[pct-l] Speaking of Being waterproof...here we go again :-))

[calliger@infolane.com (R.J.Calliger)]

For years I've used and recommended Scotchgard as a DWR for nylon and
Gore-Tex.
Now I am discontinuing such endorsement, and the Tectron products that REI
and
other outdoor retailers sell may have the same problem as Scotchgard.  Read
on...

Last May, 3M Corp quietly discontinued manufacturing of Scotchgard.  3M will

phase out all fluorochemical manufacturing by 2002.  The reason is becoming
clearer.  The March 2001 issue of Scientific American revealed that
perfluoro-octanyl sulfonate (PFOS), which is a breakdown product of 3M
fluorochemicals has been found in the blood of humans and animals on a
global
scale including those in pristine wilderness areas of the planet.  PFOS is
very
different from organochlorine compunds like PCB and DDT.  It does not
breakdown
with time.  It does not biodegrade.  It's persistence in the environment is
extreme.  An independent toxicologist found levels of PFOS at six parts per
billion in wild mink and eagles, which is just one-order of magnitude below
the
level that is known to show toxic effects in laboratory species (rats and
monkeys).  Polar bears and seals are about one and a half orders of
magnitude
below the danger point.  The toxicologist asserts that "the numbers are
close
enough to convince me that wildlife is being killed by this compound now."
No
one knows how this stuff spreads, only that it has spread widely on the
planet,
and is at alarmingly high levels in people and animals.

See http://www.sciam.com/2001/0301issue/0301scicit2.html