Re: TAMPONS & dioxin

["Jackie Hunt Christensen" <jchristensen@iatp.org>]

Unless technology has changed SIGNIFICANTLY since I did pulp & paper work,
rayon is HIGHLY bleached in the dissolving pulp process. Yes, dioxin HAS
been measured in tampons, although back in the early 90's -- by EPA/FDA.
I'm sure it's  time to do it again. Years ago, a Norwegian (?) mill was
making Cl=free dissolving pulp but i don't know if it ever  made its way
into tampons. 

At 01:07 AM 10/25/98 -0400, you wrote:
>Hello,
>
>     Please note. Let's expunge that reference to "breeding ground for
>dioxin" and replace it "breeding ground for bacteria" which is the suspected
>cause for Toxic Shock Syndrome. Those silly quotes are getting out of hand.
>
>     Also, I don't think anyone has measured dioxin in rayon; what we know
>about is dioxin in paper and cotton as a result of the bleaching process.
>Why would you bleach rayon??? It has no color except if you purposely add
>it.
>
>     Dioxin from bleached tampons (paper and cotton) leaches from the tampon
>to fatty tissues in the reproductive tract.
>
>      Again, as far as I know there is no rayon/dioxin connection. (Folks,
>please inform me if there is...)
>
>Thanks
>Jon Campbell
>
>
>     There are breeding grounds for dioxin, but not there. They are
>incinerators, cement kilns, PVC and organochlorine chemical factories, paper
>and pulp mills, ...
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Sgrmagnlia@aol.com <Sgrmagnlia@aol.com>
>To: Multiple recipients of list DIOXIN-L <dioxin-l@essential.org>
>Date: Friday, October 23, 1998 2:42 PM
>Subject: Re: TAMPONS & dioxin
>
>
>>In a message dated 10/21/98 11:53:26 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
>>catalyst@envirolink.org writes:
>>
>><< "Rayon contributes to the danger of tampons and dioxin because it is a
>> highly absorbent substance and therefore when fibers from the tampons are
>> left behind in the vagina (as usually occurs), it creates a breeding
>ground
>> for the dioxin, and stays in a lot longer than it would with just cotton
>> tampons.  This is also the reason why TSS (toxic shock syndrome) occurs."
>>>
>>
>>Is there any specific Tampon brand that does not bleach the tampon?  Can we
>>find out who does and who doesn't?  Just curious as to what is safe and
>what
>>isn't!!
>>
>>Thanks!
>>Marianne Dambra
>>
>
>

----------------------------------------------------------
Jackie Hunt Christensen
Food Safety Project Director
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
2105 1st Avenue South
Minneapolis,  MN 55404
612-870-3424 (direct line)
612-870-4846 (fax)
e-mail: <jchristensen@iatp.org>
IATP main web site: http://www.iatp.org
IATP's Endocrine Disrupter Resource Center: http://www.iatp.org/edrc