Menstrual panties, cups… PFAS in reusable feminine hygiene products, according to a study

PFAS are definitely everywhere. Menstrual panties, reusable sanitary pads, cups: reusable feminine hygiene products may contain "perennial pollutants" called PFAS , according to a pilot study conducted by American researchers and published Tuesday, July 22, in the scientific journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters.

Feminine protection "remains in contact with the skin for long periods, and the risks associated with skin absorption of PFAS are still poorly understood ," Marta Venier, associate professor at Indiana University and lead author of the study, said in a press release.

" As reusable products become increasingly popular due to their durability compared to single-use products, it is essential to ensure that these products are safe. This is especially important for adolescent girls and young women, who are more vulnerable to potentially adverse health effects ," the chemist said.

She and her team tested 59 reusable personal hygiene products from North America, South America, and Europe: menstrual panties, reusable sanitary pads, menstrual cups, and reusable underwear or incontinence pads. They detected levels of PFAS high enough that their inclusion was intentional on the part of manufacturers in nearly 30% of the samples.

Several explanations are possible for the use of these substances, which help prevent leaks or make textiles stain-resistant, the authors suggest. But at least one sample per category did not intentionally contain them, " clearly showing that PFAS are not essential components of these products ," the study suggests.

Washing textiles containing PFAS results in their release into wastewater systems, the authors point out. At the end of their life, the contribution of these products to landfills also constitutes a pathway for the environmental release of PFAS.

However, these perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFAS, editor's note) present in many everyday objects and products (cosmetics, shoes, clothing, kitchen utensils, etc.) and numbering in the thousands, are virtually indestructible. They accumulate over time in the air, soil, water, food and, ultimately, in the bodies of living beings, particularly in the blood and kidney or liver tissues.

Although health authorities believe that knowledge of the health risks associated with various PFAS is insufficient, harmful effects on human metabolism have been identified for several "eternal pollutants".

In France, the National Assembly adopted a bill from environmentalists in April 2024 aimed at restricting the manufacture and sale of products containing PFAS . However, kitchen utensils were excluded, following massive lobbying by manufacturers, including Tefal, a subsidiary of the Seb group.

The company uses PTFE (polymer of tetrafluoroethylene, also known as Teflon) in its non-stick pans, and the revelation of this information led to a health scandal, considered one of the largest contamination incidents in the world today. The final text of the proposed law was promulgated in February 2025.