Ski wax exposes users to dangerous chemicals
By Cheryl Katz, Environmental Health News
In a cluttered workroom at the back of the Berkeley shop, technician Bobby Panighetti readies a pair of skis for their first tracks, infusing the bottoms with hot wax. This essential ritual is being performed at winter sports centers around the world as the ski season gets under way.
But new scientific research suggests that ski wax can expose users to potentially dangerous chemicals that can build up in bodies and may carry serious health risks, including cardiovascular disease, liver damage, hormone disruption and cancer.
Racers in particular use waxes with high amounts of fluorine-containing compounds, which can include substances known as perfluorochemicals. These so-called high-fluoro waxes make the skis go faster, but that speed could come at a cost – especially for parents who may layer on race wax week after week without knowing how to handle it safely.