Analysis of endocrine disrupting plastic additives in menstrual products

Abstract

Menstrual products are widely used by menstruating individuals and the presence of potentially harmful chemicals in these products is of concern because of the higher absorbent nature of the vulvar tissue. Previous studies have reported the presence of several substances in menstrual products, including endocrine disruptors (EDCs) which are substances capable of altering the proper functioning of the endocrine system, affecting fertility and the development of the organism. The objective of this project is the analysis of plastic additives in 3 types of menstrual products (sanitary pads, panty liners and tampons), including 2 classes of EDCs, phthalates (PAEs) and organophosphate esters (OPEs), and a selection of alternative additives (NPPs), which use in products has been recently increasing. The project has evaluated the analytical method, compared the presence of these additives with those reported in previous studies and assessed the risk to human health associated with the exposure through the use of these products. The results show that, using ultrasound extraction and analysis with high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry, PAEs, OPEs and NPPs can be analyzed with satisfactory sensitivities, recoveries and detection limits for most of the analytes. 7 PAEs, 16 OPEs and 8 NPPs were found in the analyzed menstrual products. PAEs concentrations could be compared with those of the literature, observing notable differences. OPEs and NPPs have been found for the first time in menstrual products. In general, panty liners have a higher content of these substances. Some of these compounds have also been found in the packaging of sanitary pads, so future environmental risk assessments should also consider them. However, the evaluation of the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks associated with the presence of these compounds in menstrual products was not significant.