Sanitary Pads Containing Chlorine Should Be Avoided

Bumisuka.com – Sanitary Pads Containing Chlorine Should Be Avoided. Discussion of sanitary napkins containing chlorine seems timeless. Many women doubt the safety of menstrual pad products, which are commonly used during menstruation.

Not without reason, products containing chlorine are associated with exposure to cancer triggers. This often causes panic that makes some people conduct independent trials which lead to inaccurate conclusions.

Therefore, it is important to know the facts behind the truth of the chlorine content in sanitary napkins. That way, you can take safe steps to anticipate it, if necessary.

What is chlorine?

Chlorine, yes, not Qorin. Chlorine is a chemical compound that you can find in various industrial and household products. The form can vary, from gas to liquid.

Applying pressure to the cooled chlorine gas causes it to turn into a liquid. Given its heavier-than-air mass, it will settle on the ground and scatter when released.

Generally, chlorine is greenish-yellow in color. The smell is so strong that you can recognize it by smelling it. The smell itself is similar to the smell of bleach. Chlorine is not flammable, but can react explosively when reacted with other explosive compounds.

The main role of chlorine is actually for sewage sanitation. However, you can also find it in pool water purification products to make it bacteria-free. In paper and cloth, chlorine is commonly used as a bleach. Including the issue, contained in the menstrual pad as a cotton cleaner.

It is important to note that chlorine is a toxic gas. Chlorine can enter through breathing or skin and eye exposure. If inhaled in high levels, it can cause respiratory problems, dizziness, itching, and a burning sensation in the five senses.

In the long term, chlorine can trigger edema or fluid in the lungs, reports the Emergency Center of Disease and Control Prevention. Therefore, if you are exposed to chlorine, you must immediately move away, take off clothes that are exposed to gas, and wash your body thoroughly.

Facts about sanitary napkins containing chlorine

Reading the description of the dangers of chlorine for health certainly makes you anxious, right? It’s no wonder that women finally choose to leave menstrual pads, aka sanitary pads, for long-term health.

However, there is something that needs to be clarified first that sanitary napkin products in Indonesia must pass verification by the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM). This stage is the gate keeper of sanitary napkins before they are sold in the market. That way, sanitary napkins in supermarkets should have gone through laboratory tests so they should be safe and not dangerous.

Ministry of Health based on Health Law no. 36 of 2009 explains that all products that can trigger health risks must have a distribution permit. Every product, including sanitary napkins, must meet SNI 16-6363-2000. One of the criteria is not strong fluorescence.

Fluorescence is a test to determine the presence of chlorine in products, including sanitary napkins. Based on the standardization of the United States Food and Drug Administrations (FDA), the limit of allowed chlorine levels in sanitary napkins must be less than 0.2 percent.

The use of chlorine as a bleach in sanitary napkins has indeed been done. However, this method has been abandoned since the 1990s. The reason is to reduce the production of dioxin compounds, which are persistent organic pollutants in the environment, reported Forbes.

Currently, the process of making sanitary napkins generally uses Elemental Chlorine-Free (ECF) and Totally Chlorine-Free (TCF) as an effort to bleach and eliminate bacteria. ECF is a bleaching method using chlorine dioxide. The TCF utilizes hydrogen peroxide. Both are methods that are declared safer because they are free of dioxins.

Should you avoid pads?

An experimental study with a small sample published in the Journal of Pharmacy and Science showed that of the five products studied, one contained chlorine. That is, there are still products that are safe from exposure to these harmful chemical compounds.

The best way to maintain health is to choose chlorine-free products. First, check the pads you are using, whether they are registered with BPOM or not. If not, then it’s best to avoid it for health reasons.

However, if you finally decide not to use sanitary napkins, it’s not a problem at all. There are options for menstrual cups or full cotton pads that are reusable and environmentally friendly.

Sanitary napkins containing chlorine are indeed an issue that must receive attention. However, there is no need to panic and act rashly before knowing the facts.