• It’s 2017, and the practice of yoga is becoming more popular than ever, as more people are learning about its physical and mental health benefits. As a result, yoga mat sales are through the roof. Yoga practitioners believe that the yoga mat is a sacred and private place where you can practice yoga in peace; however, few people fail to pay attention to them at a chemical level.
  •  
  • Yoga mats mainly consist of a chemical known as polyvinyl chloride or PVC, to help with the stickiness and grip of the mat. In addition, other plasticizers, such as lead, cadmium, dioxin or phthalates, are added to increase the plasticity and flexibility of the mat. PVC is a cheap, and hence, largely produced organochlorine, which are known toxins for humans and for the environment.
  • To begin, PVC is a petrochemical, or product of the oil and gas industry. During the manufacturing process and sometimes during use, a gas known as dioxin is released. According to ‘WHO’, dioxins are toxic substances, and overexposure to it can cause reproductive issues in men and women, developmental problems, hurt the immune system and even cancer. Obviously, submission to just your yoga mat won’t harm you that much. As stated before, PVC itself is very cheap, making it the most widely produced organochlorine for many other things, such as: toys, fake Christmas trees, vinyl shower curtains, car seats, and much more.
  • As we now know, in order to allow the rigid PVC to become more malleable, additional substances are added that are also extremely harmful. One of the additives is phthalates; these are toxic substances that can leach out from your mat and cause harm to many vital organs in the body, such as the liver, kidneys and the reproductive system, as tested in labs. Also, a phthalate called diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) is being studied and is  suspected of causing cancer, in addition to the other dangers to your health.
  • PVC yoga mats are not only harmful during production and use, it is also harmful when you dispose of them. PVC yoga mats cannot be recycled, biodegraded or degraded.  Over time, pieces simply begin to break apart and become smaller. For one, PVC can be dangerous for animals, as they can swallow the pieces and block their digestive tracts, eventually leading to death. Additionally, in very rare cases, the plasticizers can leach into the soil and impact the environment. If people try to incinerate it to dispose of it, because of the chemicals in it, dioxin is released, and as stated previously, can cause cancer and harm various organs in the body, such as the liver and reproductive system.
  • Overall, PVC mats are detrimental to humans, animals and the environment. Knowledge of the toxicity of PVC is becoming more widespread and hence there are many companies and businesses that sell mats that are PVC and phthalates free. Looking at how many products contain PVC, simply using an eco-friendly, non-PVC yoga mat can make a difference. Keep this in mind when looking for a new mat, and the environment and your body will thank you.
  • Written by:
  • Sadhika Laxman, RYT 200
  • Sources:
  • http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs225/en/
  • https://www.cdc.gov/biomonitoring/phthalates_factsheet.html
  • http://www.toxipedia.org/display/toxipedia/PVC
  • http://www.pvc.org/en/p/a-petrochemical-product
  • http://www.huffingtonpost.com/simran-sethi/life-cycle-the-union-of-y_b_118300.html
  • https://noharm-uscanada.org/issues/us-canada/phthalates-and-dehp
  • http://www.greenandgrowing.org/polyvinyl-chloride-eco-impact/
  • http://www.livestrong.com/article/456023-pvc-yoga-mat-safety/
  • https://www.spiritualrevolutionyoga.com/blog/2016/07/29/most-yoga-mats-are-made-from-toxic-plastic-pvc/

0 Comments

Leave a Reply