Could your period products contain cancer-causing PFAS? NJ bill targets forever chemicals
⚖️ A New Jersey bill would ban menstrual products with intentionally added PFAS, known as forever chemicals.
🚫 The proposal would require PFAS testing of products sold in the state.
💦 New Jersey has faced widespread PFAS contamination, including in public drinking water
TRENTON — Women shouldn't have to use feminine hygiene products made with harmful chemicals that take hundreds of years to break down, advocates tell state lawmakers.
They're asking New Jersey to ban the sale of disposable and reusable feminine hygiene products — such as tampons, sanitary pads, discs, menstrual cups, and underwear — with intentionally added PFAS.
Known also as forever chemicals, these man-made chemicals have been linked to hormonal and reproductive issues, increased risk of cancer, liver damage, and other health concerns.
PFAS leach into fish, animals, water, and soil, and then are absorbed through the skin. Once in the human body, these synthetic compounds can take decades to get filtered out.
These toxic chemicals have previously been added to products ranging from non-stick cookware and popcorn bags to raincoats and tents.
NJ bill targets forever chemicals in period products
The bill (S2266) also requires all menstrual products sold in the state to undergo PFAS testing at laboratories under a system managed by the state Department of Environmental Protection.
The number of menstrual products on the shelves with PFAS while marketed as safe is alarming, said Clean Water Action Environmental Justice Organizer Cassandra Lainez.
New Jersey would be the 8th state to ban PFAS in feminine hygiene products if the bill was passed and signed by Gov. Mikie Sherrill today. According to Lainez, Maine and Minnesota passed similar bills and saw 96% of menstrual products test negative for intentionally added PFAS.
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New Jersey already has a history of PFAS contamination
In January 2026, outgoing Gov. Phil Murphy signed the Protecting Against Forever Chemicals Act. It requires labeling cookware with PFAS and, by 2028, bans intentionally added PFAS in other items, including cosmetic products, carpets and fabrics, and food packaging.
Forever chemicals have particularly impacted New Jersey's drinking water.
New Jersey has the second-worst quality drinking water in the nation, according to a PFAS Water Experts analysis published earlier this year. The analysis found more than 38% of New Jersey residents have been served by public water systems that violated federal water quality standards.
In 2025, New Jersey reached a record-breaking $2 billion settlement with the DuPont chemical company over PFAS contamination at multiple state sites. The state also reached a separate, but similar, $400 million settlement with global chemical manufacturing conglomerate 3M.
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