Results of an initial survey of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD) and dibenzofurans (PCDF) in textiles

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzof urans were detected in articles of new cotton clothing at concentrations ranging from low pg/g to high ng/g (max. 300 ng/g ΣPCDD/F; 370 pg I-TE/g). Several synthetic textiles were analysed and all had low levels of less than 0.1 ng/g ΣPCDD/F (< 1 pg I-TE/g) with the exception of an unbleached polyester cloth. The contamination found in cotton products was attributed in most cases to pentachlorophenol based on the similarity of the homolog profiles, the presence of fingerprint isomer ratios and analysis of pentachlorophenol itself. In two instances the dioxins and furans were suspected to have originated from dyes derived from chloranil.