Your favorite clothes, cookware, and even dental floss may contain toxic chemicals that are harmful to human health. Now, a new Colorado law is aiming to make those products safer.

The new law will affect all kinds of things Coloradans buy and use every day, that are made using something called per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS.

They are commonly called “forever chemicals,” because of how durable they are, which makes them great ingredients in things like waterproof clothing and nonstick cookware.

The problem is, the more humans are exposed to PFAS, the more they can build up in the body, and can increase the risk of serious health problems, including cancer, heart disease, and infertility.

This week, advocates celebrated the passage of the new law in Broomfield.

  • edric@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    55
    ·
    5 months ago

    I don’t think I’ve ever seen a floss product that had ingredients listed on it. How can I check?

    • interdimensionalmeme
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      33
      ·
      5 months ago

      I think almost all floss uses of these as dry lubricant. The one that don’t are the thick scratchy ones that has trouble getting between teeth.

        • Khrux@ttrpg.network
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          5 months ago

          Maybe I’m going mad but I don’t think I’ve ever found dental floss slippery? I’ve got a feeling I wind it round my fingers but I’m not sure, even so I don’t think it seems too slippery to hold.

        • interdimensionalmeme
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          5 months ago

          I highly recommend the type that come cast into a small plastic Y shaped handle. Game chamger for flossing. They come in bag of 100 for 4$.

      • Reyali@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        5
        ·
        5 months ago

        The waxed kind are not always PFAS! I use Reach Listerine Ultraclean and they specify no PFAS. It’s a waxy kind that slides easily!

        When I first learned PFAS was a thing in floss, I figured it had to be in the stuff I use. Maybe it was at some point, but it’s not now.

        • TGTX@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          6
          ·
          5 months ago

          For “major brands” at any grocery store, Reach Pop floss is PFAS free with vegan wax. I like the feel of it and it works well. Definitely not as smooth as something like Glide, but you aren’t getting the forever chemicals either.

        • pearable
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          4
          ·
          5 months ago

          I like eco-dent I have some jagged spots on my teeth that most floss snags on. This stuff doesn’t snag and it uses wax instead of forever chemical

        • interdimensionalmeme
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          4
          ·
          5 months ago

          I’m sure they’ll eventually develop a new dry lubricant that is almost as good and is highly proprietary and therefore much more profitable than those pedestrians pfas.

          I’m quite sure these were developped before the anti pfas campaign was funded. And we will probably not have any gap in products once all pfas forever chemicals are made illegal.

      • howrar@lemmy.ca
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        5 months ago

        Ah shit, the Oral-B one? It’s the only floss that I can get between my teeth. :(