Fans warned of 'toxic' Euro 2012 soccer jerseys
When you see fans hitting the deck during Euro 2012 soccer competition next week, don?t assume that hooligans are to blame. It might just be their souvenir team jerseys. A European consumer watchdog group is warning fans of nine countries that the official team jerseys for sale are contaminated with toxic chemicals. Hey, as long as they don?t charge extra.
The shirts are all made by adidas, Nike and Puma, and show ?worrying? signs of lead and other chemicals, according to a statement by the BEUC group. Shirts for teams from Poland, Spain, Germany, Russia, Ukraine, Italy, France, Holland and Portugal are all affected, says the group. The BEUC said that Poland?s jersey ?should be banned outright?, and that ?harmful chemical cocktails? can be found in others.
BEUC director-general Monique Goyens said: ?Football fans pay up to ?90 (?73) for the shirt of their favourite team. It is inexplicable that heavy metals are used in mass consumer products. It is clearly foul play by manufacturers to use substances harmful to both people and the environment.
?Host country Poland?s shirt should be banned outright from shops as it contains an organotin compound, used to prevent sweat odour, in higher doses than the legal limit. Organotin can be toxic to the nervous system.?
Italian and Spanish fans get an added bonus: the group says the their jerseys are tainted with nonylphenol, a chemical which is banned from waste water because of its harmful effect on the environment.
I for one am anxious to see what happens when these shirts are hit by flares.
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