PFAS 'Forever Chemicals' Are Turning Up in Menstrual Products. Here's What You Need to Know

By Jeffrey Kluger | TIME | February 9, 2023

Read the full article by Jeffrey Kluger (TIME)

"Feminine hygiene products may be among the most basic and essential purchases a consumer can make. The 72 million women and girls in the U.S. of child bearing age—broadly defined as ages 15 to 49—rely on industry to provide them a diverse range of sanitary products, from tampons to pads to period underwear to liners, and industry generally responds. But increasingly it seems that manufacturers are delivering these consumers a very bad thing as well—one that can pose a grave threat to their health and welfare.

Over the past three years, feminine hygiene products have been turning up contaminated by PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. Also known as “forever chemicals,” these ubiquitous and persistent manufacturing chemicals have been linked by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to a range of health ills, including: decreased fertility, high blood pressure in pregnant people, increased risk of certain cancers, developmental delays and low birthweight in children, hormonal disruption, high cholesterol, reduced effectiveness of the immune system—leading to decreased efficacy of vaccines—and more.

PFAS are found nearly everywhere, including our tap water—at least in communities that screen water for PFAS; soil near contaminated manufacturing sites; certain foods and food packaging; some household cleaning products; makeup, shampoo, and other personal care products; fire-fighting foam; and carpets. But it’s the presence of the chemicals in menstrual products that is causing the most stir of late, not least because of the close contact the items make to women’s bodies and the fact that so many of them are advertised as “natural” or “organic.”