New lawsuit alleges major menstrual product manufacturer knowingly endangered women's health: 'This is alarming, and it's scary'

A major women's menstrual pads company is being sued for harmful chemicals in the products.

According to the Guardian, consumer advocacy group Ecological Alliance has filed a suit in California against Carefree because PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, have allegedly been found in their menstrual pads.

What's happening?

The suit requires Carefree's parent company, Edgewell, to remove the chemicals from the products or put a warning label on the package.

The Guardian reported, "The suit was brought under California's Proposition 65 law that requires companies to warn the state's consumers if toxic chemicals are present in products."

The Guardian also noted, "Ecological Alliance tested the products and found PFOA, one of the most common and dangerous PFAS compounds."

Why is PFAS in menstrual pads concerning?

This year, the Environmental Protection Agency found that any PFOA level in drinking water was unsafe and set a limit of four parts per trillion. When the menstrual pads were tested, it found that 756 parts per trillion PFOA leaked per hour.

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Furthermore, research from the University of Birmingham, published on ScienceDirect, found that the skin absorbs PFAS at a higher rate than previously known. This makes it even more concerning when the chemicals are found in a product that will be pressed up on a woman's skin for several hours at a time.

"This is a product that has direct exposure into the bloodstream because of the way it's used and positioned on women's bodies, so this is alarming, and it's scary," said Vineet Dubey, Ecological Alliance's attorney.

According to the Environmental Working Group, PFAS have been linked to several reproductive health issues, including infertility, low birth weight, "pregnancy-induced high blood pressure," and more.

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Unfortunately, winning these battles is difficult because chemical lobbyists help companies win lawsuits, preventing them from eliminating harmful toxins.

What's being done about PFAS in menstrual pads?

While the Ecological Alliance is fighting to eliminate PFAS from menstrual pads, other organizations approach the fight differently.

The New York Times Wirecutter had the University of Notre Dame lab test 44 menstrual products. The lab found that about half had "unintentional PFAS contamination." The contamination could have happened somewhere along the supply chain, not during creation.

The article also noted that the lab has conducted these tests for years. In 2019, it found that a pair of Thinx underwear was contaminated with PFAS. The company agreed to pay $5 million in a lawsuit. The suit claimed the marketing was misleading, as it claimed the underwear was "free of harmful chemicals."

The battle to keep consumers safe isn't over, and you can donate to climate causes doing this vital work. You can also support eco-friendly health brands that don't use harmful chemicals.