and sharing this video
Masterfully done, important message. I'm sure a lot of people who have influence in including PFAS's in our gear are watching and your work will have a positive impact on protecting our fragile environment. Your science is really good and very convincing. Keep up the great work!
Thanks for sharing this information in such a clear and informative way. I have shared and I hope more people are becoming aware of this type of pollution.
The content here is legit. Just recently had the realization that nearly all (if not all) polyester/nylon clothing I've ever worn or bought was likely leaching BPA and other chemicals on to us especially if you sweat and work out like a dog with poly clothing. Literally almost every human on the planet has had this exposure (nearly of course impossible to say). This is such a bigger problem than any of us realize. Organic cotton or other organic plant products for clothing and everything just aren't common let alone affordable if they do exist to our needs.
Right, that price part needs to change at first. Lower the cost so more can be purchased and the production flow continues. Then, as the consumers switch to this type of cotton, linen and wool but not blended, then can go back up if the need truly be. Linen has a high frequency of 5000 hz and can be used and used to be used in hospitals. Wool has a high frequency too at 5000. Blended, they cancel each other out! So, let's start businesses that do things the right way and obsolete these other incompetent and on purpose poisonous objects businesses.
@@Qcat335 and what excactly is bad about something vibrating differently
What the fk is legit mean
@@neilwood8794it's short for legitimate
@@baldman8057chemicals seep from your clothing and onto your skin or into the environment i.e the water you and animals drink.
Really good video mate. Cheers for the hard work.
Amazing work let us continue to tell people about ever lasting chemicals so they are forbidden hopefully soon ❤
Thank you for having the courage to publish this information! These chemicals are a huge elephant in the room which neither big business nor politicians want to seriously address. Hope this helps raise awareness for a call to action. 👏 Bravo!
I normally enjoy these types of topics and they don't usually "get to me", but man this video gave me that impending sense of doom type of feeling, that hopelessness kinda feeling. But that's ok. We need to know, and man you do the best videos dude keep it up!
Thank you
Thank you very much
I love when content creators are sometimes criticize and not always sympathize the big companys. I think this is the way we could change some things little by little. Thank you, that you collected some samples while hiking 👍.
Maybe your best video so far.
THIS is the type of journalism/reporting that we need! THANK YOU!!!
Thank you for doing this incredibly important and easy to understand video!
“Mom’s favorite fry pan” hit so hard. I just cannot get her to throw them away and move to steel or cast iron. Even when they’ve been chipping for years. It’s maddening. That generation had all this stuff as new breakthroughs and just clung to it
Perhaps buy your mom new stuff and take away her old stuff. Problem with the old stuff, it’s still toxic in the trash dump too.
Ya just gotta buy new stainless and toss the old crap cause they never will...
I'm 65 & I bought stainless 3 years ago.
My 22 yr old son used metal spoons etc on the coated pan. He doesn't listen wish training him to put trash in acan or bag was possible.
Thanks, I'm throwing mine away when I get home... but where?
Not an ad, but Xtrema cookware is all ceramic, no coating, third party tested at every stage. Looked a long time to find a safer cookware option.
As a once apprentice in electrical engineering field applications, I was required many times to work in full PPE gear in all sorts of weather conditions.
We were required to take advanced OSHA courses in one of which we were told that some of the new materials were found to become toxic when mixed with human sweat.
Some of us got so sick, instead of graduating, we ended up in hospitals.
How do you put that on a resume'?
I was once a capable and eager contributor and I ended up sick in the hospital for doing the job.
I was once a somebody and I gave a decade of my life to what I thought was a good career opportunity.
That career has now become surviving the immune disorder it left me with.
I could write a short book on it but hardly anyone who didn't work such jobs ever believes it.
Give %110 of your life to make it they told our class...
The best electrical program in the country and the world they claimed...
That takeaway warning OSHA left us with was new materials were being used to mimic PPE and they are not authentic.
There were things to look for in the ratings labels. Be sure to verify before you assume it is safe they warned.
Also there was sun damage to look for if some gear turned red or purple or other colors, you don't want to touch it without gloves let alone wear it.
Khemical Kid also. Father soaked in agent orange conceived me, constantly sick as a kid, first 17 months of life on gabba globulin, worked from 11-19 on family farm, constantly covered in chemicals, 20-26 worked at paint & body shop, drank soda pop, and ate lots of sugar and processed food but, always healthy & fit, until I hit early 40's, and the years of chemical exposure during my physically developmental years caught up to me. Haven't been able to wear synthetic clothing since my late 20's, it makes me sweat constantly and skin literally drips oil from the pores. Chemicals everywhere.
@@NerveFluxtalk to a lawyer.
ok
@@bobbellendovich6825 "drank soda pop, and ate lots of sugar and processed food" but yeah its probably those chemicals that caused your problems
Synthetic fabrics also leach hormone-mimicking chemicals into the skin especially when you are hot and sweaty i.e. the gym. An [ex] friend of mine worked as a chemical engineer for a textile company in the Netherlands trying to find a solution before this issue became a public concern
Sorry for my awful English :
Thanks you for exposing and talking about pfas and compagny who are littery killing us and our environment. PFAS was used for a long time and everyone knew it was dangerous but now we have to tell people the about what they eat , wear , drink etc thanks for your important job 👍
The Erin Brockovich of the mountains.
thank you so much for talking about this! its great to see this sort of information being shared around. thank you for caring for the enviornment and making people more aware of this issue!
Great work! I’m in fire/EMS and the turnout gear we use contains PFAs. We are testing out new gear that is PFAs free, but they cost twice as much ($8,000 USD) for a jackets and pants compared to our existing equipment. However, if they are as effective as our old gear (waterproof, smoke proof and fire protective) then I think it’s worth it because in the span of a normal 20+ year career, we have one of the highest risks of cancer compared to any other line of work. I’ve been with my department for five years and have already been to six funerals for presumptive cancers related to firefighting.
Which alternative did you try? Our team tried switching away from Gore-tex but we gave up because nothing else was nearly as good, and despite the knowledge from this video they preferred to keep using our current equipment.
If you have a SPECIFIC alternative that really is better I'd love to hear it 🤷♂️
@@robnobert we are testing out prototype sets from FireDex. It uses a newer version of their TECGEN fiber which they claim has no intentionally added PFAS. What we currently like is it’s substantially lighter than our older turnout gear. But the reflector strips are way too bright. Almost blinding with a flashlight in a smoke-filled room with your mask on.
@DCuerpoJr A buffing pad would perhaps solve that. I regularly use it to make shiny things not shiny.
This the content yt was made for. Thank you.
Good video. Ive been wearing only wool and cotton for the last year. These chemicals are no joke. The new studies about the health effects are terrifying
Did not expect to see you here will, keep up the good work.
Same but I can't stop my landlord forcing me to breath in shit from plastic carpets all day.
What do you wear for other wear tho? The same fabrics? Not great if u live in a place that rains a lot.
@@newagain9964 Buy from another brand
I’m so happy this topic is being talked about more! I first heard about these chemicals from a news article documenting the devastating effects they had on the drinking water in West Virginia caused by DuPont and a lawyer named Robert Bilott dedicating his career to uncovering this disgusting pollution and poisoning. I really wish that more information about these chemicals will become mainstream and common knowledge because the scale of this problem is terrifying and must be curbed where it can be (though realistically what’s already in the environment is well… 😬).
There’s a map of contaminated farmland in Maine and I read news about some farmers developing cancer and illness from working the soil. Apparently a lot of farms use processed sludge which concentrates the PFAS chems from the waste water contaminating farmland and making people ill.
What's missing is a 2nd or 3rd 24h test with the jacket.
It would be really interesting if the shedding came from production residue, then the results would drop significantly with the next measurement.
This means it would probably not be that big of an issue for jackets you already own
I would love to. The problem is these tests are $500-$1000 per sample
@@MyLifeOutdoors 1. Great video, important topic. 2. I totally agree with @aggressivli : the wrong message to take away from this is to ditch your existing outerwear to buy something new.
@@MyLifeOutdoors I was going to ask if you paid for these tests out of your own pocket but it sounds like you do. If that is true then you are a true hero for doing this.
I agree that the most likely source of the jacket is production process residuals. I'd highly doubt a jacket would be shedding PFAS at a continuous rate.
It's a valid point however I think concern is even after production these product keeps shedding those chemicals. Even in declining rate, amount of PFBAs released in sample size are huge.
14:18 You can actually donate blood plasma to lower your levels of PFAS in your body!! Not a bad way to do something good for yourself and others at the same time
Wait what?
@Mutombo-d1sthey probably also have pfas
@Mutombo-d1s if you're in the emergency situation where you need a plasma transfusion, I'm sure you're not thinking about pfas. And how much your being exposed to by other sources in the medical setting anyway like the tubes.
@Mutombo-d1s If you regularly donate you are going to have far less pfas than the average person thus you would actually be lowering the recipients pfas levels. Also blood donations also do it but just at a lower rate and since you can't do it as often you can't lower the amount of pfas as much.
Lol, life hack
I'm so impressed with how well researched, how thorough and complete your experimentation was. Wow. I don't think it can be understated just how much work is evident for what you've done with this video, and how well you've presented it.
Yeah me too but why put the water in a plastic container??
This video is incredibly eye-opening. I’ve been an avid camper for 40 years. I still like to use wool when I can.
About your blood… Wouldn’t a four or five day fast clean out or at least reduce the toxins in your blood. The body is an amazing machine!
Unfortunately, likely not. The problem with PFAS is that they bioaccumulate. The serum elimination half-life of PFOS is four or five *years*.
The problem with it being in your blood is that it allows pfas to circulate everywhere. It moves to other places, bonds with other things. I don't think any kind of detox would remove all of it.
Your body may naturally remove some pfas but never all of it, and the problem is that any amount of pfas is a bad amount. Like lead, there is no safe amount in the human body.
Brother, you're one of the real ones for having the 🪨s to talk about PFAS. A lot of people get cagey and religious about their little "branded chemicals", especially in a Niche Space like outdoor sports.... but this cuts rights through that crud, -AND- addresses one of the nastiest problems plaguing outdoor wear. Great job!
Im an old guy . Im an old guy stuck in his ways. When I was a cub scout back in the late 60s / early 70s, we used wool for our outdoor clothing. Our kit was made of canvas.
I never upgraded. Im glad I never did.
This! Wool and waxed canvas!
So your canvas tent got 65 years old…. Bs….
No my canvas tent rotted away decades ago.
Now , when I go hunting, I don't use a tent.
I have a canvas ground cloth, that I painted with interior/ exterior latex paint, about 10x10, and a smaller one , I think 6x9. I bring a wool blanket , and sleep on the ground. I have an old surplus canvas gas mask bag for my shooting bag, and use it as a pillow.
I still use a stainless steel canteen and canteen cup, and a stainless steel msr seagull pot to cook out of.
@@SteveAubrey1762 ooh ok i just don’t understand it like it supposed to be.. just practicing my English with comment..
Oil skins an wool
I love when you do these deep dive, technical videos.
I worked in the bicycle business for 13 years between 1982 and my last stint, 2010.
In those years that I worked I was constantly exposed to Teflon, which is one of these chemicals.
I would wear surgical gloves, but the stuff is so slippery it would penetrate the membrane.
I think I was the first non-medical person to wear those gloves for mechanical work in the entire country, dating back to the mid-1980s.. I caught a lot of teasing for it.
But gradually come more and more guys that were teasing me would ask me if I could give him some gloves to use when they were going to do a nasty, dirty job like cleaning a chain or repacking bearings.
I'm now 60. Eightyears ago my doctor told me I have very high cholesterol, liver disease and pre-prediabetes.
If you saw me, I'm just as fit as you are. I'm not fat. And I don't eat poorly. I eat more organic foods than not. I shouldn't have any of these diseases.
The stuff kills. It was invented by 3M and they knew it killed people. But they sold the product to DuPont, which heavily marketed as a miracle product, such as for non-stick cookware. (If you eat out a lot, you're eating food cooked with non-stick cookware. You might want to ask if they're using it before you make it a habit to feat there.
Like 3M, DuPont execs and scientists didn't care that it killed people. They killed a lot of people.
The executives and scientists of both companies who were responsible might be dead by now, but for the ones that were not, they should be prosecuted for mass-murder.
This is a bit of an exaggeration...PTFE is one of the only ones not to have been shown to cause a direct issue. There used to be PFOA in Teflon, they removed it. It does release fumes when heated to 500f or more, and that's the reason I don't think it should be used for cookware. It doesn't do the 'forever chemical in your blood' thing though.
@@geometerfpv2804
Again, it started all the way back in 1982. Actually, before that as I worked on my own bikes in 1976.
And again, I have all of the classic health issues tied to Teflon poisoning.
I have to ask - did you make or wholesale/distribute these horrible chemicals for a profession?
@@chriseidam7319if he's anything like me he's in a tertiary industry that uses fluoropoylmers and he isn't wrong on any of those points. The PFOAs that are truly dangerous were run out of the supply chain decades ago and were more of an issue with manufacturing PFAs then using them. That being said I think the time for scotch guard, for Tex and Teflon cooking pans is coming to an end. Plumbers tape, Teflon insulated wire and expanded PTFE bandages will remain
I hate being indoors! First time seeing your channel, 30 seconds in I’m subscribing.
Thank U 4 making our world a littler safer.
Only you can prevent forest fires.
The production value and quality are far above what one would expect on TH-cam. Bravo sir! I understand videos like this require a ton of work, but I thank you for it as it couldn’t be for a better cause. Thank you!
Wool is amazing. My kid goes to forest school and I’ve only recently learned about PFAS. I buy him merino wool base layers and bit knit wool sweaters on top. Wool absorbs about 70% of water so unless it’s a downpour you’ll be dry and warm with wool. I thrift for wool sweaters.
Now to find some canvas coats. Try beeswax!
I'd be willing to bet the beeswax is contaminated with PFAS as well given that they forage all over the place. PFAS has been found all over farms, spread from contaminated manure.
Damn, had no idea about this, so glad you got recommended! You are doing great work.
Also, at 9:55 you say the comparison is 4 drops in 20 swimming pools, but you could also just say one drop in 5 pools, math.
Thank you so much for looking into this and using your platform to spread the word! I just want to caution everyone about the sleight of hand industry uses when chemicals are banned: they often just switch to lesser-known chemicals with the same or even worse problems. Examples are substituting HCFCs for CFCs, bisphenol-S for bisphenol-A. We need to look for ways to need these things less. So instead of BPA/BPS, we now use stainless steel or glass water bottles. I’m not sure what the answer is for rain gear, but that’s what we need to look for.
I am currently running experiments on BPF, BPS and the replacement flame retardants and their effects on thyroid and steroid hormones - pretty much self classified by producers as safe but the current research available says otherwise.
Organic/medicinal chemist here. The larger issue is plasticisers leaching from polymers in general. PFAS are bad, but so are phthalates. Eventually we'll be able to develop microbes that express enzymes which can specifically break down PFAS, but there isn't much research funding for this.
There are probably fundamental reasons why such microbes do not already exist.
@@shelbzillathrilla The fact that there were no highly fluorinated compounds in nature prior to the development of organofluorine chemistry seems to explain that, no?
hard agree. we're taking a big stance against PFAS, and it's easy to see why especially when it's a few big companies producing most of the raw stuff and they're so persistent. but as for the hundreds and hundreds of completely untested plasticiers and other plastic additives? yeah, i'm far more worried about the human health effects of microplastics' toxic leachate in our bloodstream. but i'm not sure any American is ready to accept that our world of disposable plastic goods is likely killing us just as fast as our processed food diet and certainly faster than even teflon degradation products
good idea and correct about phthalates and also BPH and the replacement chemical make worse products and use different chemicals-with unrecognized problems.
@@shelbzillathrilla yes because humans just invented the chemicals it take time for nature to fix stuff
3:45 checking bottled water would have been very insightful too.
I understand most bottled water is just tap water for example : from Guelph, ontario! So yes I bottled water!
@@NancyfromCanadayep...Nestle takes it illegally from the Eramosa and Guelph waters...away from the farmers along the rivers who need it. I wish people stopped buying Nestle products altogether.
@@marvanbee If it is illegal then how are they still doing it, not nice and illegal are two different things, but I have heard Nestle water was bad, don't have it in my country.
It would be important, when talking about this it should be explained about measurements and how much we get from other foods and drinks, had to do some research and it turns out I could drink this cup everyday and be 1/10 of the limit here in EU, so unless all of the brands for no reason control it to zero instead of just being under the limit we are getting this either way and probably in bigger numbers from food and drink rather than even coat, that would have to drink water from.
@_espo_5524 big companies ask for forgiveness, not permission. Just because something is illegal it doesn't mean that nobody tries to get away with it anyway. Nestle has been taking that water for decades.
Videos like this have to go viral for a good cause. This is the only way to show companies they have to change something because nobody likes bad reputation. big up 👍🏻
Thanks for putting this out there. The outdoor industry is sick with PFAS - not just gore but also the Fluoro used in fly fishing tippet, ski wax companies, etc. it’s gross how bad these companies have tricked consumers.
Scary stuff, always wondered of the dangers, thanks for the video! The Inuit made waterproof clothing from the intestines and stomachs of seals and bears... the good ole days when your clothing didn't cause cancer.
wouldn't those membranes dry up and tear?
Yeah, but what was their life-expectancy? Did they even get old enough to get cancer considering that 90% of people get it at 60 plus?
Considering how these chemicals bio-accumulate in the food chain, I would expect high-order carnivores like bears and seals to be heavily contaminated. If you're going to use animal products, I'd suggest using herbivores - and even then, get them tested before use.
I worked for an electronics manufacturer who coated their outdoor products in "super-hydrophobic paint". I'm only an automation engineer, not a production technician, but after realising what it is, I left, and I still probably have enough in my body that it will eventually kill me. But thank you for the video. I know what to avoid to minimise exposure of my children.
Sir you have done well with this !
These tests aren’t cheap !
Your energy is priceless and you are essentially going against the big names !
Thank you 🙏🏼
Thanks for doing all of this research! I've heard of PFAS before but never knew how bad it is. This also makes me appreciate the brands striving to be more sustainable and environmentally friendly.
You gotta be proud of this video! So much work into this, your channel has seriously been churning out amazing content recently
You're no longer just a TH-camr, you're a Journalist now.
Activist 😉
9:50 four drops in twenty pools would simplify so nicely to one drop in five pools