What are the health and environmental concerns of using Optical Brighteners in my wash?

A. Optical brighteners are not effective unless they remain on the fabric after washing, whereby they are constantly being breathed in, and touching and absorbing into your skin. Clothes washed in detergents containing these agents will have a potentially health threatening chemical residue left behind on the fabric.

Frequently, skin rashes commonly blamed on fragrance and dyes are actually caused by optical brighteners, so optical brighteners should not be used by individuals with sensitive skin. Optical brighteners contain chemicals that can be toxic to fish and other animal and plant life. Many have also been shown to cause mutations in bacteria (seventhgeneration.com).

In addition, these chemicals are not readily biodegradable, so pollution remains in waste water for long periods of time, negatively affecting water quality and animal and plant life. The U.S. military cannot use optical brighteners, because these chemicals may put their lives at further risk. So in the supermarket, ... more.

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