# PUL toxicity concern... anyone else?



## loveskilts

i'm just getting started with cloth diapering. after reading about the off-gassing of disposables (which sent me reeling and scrambling to collect the $ for cloth diapers). i was still not thrilled about the PUL (polyurethane laminate) fabrics in the AIOs & covers just on general residual paranoia. then i read this article:

http://www.diaperpin.com/clothdiaper...lmaterials.asp

EXCERPT: _"Researchers at Tufts Medical School noticed that cancer cells being grown in the lab multiplied more quickly in polyester test tubes than in glass. It appears that polyester slowly emits phytoestrogens, which are endocrine disruptors, or compounds similar to estrogen, which can promote certain types of cancer. Enough people are worried about these chemicals that entire conferences are being held to discuss their possible effects. You can see the concerns of the scientific community reflected in this list of topics at a conference being held as we write: http://www.grc.uri.edu/programs/2002/enviend.htm

...But what are the precursor monomers for polyurethane? Most are based on TDI, or toluene 2,4-diisocyanate, a highly toxic carcinogen. Again the Disease Control and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health have information about TDI, the polyurethane monomer."_
i am now looking into wool covers and skipping the PUL or synthetic fabric diapers altogether. BumGenius says their PUL is phthalate & BPA free. i'm sure i should be calmed by this, but i'm not.

does anyone know anything more about PUL?


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## sunnmama

I don't use PUL, mostly because I don't like the way it feels. Ds has also reacted to Motherease wraps, when the PUL touched his skin--that can't be a good sign, huh?

I did find this site (scroll down) which suggests that nylon is a safer diapering product. We used wool for ds's entire first year, but use nylon pullon pants now that he is an active, mess-attracting toddler.


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## Beansmom

Quote:


Originally Posted by *sunnmama* 
I don't use PUL, mostly because I don't like the way it feels. Ds has also reacted to Motherease wraps, when the PUL touched his skin--that can't be a good sign, huh?

I did find this site (scroll down) which suggests that nylon is a safer diapering product. We used wool for ds's entire first year, but use nylon pullon pants now that he is an active, mess-attracting toddler.

The site referenced above says polyester is ok for diaper covers, and it says polyurethane is ok (in the bibs section). PUL is just laminated polyester. It says to avoid vinyl and PVC, which would most likely be found in old or really cheap vinyl "plastic pants."

If someone plans to only use all natural fabrics, all organic cotton clothing, etc. then I would say you probably want to stick with wool and OC diapers as well. All the washing that diapers go through, I am not too worried about off-gassing from them. I'd be more concerned with off-gassing of other things in the home, plastic toys, carpets, furniture, mattresses, food containers, etc. Cloth diapers....not so much.

JMHO


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## loveskilts

Quote:


Originally Posted by *sunnmama* 
I did find this site (scroll down) which suggests that nylon is a safer diapering product. We used wool for ds's entire first year, but use nylon pullon pants now that he is an active, mess-attracting toddler.

oooo... thanks for hte link! i hadn't seen the niji / nikki brands before









also, the nylon pants that i've seen all have had a PUL or poly coating :\ what brand are you using?? i got all excited yesterday becasue i found some hemp covers, but they had a 1 mil PUL coating :\ disappointing.

thanks for all the feedback... i guess i'm going to get some wool covers :\ never used them... extreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeemely skeptical that they contain leaks, but... i keep reading online about people liking wool...??


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## sunnmama

I use Dappi and Bummi nylon pullons. The Dappi say 100% waterproof nylon taffeta....so does that mean they have PUL or not? They don't have a PUL feel at all.

I used to have a whole bunch of nikki 100% cotton wraps, but I sold them. They just weren't for me. But they were definitely coated with some waterproofing between the layers of cotton, and you could touch the coating in the gussets.

Wool works great. Personally, I just don't like it under clothing (too bulky), and I don't like my toddler to wear it _as_ clothing (shorties) because they get dirty every day. When he was an infant, I would wash his wool once a week or less. He still wears wool at night, after he is done snacking and causing general destruction and mayhem


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## DocsNemesis

I love my wool too but I agree, I hate it under clothing...although I'm sure the diapers dont help. I'm not a fan of CD/bubble butt myself. I think if I get thin enough, but nice absorbant diapers and use shorties/longies I'd be cool, but other than that, no. Then again, I dont worry about the PUL in my stuff.


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## aikigypsy

At about 5 months, on moving into new size medium wraps, DD started getting a bit of a rash where the laminated side of the PUL touched her skin. It was probably just heat rash, but I switched to pocket diapers at night (ones I made, with a bamboo inner over the PUL) and that solved the problem, although there's PUL sandwiched in the middle. I would try to keep the laminated side of the PUL away from direct skin contact, but otherwise I think it's fine.


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## Silvercrest79

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Beansmom* 
The site referenced above says polyester is ok for diaper covers, and it says polyurethane is ok (in the bibs section). PUL is just laminated polyester. It says to avoid vinyl and PVC, which would most likely be found in old or really cheap vinyl "plastic pants."

If someone plans to only use all natural fabrics, all organic cotton clothing, etc. then I would say you probably want to stick with wool and OC diapers as well. All the washing that diapers go through, I am not too worried about off-gassing from them. I'd be more concerned with off-gassing of other things in the home, plastic toys, carpets, furniture, mattresses, food containers, etc. Cloth diapers....not so much.

JMHO









: I used Fuzzi Bunz through two children and almost 5 years of cloth diapering (my middle DD wets the bed so still wears them at night) and never had a rash from the PUL. We had problems getting the microfiber inserts clean so I switched to folded birdeye flats or medium prefolds and that fixed that problem.


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## loveskilts

i read somewhere that imse vimse wool covers are thin enough to wear under regular clothes? trying to confirm this... :\

thanks for all the replies









also... i tried googling to figure out about the dappis & PUL... couldn't turn anything up specifically... i did find this though...

http://www.tradewebsites.net/catalog...9/1128929.html

it kind of *looks* like you can PU coat nylon and still call it 100% nylon fabric??


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## dove

yes, imo imse vimse/bumpy and biobottoms wool covers are very trim and thin...
i've noticed IV has been out of stock almost everywhere i look right now, though...


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## lisad1

wool interlock is very trim as are Sugar Peas wool side snapping covers. An interlock soaker over a snappied prefold is the trimmest diaper combo I have! You can find interlock soakers on hyenacart or on diaper swappers in the FSOT forum


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## Alison's Mom

A couple of thoughts as I read this. . . .

If someone is really concerned about this, then wool and an organic natural fabric (cotton, hemp, etc) would be the way to go. Wool is not *as* waterproof as PUL, so you would have to change your baby more often.

If it's a matter of the PUL touching your baby's skin (as opposed to the off gassing), there are hidden PUL covers, with polyester layers on either side of the PUL.

There's also the option of fleece covers - still a synthetic material, but no coating. These are also bulkier (like wool) and not as waterproof as PUL.

Little Beetle (betterforbabies.com) also makes wool wetbags as well as wool covers for those who want to avoid PUL.

I think there are toxins everywhere in our environment, and personally, I do my best to reduce these (by eating organic food when possible, using non toxic cleaning products, reducing our use of plastics to store food, CDing, etc). I think PUL is already much better for your baby than sposies, so I don't worry too much about using it. Just my 2 cents.


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## hipmummy

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Alison's Mom* 
A couple of thoughts as I read this. . . .

I think there are toxins everywhere in our environment, and personally, I do my best to reduce these (by eating organic food when possible, using non toxic cleaning products, reducing our use of plastics to store food, CDing, etc). I think PUL is already much better for your baby than sposies, so I don't worry too much about using it. Just my 2 cents.









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