Are You Aware Of The Potential Risks Posed By Your Sanitary Pads? - Mark Blue Notes

Hi there! Thank you for clicking on this link. Perhaps you are curious about a certain topic - curious people! So, let's dive deeper into this subject. Have you ever checked the composition of your sanitary pads? No? Or yes? If not, I recommend you do it ASAP. Why? Because chlorine is used in the manufacturing process of sanitary pads and can be harmful to your health, even leading to cancer. But don't worry, this article is here to help you, so you can feel more at ease.

Image taken from Canva 

Chlorine in Sanitary Pads: What and Why?

 Chlorine (Cl₂) is a naturally occurring element on Earth and is rarely found in its free form. Typically, chlorine is found bound to other elements or compounds, forming sodium chloride (NaCl) or chloride ions in seawater. There are several ways to produce elemental chlorine in a laboratory, such as by using sodium or calcium hypochlorite acid or by mixing hydrochloric acid and potassium permanganate.

 Most chlorine is produced for use in the manufacture of chlorine compounds for sanitation, paper bleaching, disinfectants, and textile processes. In the manufacturing of sanitary pads, the commonly used raw materials include pulp, laminated, adhesive tape, and polyethylene film. It turns out that the paper pulp or paper waste used has undergone a bleaching process, using chlorine as the bleaching agent. This stage is known as the kraft process.

Image taken from Scientific Article and Canva

 Additionally, bleaching in sanitary pads aims to allow for better monitoring of menstrual flow and helps maintain hygiene, whether it's normal or indicative of a disease carried by the blood being discharged. Furthermore, white is often associated with cleanliness and purity, which may contribute to the choice of color for sanitary pads. Therefore, HOCl (hypochlorous acid) is used because it provides effects in reducing wound pain and odor, reducing the number of bacteria, combating many pathogens, etc.

The Effects of Chlorine on Health

 However, it is worth noting that sanitary pads containing chlorine are not recommended for use by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Center for Devices and Radiological Health. In Indonesia, Ministry of Health Regulation No. 472/Menkes/Per/V/1996 regarding the security of Hazardous Materials for Health states that the safe level of chlorine used for sanitary products is 0.01 ppm.

 Sanitary pads containing chlorine that pose a high risk or exceed the safe limits set by the government can lead to problems, including the risk of discharge, itching, and irritation, and may lead to cervical cancer. According to findings from the World Health Organization, 52 million people are at risk of cancer, and one of the factors is the substances contained in sanitary pads. In Indonesia, cervical cancer ranks as the second most frequently occurring cancer after breast cancer in women.

Safe Alternatives for Sanitary Pads

 Research conducted by Oky Tiara Desvi found the highest chlorine content in Charm at 2.52 ppm, Kotex at 1.40 ppm, Laurier at 0.84 ppm, and the lowest chlorine (Cl₂) content in samples of branded Daun Sirih and Softex sanitary pads is 0 ppm. Thus, based on the regulations set by the government and by matching the research results, Daun Sirih and Softex are brands of sanitary products that are safe to use. In samples where the chlorine content exceeds the safe limit or is high because chlorine material used for sanitary products is mostly used to bleach the pads to make them look more attractive, and the pad material is not 100% cotton but uses wood powder and clothing waste containing chlorine, whereas different samples have chlorine levels that do not exceed the safe limit because the use of chlorine material is minimal.

Therefore, it is advisable to carefully check the content of products before buying sanitary pads. However, in reality, especially in Indonesia, some sanitary product brands do not list the chlorine composition used. Therefore, there needs to be regulation by the government to inform or affirm sanitary product manufacturers. As consumers who use sanitary pads, it is advisable to seek information through scientific articles, and it is highly recommended to stay updated. Hopefully, the sanitary pads you use do not contain harmful chlorine that’s gonna big problem for health in the future. Thank you. Stay healthy always.

References:

1. Review: Analisis Kandungan Klorin dan Formaldehid Pada Pembalut Wanita (Fannisa Dini Larasati, Safira Nurul Islam Saputri, Ade Yollanda, Firdha Senja Maelaningsih) 
2. https://repository.um-surabaya.ac.id/1948/4/BAB_2_.pdf
3. Efektifitas Pencucian Luka Menggunakan Obat Berbasis Klorin Terhadap Proses Penyembuhan Luka Kaki Diabetik: Literature Review (Iskandar Zulkarnaen, Takdir Tahir, Kadek Ayu Erika)
4. Analisa Kadar Klorin Pada Pembalut Wanita Dari Berbagai Merk Yang Dijual Eceran Di Jalan Pimpinan Medan (Oky Tiara Desvi)
5. https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/menstrual-tampons-and-pads-information-premarket-notification-submissions-510ks-guidance-industry
6. Analisis Kandungan Klorin Pada Pembalut Wanita Dan Popok Dewasa Secara Spektrofotometri Uv-Vis (Taufiq dan Jumadil Ukhro)
7. Manufacturing of Fluff Pulp Using Different Pulp Sources and Bentonite on an Industrial Scale for Absorbent Hygienic Products (Saeed Ismaeilimoghadam, Mehdi Sheikh, Pouyan Taheri, Sadegh Maleki, Hossien Resalati, Mehdi Jonoobi, Bahareh Azimi, and Serena Danti)