Question from Lisa

Dear Debra,

Many zippers on clothing seem to be colored to match the fabric, and also seem to be made from plastic material instead of metal.

I can still find some metal zippers on clothing, but less and less it seems.

Is there any issue with the colored zippers made from plastic looking material? Is the color from paint? It seems to wear off and chip over time.

Is there a health concern?

Thanks.

Debra’s Answer

Without actually seeing the zipper, I would say this is probably not much of a health hazard. It might cause some skin irritation if it came in contact with your skin.

My advice would be to focus on the BIG health hazards like pesticide exposure and water pollutants rather than these little bits of plastic.

While answering your questions, I just noticed that I don’t have any clothing with zippers. My pants have elastic or drawstrings and I either wear tank tops that pull over my head or shirts that button. I haven’t even physically looked at a zipper in years.