Is clothing made of synthetic fibers immediately toxic? Are the processes used in manufacturing such clothing harmful?
In general, as an end product, polymer plastics used for making clothing (for example polyester, nylon) are pretty inert, within the range of conditions that an item of human clothing could be expected to endure - that is, moderate temperature without undue exposure to radiation, solvents, etc - this is part of the reason they are so durable in the application.
Natural fibres may contain toxic compounds. eg Dioxin and carcinogens are created by chlorine bleach. Its the level of the toxic compound that would make it significant or insignificant…
Synthetic fibres could also contain toxins. One would hope that modern standards were ensuring that clothing had ‘safe for human use’ levels of toxic substances.
When burnt.
Sure, but that applies to a whole load of things, including many natural materials too.
In addition, if your clothes are on fire, any resulting toxicity is probably still not your biggest problem.
There are many, many different types of synthetic fibers. Some of the chemicals used in making some (probably most) of them are certainly very toxic. However, when the stuff is polymerized into the plastic that composes the fibers, it is rendered harmless. Not only is it perfectly safe to wear, but even eating it would not harm you (well, no more than eating an equivalent amount of cotton or wool would).
Isilder seems to be talking about contaminants that might or might not be sometimes be present in very small, almost always totally harmless, quantities in material made from synthetic fibers. Toxic contaminants are just about as likely to be found in materials made from natural fibers too (but again, almost always in such small quantities as to be completely harmless).
I use chlorine bleach to wash clothes. What’s the mechanism regarding chlorine and substances that results in carcinogens? What other toxic contaminants may be found in clothing?