Question from Anderson
Are the water repellent treatments used on clothing toxic? For example, the “Rain Guard” by Carharrt? Its described as a DWR durable water repellent. It is my understanding that it means its probably a fluoropolymer such as the cancer causing class of chemicals used in Teflon and firefighting foam.
Lisa’s Answer
Yes, it probably is a fluoropolymer. The outdoor industry is working on developing alternative to fluorine-containing finishes but the alternatives are not without risk and require more frequent applications, so a greater amount of chemicals. Apparently, they also do not work well. Here is a link about PFCs in the outdoor industry.
