PFAs Testing

At Aisle, our customers trust us to make underwear that sits close to their bodies every day. That trust means we take the safety of our materials seriously, and we believe in being honest about what our testing can and cannot tell you.

What are PFAS?

PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) is an umbrella term for a large group of synthetic chemicals that contain carbon-fluorine bonds. They have historically been used in textiles to repel water and stains. Often called "forever chemicals" because they do not break down in the environment and accumulate over time. Research is ongoing into their health impacts, but exposure has been linked to a range of concerns in humans.

There are estimated to be over 12,000 different PFAS compounds. While it is not currently feasible to test for all of them directly, all PFAS contain organic fluorine, which makes organic fluorine screening the most effective way to detect whether PFAS may be present in a fabric.

What Aisle does and does not claim

We do not intentionally use PFAS in the fabrics or finishes of our underwear. We contractually prohibit our suppliers from using PFAS in any materials supplied to us, and we require them to conduct their own quality control testing in addition to our own third party testing.

However, like any company, we cannot promise that our products will reach you entirely free of trace PFAS. PFAS are now so widely dispersed in the environment, present in water, air, soil, and supply chain processes like cleaning solutions and manufacturing equipment, that trace levels can find their way into products without being intentionally added. What we can control is what we intentionally source and specify, and we test regularly to be transparent about what our fabrics show.

How we test

All fabrics that form part of our underwear are tested by Bureau Veritas, an independent third-party laboratory, prior to use in production.

  • Test method: EN14582
  • Testing for: organic fluorine (key indicator of PFAS presence)
  • Our standard: maximum 20 ppm (mg/kg)
  • Detection limit: 20 mg/kg -- results below this threshold are recorded as ND (Not Detected)

Questions?

If you have questions about our materials or testing approach, reach out at hello@periodaisle.com and we are happy to talk through it.