Elsevier

Reproductive Toxicology

Volume 84, March 2019, Pages 114-121
Reproductive Toxicology

Sanitary pads and diapers contain higher phthalate contents than those in common commercial plastic products

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.reprotox.2019.01.005Get rights and content

Highlights

  • Three VOCs and 4 phthalates were measured in commercial sanitary pads and diapers.

  • Air in the packages of sanitary pads and diapers contained as high as 5.9 ppb of VOCs.

  • Sanitary pads and diapers contained as high as 8,014.9 ppb of phthalates.

  • VOCs and phthalates contained in the commercial products considerably vary among the brands.

Abstract

Sanitary pads and diapers are made of synthetic plastic materials that can potentially be released while being used. This study measured the amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) (methylene chloride, toluene, and xylene) and phthalates (DBP, DEHP, DEP, and BBP) contained in sanitary pads and diapers. In sanitary pads, 5,900- and 130-fold differences of VOC and phthalate concentrations were seen among the brands. In the diapers, 3- and 63-fold differences of VOC and phthalate concentrations were detected among the brands. VOC concentrations from the sanitary pads and diapers were similar to that of the residential air. However, phthalate concentrations of sanitary pads and diapers were significantly higher than those found in common commercial plastic products. As sanitary pads and diapers are in direct contact with external genitalia for an extended period, there is a probability that a considerable amount of VOCs or phthalates could be absorbed into the reproductive system.

Introduction

Most women of reproductive age use sanitary pads during their menstrual periods for an average of 1800 days in their lifetime [1]. Similarly, the diaper is a hygiene product that is in direct contact with the external genitalia of infants and toddlers for several months to years [2]. In recent years, synthetic plastic materials have been used as liquid absorbents to improve the functionality and softness of sanitary pads and diapers [3]. However, some of these plastic materials release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and endocrine-disrupting chemicals [[4], [5], [6]], potentially posing risks to women and children who use them [[7], [8], [9]]. In particular, since VOCs and phthalates are absorbed through the skin [2,[10], [11], [12], [13]], it is necessary to understand whether household products such as sanitary pads and diapers that contact the skin contain these chemicals. As a result, the safety of sanitary pads or diapers is becoming a world-wide public health concern with growing suspicions that some substances in those products may adversely influence the health of women and children.

In the summer of 2017, South Korean media outlets reported a few newly marketed brands of commercial sanitary pads containing VOCs [14,15] with a high degree of suspicion that these chemicals might be the causes of menstrual irregularities as some of the consumers experienced after using the particular branded pads [16]. Soon, the issue became a societal concern after the public became aware that sanitary pads in direct contact with the skin around the external genitalia were likely causing menstrual irregularities. The skin of this area tends to be thinner and more absorbent than those of others such as the hands [17]. In response to these concerns and confusions, we decided to undertake an independent small-scale measurement of VOCs and phthalates in commercially available sanitary pads and diapers sampled from South Korea and other countries.

We measured VOCs contents primarily because they were reportedly detected in the sanitary diapers and suspected to be the causes of menstrual irregularities. VOCs are released from a variety of anthropogenic sources such as cleaning products, paints, solvents, personal care products, and tobacco smoke [18]. Previous studies assessed the exposure level to VOCs by measuring their contents in the air, urine, and water [19,20]. VOCs increase the risk for neurocognitive impairment, asthma, congenital disability, and cancer [21]. Notably, exposure to methylene chloride, toluene, and xylene are known to negatively affect the development and function of reproductive system [[22], [23], [24], [25]]. However, to date, no study has measured VOC contents in the sanitary pads and diapers or reported their impact on female reproductive function and child health.

We included phthalates in our measurement because studies in animal models indicated that phthalates might disrupt menstrual cycles [26,27] and that a particular subsets of phthalates such as di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), and benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) are routinely detected in women [[28], [29], [30]]. Phthalates are widely used plasticizers found in common consumer products such as medical devices, feminine hygiene products, cosmetics, toys and childcare articles [[31], [32], [33]]. They are non-covalently bound to plastics and are easily released from them and absorbed into the body by inhalation, ingestion, and dermal absorption, thus resulting in systemic contact [34]. Exposure to phthalates is known to affect the development and functions of the cardiovascular, reproductive and endocrine systems [27,[35], [36], [37], [38]]. To estimate the risk of the VOCs and phthalates contained in sanitary pads and diapers, the measured contents from these hygienic products were compared with publicly available measurement data from other consumer products such as beverages, foods, and plastic wares and also with the regulatory guidelines for such products.

Section snippets

Sample preparation

Sanitary pads and diapers were collected from markets in Korea, Japan, Finland, France, Greece, and the United States (Supplementary Table 1). To measure VOC contents, air (750 μL) was taken from the center of each pack of sanitary pads or diapers using a sample lock syringe (gas-tight) and then injected directly into a gas chromatograph. The procedure was carried out at the University of Illinois Metabolomics Center (http://biotech.illinois.edu/metabolomics).

To measure phthalate contents, a

VOC contents in sanitary pads

The levels of methylene chloride, toluene, and xylene were measured in the air of the sanitary pad and diaper packages (Table 1). The GC/MS analysis detected methylene chloride in two sanitary pad packages: Brand-2 (0.028 ppb) and -6 (0.008 ppb). The package of Brand-2 contained significantly higher (p < 0.01) methylene chloride than the average of all products tested. Toluene was detected in packages from nine brands, except Brand-10 and -11. The packages of Brand-3 (5.230 ppb) and -4

Discussion

This study found that a majority of sanitary pads or diapers surveyed in this study contained both VOCs and phthalates with varying amounts measured among them. The packages of Brand-3 and -4 sanitary pads contained the highest total VOC concentration (5.676 ppb and 5.956 ppb, respectively) (Table 1), and Brand-1 sanitary pads contained the highest total phthalate concentration (8,014.9 ppb) (Table 3). In the following, the amount of VOCs and phthalates measured in the sanitary pads and diapers

Conclusions

This study found that most of sanitary pads or diapers surveyed contained both VOCs and phthalates. The amounts measured were different among the brands and was below the RfD. However, daily absorption of toluene from sanitary pad reached to the maximum of 38.4% RfD. Given the fact that women are exposed to various chemicals through various routes, consideration should be given to the risks of chemicals that are additionally absorbed from the sanitary pad. This finding raises a concern for the

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences grant (P01-ES022848to C.K and J.A.F); Environmental Protection Agency grant (RD-83459301to C.K and J.A.F.); and Egyptian Mission Sector (JS-3041) Higher Ministry of Education to R.B.

Conflicts of interest

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

Acknowledgements

Not applicable.

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