Nike accused of selling poison-laced shirts

[Ulhas Joglekar]

8 January 2000
Nike accused of selling poison-laced shirts
BERLIN: Nike said on Thursday that it is investigating charges that its
jerseys for a popular German soccer club are laced with a toxic
anti-bacterial chemical.
But German department stores weren't waiting: They have pulled the shirts
off their shelves. The action followed a German television report that the
yellow-and-black jerseys contained Tributyltin (TBT), a heavy metal compound
used in anti-barnacle paint for ships. Also used to kill bacteria and quell
the smell of sweat, TBT would seem an ideal additive for sports shirts.
But British and Dutch tests have shown the substance to cause mutations in
marine snails, and the World Wildlife Fund is calling for its global ban.
Three German department store chains yanked the shirts as a precaution, and
the club whose jerseys were tested said it had suspended their sale at its
official fan store.
At high levels in humans, TBT is believed to cause neurological problems,
damage the immune system and harm the liver, said Juergen Kundke, a
scientist with a German institute for consumer health.
``We don't know how much is in the shirts, so we can't analyse the risks,''
he said. ``We knew that the substance was still used in coatings for ships,
but it shouldn't be in textiles that people wear.''
Nike's world headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon, pledged a quick probe to
determine whether any of its products contain the substance. ``We're doing
independent tests on our end to ensure there is no risk to the public,''
spokesman Vada Manager said. ``We're obviously going to take the step of
checking on products sold in Germany, but we will check worldwide as well.''
He said ,``As of right now there's no legitimate reason to believe there's
any risk. It appears the shirts were made in Britain, he added.
Asked how many were made, Manager said, ``That's still a tough one. The
number is still undetermined.''
German public TV's consumer show Plusminus said a private lab it
commissioned to test clothing items found TBT and similar compounds in the
Nike jerseys and several other products. The items were chosen at random in
German stores, according to the TV report, which provided no figures on the
TBT levels.
The soccer jerseys caused the biggest storm because the club, 1997 European
Champion Borussia Dortmund, has a big national following.
At least three other first-division clubs that use Nike jerseys said on
Thursday they were asking the company's German headquarters to confirm their
equipment was safe.
Kundke suggested it may be too early to conclude the shirts are a health
hazard, but he advised worried owners to wash the jerseys or wear them with
an undershirt to keep it from touching the body.
Borussia Dortmund didn't seem too worried, though. While fan jersey sales
were stopped for now, the team plans to wear its regular outfit at an
exhibition match on Saturday, club spokesman Josef Schneck said.
``We are taking the issue seriously,'' he said. ``But the team is not
overcome with panic.''(AP)
For reprint rights: Times Syndication Service
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