PFAS Ban Sees Tech Suit Shipments Halted In California and New York; No Suit Ban Imminent

02/06/2025 10:42 AM

By James Sutherland on SwimSwam

The ban of per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances in select U.S. states has resulted in a disruption of suit orders and shipments for swimmers and parents gearing up for championship season.

PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, are a group of man-made chemicals that don’t break down easily and are therefore harmful to the environment.

On January 1, 2025, California and New York officially banned textile articles and apparel containing PFAS, while Colorado began a phased approach, beginning with prohibiting PFAS in outdoor apparel for “severe wet conditions,” beginning with a PFAS disclosure requirement.

As a result of the bans, we’ve seen multiple reports of swimmers and parents in California and New York attempting to order tech suits, but being unable to do so due to “state-specific regulations,” specifically the presence of PFAS in the suit making them unable to be shipped.

Thus far, the suit brand parents and swimmers have reported the most issues with is TYR, while there’s also word of Mizuno suits having issues.

TYR has this disclaimer on its website if you attempt to order a suit with PFAS:

PFAS Regulation Notice: This product contains Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). The sale of products containing PFAS may be restricted or prohibited in certain states. Please note that orders for this product placed by residents of states where the sale of products containing PFAS is prohibited will be automatically canceled. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Mizuno’s website includes this disclaimer for the Men’s GX-Sonic V Multi Racer:

*This product contains intentionally added per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in amounts less than 100 ppm for water-repellent purposes. It is not available for sale or shipment to California or New York.

USA Swimming told SwimSwam that there are currently no rules relating specifically to PFAS, as their suit guidelines align with World Aquatics, which also has not implemented any restrictions as of yet.

However, USA Swimming said it is monitoring the situation, is in communication with suit manufacturers, and will address their Rules and Regulation Committee if necessary.

In January, an article in the Wall Street Journal outlined how top apparel brands such as L.L. Bean, Columbia and Patagonia have spent the last few years testing chemical alternatives to move away from PFAS.

PFAS RESTRICTIONS

California: 2022 – Assembly Bill 1817 (Ting, Philip), Product safety: textile articles: perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)

Prohibits, beginning January 1, 2025, any person from manufacturing, distributing, selling, or offering for sale in the State any new, not previously owned, textile articles that contain regulated PFAS, except as specified, and requires a manufacturer to use the least toxic alternative when removing regulated PFAS in textile articles to comply with these provisions. The bill requires a manufacturer of a textile article to provide persons that offer the product for sale or distribution in the State with a certificate of compliance stating that the textile article is in compliance with these provisions and does not contain any regulated PFAS.

New York: Senate Bill 1322 Assembly Bill 994

Effective January 1, 2025, New York Bill S1322/A994[3] prohibits the sale or offer for sale within the state of any new apparel containing intentionally added PFAS.

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