Safety assessment of sanitary pads with a polymeric foam absorbent core

Abstract

Sanitary pads for menstrual hygiene have a layered design consisting of a fluid permeable surface (topsheet), an absorbent core, and an impermeable backing with adhesive. Most sanitary pads employ cellulose-based cores. This describes the safety evaluation of a menstrual pad with an emollient-treated topsheet and a novel polymeric foam core. A quantitative risk assessment was performed, which included: (1) toxicological evaluation of the raw material components; (2) quantitative exposure assessments of pad constituents, accounting for the fluid handling properties of the product and pertinent conditions of use; and (3) risk characterization for exposure to raw materials (e.g., potential for skin irritation, contact sensitization, or systemic effects, if relevant) and to the physical article itself (potential effects on skin friction, etc.). No significant risk of adverse effects was found. Five years of post-market surveillance substantiates that the product is well-tolerated (1 health complaint reported per 2 million products shipped to market) and surpasses women's expectations for menstrual protection and overall comfort and dryness. This report illustrates how the classical risk assessment paradigm, informed by the impact of product design, functionality and pertinent use conditions, allowed the systematic safety evaluation of a personal hygiene product with a novel, non-cellulosic absorbent foam core technology.

Pictorial methods to assess heavy menstrual bleeding in research and clinical practice: a systematic literature review

“…Towels of similar size and/or with the same stated absorbency category but from different manufacturers can have a wide range of fluid retention capacities [77]. In ultra-slim formulations, MBL may be captured by a thin collapsed polymeric foam layer that expands and absorbs fluid upon contact [85] or by superabsorbent polymer granules embedded in the towel core (e.g. Always Ultra).…”

Safety Evaluation of Absorbent Hygiene Pads: A Review on Assessment Framework and Test Methods

“…The main function of this layer is to transfer fluids and feces quickly to the layer beneath, thus a high wicking ability is desirable. Mostly, emollient or lotion is applied onto the topsheet material to grant protection from irritation and skin softness [2,14,49,50,52].…”

“…3 The 50 kg weight referenced from Woeller and Hochwalt's study [14] is noted, while it has a wide range. 4 Five pads/day is referred from Woeller and Hochwalt's study [14], while 7.5 pads/day is referred from Korean MFDS [54]. 5 Data based on Korean MFDS [54].…”

“…USA institutional and home care uses 3-5 pads or briefs/day; Japan uses 3.5-4 pads/day or 1.5-1.75 pull-on diapers/day. Figure 1 shows a typical layer construction of a disposable absorbent hygiene pad, which consists of a fluid permeable top sheet, an optional acquisition layer, a superabsorbent core, and a fluid impermeable back sheet with and without adhesives [2,4,14,55]. The layer structure of baby diapers, feminine hygiene pads, and adult diapers are very similar, whereas the design of fastening systems (such as fastening cuffs/wings and adhesives) are different between baby diapers and feminine pads.…”

Natural and Sustainable Raw Materials for Sanitary Napkin

“…The core was made up of wood pulp traditionally but there is constant effort to replace it by air laid wood pulp and SAP to improve its absorption efficiency. SAP turns the absorbed liquid into a jelly-like state so that it would not retract back [4,5]. c) Barrier sheet: It seals the fluid from staining or leakages.…”