Dioxins in Sanitary Napkins and Tampons and Dioxin-Free Napkin Alternatives

The purpose of this article is to promote awareness of the toxic chemical dioxin and rayon in sanitary napkins and tampons. In addition, this article will address alternatives to sanitary napkins that contain dioxin and rayon (such as cloth napkins and dioxin-free napkins produced by Winalite).

What is dioxin?

According to the website foodsafety.gov, “Dioxin refers to a group of chemical compounds that share certain chemical structures and biological characteristics.” The most toxic dioxins are 2, 3, 7, 8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). Dioxins are an unintended by-product as a result of human-made activities. Dioxins can be created through combustion processes. Some examples of combustion processes are the incineration of municipal waste, the burning of fossil fuels, and the chlorine bleaching of pulp and paper.

Dioxin and Rayon in Tampons and Sanitary Napkins

Sanitary napkins and tampons contain traces of dioxin and rayon. Traditional tampons and sanitary pads made in the United States are made from cotton, rayon, or rayon-cotton blends. Rayon is produced from wood pulp cellulose fibers. In the past, dioxin was created from the bleaching process of wood pulp material. Current bleaching methods now use elemental chlorine-free or 100% chlorine-free bleaching processes. According to the fda.gov website, “state-of-the-art testing of tampons and tampon materials that can detect even trace amounts of dioxin have shown dioxin levels to be at or below the detectable limit.”

The FDA regulates tampon manufacturers by asking them to provide information about their pulp purification processes. FDA websites state that currently, “the detectable limit for dioxin detection is approximately 0.1 to 1 parts per billion dioxins.” Using the dioxin detection test limit, the dioxin level in rayon raw materials is said to be below or within the acceptable limit of 0.1 to 1 parts per billion. For reference, one part per billion is like putting a teaspoon of dioxin in a lake that is fifteen feet deep and one square mile. However, if one knew for sure that dioxins were contaminating the water, would they drink the water or would they find an alternative source of dioxin-free drinking water?

How to choose dioxin-free sanitary pads and tampons

When shopping for sanitary napkins and tampons, remember to look on the package to see if the product has a chlorine-free bleaching process. Otherwise, the product you are buying may contain dioxin. Most of the brand name sanitary pads and tampons in your typical grocery store do not use a 100% chlorine-free bleaching process to cut costs.

Alternatives to Dioxin-Containing Sanitary Napkins and Tampons

There are alternatives when it comes to purchasing dioxin-containing sanitary pads and tampons. For example, you can buy cloth napkins. The benefits of cloth napkins are as follows; They are reusable and do not contain dioxins. The disadvantages of cloth napkins are as follows; they have to be washed and there are cleaning concerns.

Also, if you are not very interested in buying cloth napkins, a company called Winalite produces a sanitary napkin called Love Moon Anion that is dioxin free. They use a distillation process that does not use whitening agents or scratches on their materials.