Tiny Trouble in Microplastics

The “leave no trace” ethos for backcountry recreation has moved to the molecular level as research and regulation target many of the chemicals that make camping gear waterproof, non-stick and durable.

The changes have quietly appeared on discount racks in sporting goods stores, where last year’s raincoats and cookware show steep price cuts. And the trouble comes in many ways: from perfluorochemical “forever chemicals,” or PFCs, treating sleeping bag down feathers, to microplastic bits getting into fish and bird bloodstreams, to flame retardants in black plastic spatulas and food containers.

According to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality’s PFAS 2024 Progress Report, state researchers have been examining both drinking water sources and fish tissue samples for chemical contamination. Among other state findings, the researchers detected PFC traces in four creek water samples around Bozeman.

“Studies that have occurred suggest that exposure to certain PFAS may lead to health problems including changes in the liver, immunological effects, increased cholesterol levels, cardiovascular effects, reproductive effects in women, developmental effects in infants and children, and an increased risk of kidney and testicular cancer,” according to Montana DEQ.

The problem extends to that most cherished bit of outdoor gear: raincoats. They typically depended on perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl treatments. Those fluorinated carbon chemicals produce durable, heat-stable fabrics that repel water and oils.

Ironically, much of the problem stems from efforts to be light on the land. For example, the brominated flame retardants now raising warnings on black plastic cooking utensils appear to come from recycled electronics casings. Another common source is the nonstick coatings on cookware that kept lightweight pans from scorching the dehydrated scrambled eggs.

In one outdoor gear store example, a frying pan’s label crowed “Of course our premium 304 (18/8) stainless steel construction is still non-reactive, free of BPA, PFOA and Phthalates. What could be better than that?” (BPA, a bisphenol compound, and PFOA, a type of PFC, make water bottles durable and cookware nonstick.)

But just below that boast is a warning label that notes: “The following chemicals: Fluorpolymer (PFAS), Iron, Chromium, Nickel, Molybdenum on the designated list have been intentionally added to this cookware’s non-stick surface,” with a QR code to California state hazardous materials regulations.

PFCs can contaminate food, especially when heated during cooking. They also enter the human body through microparticles: flakes, fibers or films of treated fabrics or plastic containers that chip away from gear during use and cycle back through the food chain.

While chemical contamination issues have been around for years, the topic drew new attention through several developments in 2024. In September, attorneys representing residents of Elkton, Maryland, announced plans to sue Gore, maker of Gore-Tex fabric, over allegations the company has been contaminating drinking water supplies with PFC chemicals from its facilities across the border in Delaware. Gore responded to questions from WHYY Radio, stating “[The allegations] do not accurately reflect our strong legacy of taking proactive steps to process [PFC chemicals] responsibly, striving always to minimize any potential environmental impact from our operations.” The attorneys alleged they could document clusters of cancer and other disease cases in residents near the plant stemming from PFC exposure.

The lawsuit announcement came about five months after the Environmental Protection Agency released new rules designating two PFC chemicals often used in cookware, carpets and firefighting foam as hazardous substances. The rules are intended to speed up remediation of toxic deposits of the chemicals in public drinking water supplies as well as require industries and users responsible for the contamination to pay for the removal.

Backcountry users bear some direct responsibility as well. In 2019, the nonprofit climate advocacy group Environment Montana released its Microplastic in Montana study of water samples from 50 rivers across the state, in part prompting Bozeman voters last month to approve a ban of single-use plastics beginning in May 2025. Two-thirds of the waterway sites in the study turned up one or more types of microplastic, such as synthetic fiber residue from fishing line and bailing twine, film from plastic bags and fragments of rigid plastic from food containers.

Sites included the Yellowstone River’s Yankee Jim Canyon and Grey Owl Fishing Access Site; the Boulder River Big Rock FAS; the Madison River at Ennis and the Damselfly FAS between Norris and Bozeman; the Beavertail River at Dillon; and at Three Forks, where the Madison, Jefferson and Gallatin rivers coalesce to form the Missouri River. 

While health concerns about PFCs have earned lots of national attention this year, the topic remains touchy in the outdoor recreation community. Four stores contacted for this article declined to answer interview questions about customer trends or reactions to the national health warnings about PFAS and plastics exposure. Others observed that the desire for lightweight, practical and water-resistant gear in the backcountry may be an acceptable trade-off in a pastime that involves plenty of other risks to life and limb.

“I’m never asked about it,” said Reid Beck, owner of Genesis Gear, a camping equipment rental business in Bozeman. “Water repellency is talked about a lot, but the health issues have never been brought up by any of our customers.”

Nevertheless, parts of the industry have responded. Gear makers such as Helly Hansen and Patagonia have announced plans to make their water-repellant finishes PFC-free. Cookware makers have introduced ceramic coatings to replace old Teflon non-stick surfaces. One has even introduced a line of cast-iron pans aimed at the more burley backpacking set.

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