A Thousand-Yuan Yoga Pants Containing "Forever Chemicals"? Lululemon Under Investigation — Time to "Sweep" Your Wardrobe
On April 13, 2026, the Attorney General of Texas, USA, formally launched a civil investigation into Lululemon USA, a sportswear giant,with the focus directly on the possibility that its sportswear contains per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — the so-called "forever chemicals."Because of their extremely strong chemical bonds and resistance to natural degradation, these substances are widely linked to health risks such as endocrine disruption, infertility, and cancer.
Source:https://apnews.com/article/lululemon-texas-attorney-general-pfas-29955286a09e658075f01bd399d11107
Lululemon responded quickly: the company does not use PFAS in its products; previously only a small amount was used in waterproof products, and it completed phase-out in fiscal year 2023. The China region also stated that products sold domestically are all PFAS-free, comply with relevant laws and regulations and national and industry standards, and committed to cooperating with the investigation and requiring suppliers to regularly commission third-party institutions to test restricted substances.
What Is PFAS and Why Is the Whole World So Nervous About It?
The full name of PFAS is "per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances", a class of synthetic organic compounds containing fluorine-carbon chemical bonds. It is precisely this extremely stable chemical structure that gives PFAS excellent water-repellent, oil-repellent, and heat-resistant properties, leading to decades of widespread use in textiles (waterproof coatings), food packaging, non-stick pan coatings, and firefighting foam.
However, "extremely stable" is a double-edged sword in chemistry. PFAS are difficult to degrade in nature, and long-term exposure is associated with health risks such as endocrine disruption, infertility, and cancer.
The Global Regulatory Wave: From "Restriction" to "Comprehensive Ban"
The Lululemon incident is not isolated. What it reflects is a global wave of strict PFAS regulation, which is accelerating from "restricted use" toward a "comprehensive ban":
United States: At the federal level, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued the final National Primary Drinking Water Regulation for six PFAS in April 2024, setting legally enforceable Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCL). States are also racing to legislate — California legislated in January 2025 to prohibit the manufacture and sale of textiles intentionally containing PFAS (total organic fluorine content not exceeding 100 ppm), and PFAS restrictions on textiles in seven other states took effect in 2026.
European Union:the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is advancing the strictest PFAS ban proposal in history, planning to comprehensively restrict the use of more than 10,000 fluorinated compounds, marking the first proposal of a systematic ban.
France: the French National Assembly formally passed legislation in February 2025 requiring that, from January 1, 2026, the manufacture, import, export, and sale of cosmetics, ski wax, textile and apparel products, and footwear containing PFAS be prohibited (except protective equipment for defense and emergency services).
China: through the "List of Key Controlled New Pollutants (2023 Edition)," the production, processing, and use of PFOS-type, PFOA-type, and PFHxS-type substances (except specific exemptions) are prohibited; in February 2025, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment first systematically released the long-chain PFCAs indicative list, with the scope of control continuing to expand.
At the textile level, GB/T 18885-2020 sets PFAS limits by product category, and GB/T 40128-2021 provides the corresponding test methods, together forming a compliance closed loop from "restricted" to "measurable."
The tightening of regulation is directly transmitted to every link of the supply chain.
Whether it is textile enterprises exporting to European and American markets, food packaging manufacturers, or brand owners seeking RSL certification (Restricted Substances List), PFAS compliance testing has become an unavoidable mandatory question.
CATO provides comprehensive perfluorinated reference standards,covering core controlled substances such as PFOS, PFOA, PFNA, and PFHxS as well as isotope-labeled internal standards, meeting the testing and verification needs of major regulations including EPA, EU REACH/POPs, and GB/T 18885.
👉 View the CATO perfluorinated reference standards product list:https://cato-chem.com/tagDetails/Perfluorinated-Reference-Standard