Cups and menstrual pants: presence of detected PFAS

Menstrual pants or cups: reusable female hygiene products may contain “eternal pollutants” (or PFAS), suspected of having a deleterious effect on health, according to a pilot study by American researchers and published on Tuesday in “Environmental Science & Technology Letters”.

The female hygiene products “remain in contact with the skin for long periods, and the risks linked to the skin absorption of the PFASs are still misunderstood”, underlines, in a press release, Marta Venier, associate professor at the University of Indiana and the main author of this work.

“Since reusable products are increasingly popular due to their sustainability compared to single -use products, it is essential to ensure that these products are safe. This is particularly important for adolescent girls and young women, who are more vulnerable to potentially harmful health effects, “said the chemist.

Marta Venier and her team tested 59 reusable personal hygiene products from North America, South America and Europe: menstrual panties, reusable hygienic towels, menstrual cuts and underwear or protections for reusable incontinence.

In almost 30% of samples, they detected PFAS levels high enough for their incorporation to be intentional. Several explanations are possible for the use of these substances, in particular the fact that they help to prevent leaks or give textiles a resistance to spots, advance the authors.

The washing of textiles containing PFAS leads to their release in wastewater systems, recall the authors. At the end of life, the contribution of these products to the discharges is also a way of environmental release of the PFAS.

However, these per- and polyfluoroalkyle chemicals, present in quantities of objects and products, are almost indestructible. They accumulate over time in the air, the soil, the water, the food and, ultimately, in the human body, especially in the blood and the tissues of the kidneys or the liver.

If knowledge on health risks associated with the various PFASs is insufficient in the opinion of health authorities, harmful effects on human metabolism have been pointed out for several “eternal pollutants”.