"Toxic PFAS in menstrual pads harm reproductive health, advocates says", 2 November 2024

California lawsuit demands Carefree and parent company Edgewell remove chemicals or add warning label

Carefree menstrual pads are contaminated with toxic PFAS “forever chemicals”, which presents a threat to the reproductive health of women using the products, a new lawsuit filed in California state court alleges.

The suit demands Carefree and its parent company, personal care product giant Edgewell, remove PFAS from the products or put a warning label on its packaging.

The exposure is potentially a “big health problem”, said Vineet Dubey, an attorney representing Ecological Alliance, a consumer advocacy group which brought the suit.

“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,” Dubey said. 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.

Edgewell did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

PFAS are a class of about 15,000 chemicals typically used to make products that resist water, stains and heat. They are called “forever chemicals” because they do not naturally break down, and they accumulate in humans and the environment. The chemicals are linked to cancer, kidney disease, liver problems, immune disorders, birth defects and other serious health problems...

The suit asks the judge to stop the products from being sold until they’re free of the chemicals. Dubey has previously sued under Proposition 65 for PFAS or other toxic chemical contamination and said companies often reformulate products or make supply chain changes to address the issue, but they do not always...