Several commonly used menstrual products including pads, tampons, menstrual cups and period underwear have recently faced scrutiny for holding “endlessly chemicals,” sparking concerns for each health and the environment.
The important thing perpetrator has been ascertained to be fluorinated compounds, which function indicators for the presence of probably harmful per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS are water- or grease-resistant components which are sneakily utilized in personal care products with none mention on the packaging.
PFAS consists of greater than 12,000 compounds that may resist water and stop sticking. These compounds are persistent in each the environment and the human body, as they don’t readily break down and as a substitute construct up over time.
The findings are attributed to a study presented at a gathering of the American Chemical Society in San Francisco. Researchers examined a broad spectrum of products, including single-use and reusable items, yet they still lack clarity regarding the quantity of PFAS more likely to permeate the skin from these products, UPI reported.
“In fact, you are concerned for the wearer, but we’re also concerned concerning the ecological impact because PFAS are ‘endlessly chemicals,” principal investigator Graham Peaslee, a professor of physics on the University of Notre Dame, said in a news release.
“Once these products are thrown away, they go to landfills and decay, releasing PFAS into groundwater,” he said. “And we, or later generations, could find yourself inadvertently ingesting them.”
“Our first step was a screening that is done quickly and easily,” said Alyssa Wicks, a graduate student in Peaslee’s lab. “We determined if these products had organic fluorine as a surrogate for PFAS.”
Researchers used a special method to envision different products by cutting out small pieces. They checked out products with many layers, like pads and period underwear with as much as 10 layers, testing each layer individually. Additionally they checked the packaging of single-use products for a certain chemical. The study showed that some products might need PFAS, but not all of them.
“On the whole, tampons didn’t appear to contain fluorine,” Wicks said in the discharge. “Same with menstrual cups and the layers of pads that are available contact with an individual’s skin.”
The study discovered notable instances where certain products exhibited elevated levels of total fluorine, starting from 1,000 to several thousand parts per million. One potential explanation put forth is the utilization of PFAS in product wrappers to safeguard against moisture infiltration, thereby maintaining the dryness of the contents. This idea might extend to the appliance of those compounds on the external layer of period underwear, serving the aim of leak prevention.
The researchers rigorously studied 123 products from the US. They plan to investigate the samples with detectable fluorine levels more deeply, 40 different PFAS compounds. Additionally they intend to expand their investigation to incorporate period products sold in Europe.
Published by Medicaldaily.com