Project description
Health risks associated with harmful chemicals in menstrual products
Menstrual products are essential for hygiene and gender equality. However, recent research has shown that these products may contain harmful chemicals, particularly per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The health risks associated with PFAS exposure through dermal contact with menstrual products remain poorly understood. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the PERIOD project will investigate how skin contact with menstrual products contributes to PFAS exposure and assess the related health risks. Aligned with the EU Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, the project will use advanced analytical methods to test a range of menstrual products for both legacy and emerging PFAS, measure their potential to migrate to the skin, and perform detailed risk assessments.
Objective
Menstruation is a physiological process experienced by approximately half of the global population and menstrual products are crucial for maintaining hygiene and supporting gender equality. However, recent research has shown that these products can contain chemicals of concern for human health, including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a class of industrial chemicals including thousands of diverse substances. Exposure to PFAS through menstrual product use is still poorly studied. The presence of few PFAS has been studied and for substances detected in these products, we do not know which ones can be released to our skin and enter our body. These knowledge gaps hamper a proper evaluation of the human health risks that could derive from PFAS presence in these products. PERIOD is an innovative interdisciplinary project that aims to assess the contribution of dermal contact with menstrual products to PFAS exposure and evaluate the potential risks to human health. The goal of PERIOD aligns with the priorities of the EU Chemical Strategy for Sustainability of banning most harmful chemicals in consumer products and phasing out PFAS use. To achieve PERIOD goal: (1) legacy and novel PFAS will be measured in a wide variety of menstrual products using state-of-the-art analytical methods; (2) dermal migration tests will be used to determine the fraction of PFAS that can be released from menstrual products and reach the skin; (3) risk assessment probabilistic calculations will be used to provide a realistic description of the contribution of menstrual products use to PFAS exposure and of the health risks associated with the use of these products. This new knowledge will provide guidance to evaluate the safety of menstrual products and to improve chemical regulation policies for consumer products. PERIOD will provide new expertise and training for a postdoctoral researcher in analytical chemistry, exposure science, risk assessment, and professional development.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
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28006 Madrid
Spain
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