Women and Chemicals

Where are women exposed to chemicals?
tive pesticides, especially in critical windows such as during pregnancy,
lactation or puberty. Many pesticides are associated with
breast cancer: hexachlorocyclohexane, endosulfan, chlorpyriphos,
malathion, aldicarb, and more. Meriel Watts presents a comprehensive
list of pesticides associated with breast cancer in her book
“Pesticides & Breast Cancer: A Wake Up Call”. 33
Women in industry
In their Global Employment Trends publication, ILO estimates
that around 16 per cent of employed women worldwide work in
the industry sector in 2012. In East Asia women’s employment in
industry rose to a quarter, as in most of the developing countries
women moved out of the agricultural sector directly into services.
37 Less information is available about certain branches and
the related chemical exposure of women. One typical industry
branch with a high female employment is the textile industry,
where some information is available.
Textile industry: impacts on female worker’s health
The textile industry is often criticized for its high chemical use, low
wages and environmental pollution. The majority of workers at various
stages of the textile chain, from manufacturing to packing and
retailing of the final products, are women. They are significantly exposed
to the variety of chemicals present in clothing products.
Zhang 38 summarizes the impacts on workers in dyeing/
printing and finishing processes: inevitably workers will be in
daily and routine contact with a large number of chemical substances,
many of which are known to be hazardous to human
health. For example, advice from the UK Health and Safety Executive
(HSE) indicates that some reactive dyes are respiratory
sensitizers, which can cause occupational asthma by inhalation.
Some of the dyestuffs can cause skin allergies and furthermore,
a number of dyes, based on their chemical characteristics, are
potentially carcinogenic. HSE also points out that health problems
are most commonly caused by the use of textile chemicals
which act as irritants; for example formaldehyde-based resins,
ammonia, acetic acid and soda ash can cause skin irritation,
stuffy noses, sneezing and sore eyes.
The concentration of chemicals in clothing can be reduced
by washing it; for example, levels of formaldehyde were shown
to fall distinctively after one stage of washing at a low temperature.
This indicates that the greatest exposure to this carcinogen
is likely to be to industry employees including retail staff. 39 In general,
although levels of formaldehyde in textile processing facilities
have been reduced significantly since the 1980s, 40 high levels
can still be found in some garments. Formaldehyde is still the
most commonly found substance in laboratories among tested
substances.
Studies show ill health effects linked to textiles processing.
A study by the US National Institute for Occupational Safety
and Health (NIOSH) found a link between length of exposure to
formaldehyde and leukaemia deaths for textile workers. 41 Women
who work in textile factories and are exposed to synthetic
fibres and petroleum products at work before their mid-30s,
seem to be most at risk of developing breast cancer later in life.
For example, women working with acrylic and nylon fibres
have increased risk of developing breast cancer compared to
the normal population. 42 A study of textile workers in Shanghai
found an elevated risk of a spontaneously aborted first pregnancy
associated with exposure to synthetic fibres and mixed
synthetic and natural fibres. 43
Women working in the plastics industry
In the plastics industry, women are highly exposed to a large variety
of toxic chemicals, including styrene, crylonitrile, vinyl chloride,
phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA), brominated flame retardants,
heavy metals, a host of solvents, and complex chemical mixtures.
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