Forever chemicals linked to cancer and infertility now found in products used by 30million Americans
Notre Dame researchers tested nearly 60 pairs of period underwear, pads and cups for PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), toxic chemicals that have been linked to cancer, infertility and birth defects.
They earned the name because they don't break down in the body, instead leeching from nonstick cookware into food and cosmetic products into skin and building up in vital organs, increasing the risk of organ failure, reproductive complications and some forms of cancer.
After analyzing over 300 samples taken from 59 reusable menstrual products, the researchers found 70 percent contained traces of PFAS, though they were low enough to suggest they were not added intentionally.
Of those, 33 percent of period underwear and 25 percent of pads had the greatest rates of 'intentional fluorination,' meaning the chemicals were purposely added to wick moisture away and coat the surfaces.
Because a majority of companies manufacturing reusable feminine hygiene products did not add PFAS intentionally, 'PFAS must not be essential' in creating them, the researchers said.
The team believes PFAS in reusable period products can enter the body through direct contact with the skin and previous studies have suggested skin absorption could be a significant pathway to exposure to certain PFAS.
The researchers hope the new study will discourage the use of PFAS in reusable feminine hygiene products like menstrual cups and underwear and increase ingredient transparency for one in five US women who use them.
Graham Peaslee, study author and physicist at the University of Notre Dame, said: 'The reusable menstrual product market is a rapidly growing market, which relies heavily on the idea that these products are environmentally conscious because of the significant reduction in the use of paper and plastic products.
'To the extent that they use organic textiles, these products are also marketed to consumers who are typically health and environmentally conscious. However, we found that almost a third of them were being made with PFAS.
'This means these products are both a risk to the wearer as well as to the rest of us when they are eventually disposed of, since we know that these forever chemicals persist when they end up in landfills, contaminating irrigation and drinking water systems for all of us.'
The new study builds on Peaslee's earlier research, which detected PFAS in period products, fast food wrappers and cosmetics.
PFAS are thought to be endocrine-disrupting chemicals, meaning they imitate the body's hormones and interfere with the production of - and response to - natural hormones like estrogen and testosterone.
This increases the risk of developing hormone-sensitive cancers like breast and ovarian cancer.
The study, published Tuesday in the journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters, tested 59 reusable menstrual products manufactured in North America, South America, Europe and Asia-Pacific.
These consisted of 43 pairs of period underwear, eight reusable pads, four menstrual cups, three pairs of reusable incontinence underwear and one reusable incontinence pad.
Because these products have multiple layers, 323 samples were taken in total.
Using particle-induced gamma-ray emission (PIGE) spectroscopy - which detects the presence of certain elements in surfaces - the team found 71 percent had PFAS concentrations low enough to be characterized as 'non-intentionally fluorinated,' meaning they were not purposely added.
However, 33 percent of period underwear and 25 percent of reusable pads had 'intentional fluoridation,' suggesting PFAS was added on purpose.
Even with the new study, Peaslee said: 'There's still a lot we don't know about the extent to which PFAS are being used in the manufacturing of these products, and too much we don't know about the potential for these chemicals to be absorbed through the skin by the consumers who wear them.'
However, the results show because most products have low levels of PFAS, the chemicals 'must not be essential in the manufacture of reusable feminine hygiene products,' lead study author Alyssa Wicks, a graduate student at the University of Notre Dame, said.
She added: 'This is good news in that it demonstrates PFAS are not required to produce these environmentally conscious products, and manufacturers should be able to make these textile products without chemicals of concern in them.'
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