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Chemicals in Tampons

Submitted by LuciaBuffo on Sun, Mar. 30, 2008

Is it true that commercial tampons contain the chemical ingredients that make up agent orange?

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Comments (2)

surferwife
Tue, Feb. 17, 2009

Herbicides in Tampons/response

Buy green. There are natural products out there, you don't need to use those tampons or pads. I use the Seventh Generation which can be purchased at drugstore.com under the organic/natural section.

scienceman
Tue, Apr. 22, 2008

Herbicides in Tampons?

Agent Orange is a broad spectrum herbicide used to defoliate large sections of jungle during the Vietnam War. Agent Orange contains the herbicides 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T.

Tampons are made with absorbent fibers, most typically cotton, rayon, or a cotton-rayon blend. Most tampons do not have any added chemicals because the fibers are sufficiently absorbent without them.

Some tampons may have antimicrobials added. These will have an active ingredient listed, and usually are labeled with a performance claim such as "Kills Bacteria" or "Prevents Odors."

Cotton is a pesticide-intensive crop. Regular cotton tampons may contain residues of pesticides applied to the crop. To prevent such residues, Seventh Generation tampons are made with certified organic cotton.

One final note. 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T are often contaminated with chlorinated dioxins, known human carcinogens. Many lawn care chemicals contain 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T.