Carefree panty liners contain cancer-causing 'forever chemical,' lawsuit alleges
Carefree Panty Liners. (FOX 11)
LOS ANGELES - A popular brand of women's panty liners for menstrual care contain a chemical known to cause cancer and reproductive toxicity, a new lawsuit filed Monday alleges.
An independent lab test revealed the presence of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in Carefree panty liners, according to the Los Angeles Superior Court complaint brought by Ecological Alliance LLC.
Exposure to PFOA has been linked to various health issues in humans, including liver damage, increased cholesterol, developmental effects, immune system disruption, and increased risk of some cancers.
The suit was filed against Edgewell Personal Care Brands LLC, owner of Carefree panty liners. An Edgewell representative did not immediately reply to a City News Service request for comment.
As one of the top brands in the country, Carefree panty liners pose a significant health concern due to their prolonged contact with the vaginal area, which is highly susceptible to absorbing harmful chemicals directly into the bloodstream, the lawsuit alleges.
RELATED: Tampons can contain toxic metals like lead and arsenic, study finds
Attorney Vineet Dubey, representing Ecological Alliance LLC in the lawsuit, said the Connecticut-based company should eliminate PFOA from its panty liners or add a label on its packaging warning consumers.
"PFOA is a known reproductive toxin and no amount is considered safe," Dubey said. "This is a matter of public health. This synthetic chemical accumulates over time in the human body, leading to adverse reproductive effects such as decreased fertility and hormone interference. Additionally, it can increase hypertension in pregnant women. Women use this product for 8 to 10 hours at a time, which results in continuous exposure to PFOA, potentially on a daily basis."
PFOA can remain in one's body for up to 50 years and increases the chance children will have low weights at birth and experience delays in their development, as well as increase chances of developing kidney, prostate or testicular cancer, the suit alleges.
"Nationally, there is growing awareness and scrutiny of personal care products containing PFOA and other PFAS,"Dubey said. "Carefree manufactures its products in the USA, and consumers might expect a successful, American-made product to meet, if not exceed, the most stringent health and safety standards. However, as this lawsuit demonstrates, even domestically made products can pose significant risks to consumers when harmful chemicals like PFOA are present."
Recent studies have raised concerns about the presence of toxic metals and "forever chemicals" in tampons. Research published in 2024 found that multiple brands of tampons, both in the U.S. and Europe, contained harmful metals such as lead, arsenic, and mercury. PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are widely used in consumer products for their water-resistant properties. Tampons and other menstrual products, which come into prolonged contact with sensitive tissue, may pose significant risks due to this exposure.
CNS contributed to this report.