The awareness of menstrual hygiene has become more and more important for both physical and psychological health of women. Various unsafe and unhygienic materials like rags, leaves, and so on were utilized earlier for menstrual management that caused several harmful effects. Sanitary pads introduced in the early nineteenth century were made of synthetic, non-biodegradable materials, and the continued use of these causes skin irritation, itching, rashes, and complex disorders including cervical cancer. Moreover, the environment is currently struggling severely as the atmosphere is exposed to hazardous gases because of a significant volume of non-biodegradable waste being dumped in landfills. In this study, efforts are made for a sustainable step by utilizing alternative materials to develop reusable absorbents of menstrual fluid replacing synthetic materials used in commercially produced sanitary napkins. The materials used to develop washable sanitary pads include two significantly efficient functional property bearing fiber-producing fabrics, namely, soybean fabric and bamboo terry as a surface layer and an absorbent layer, respectively, along with a leak-proof layer to develop a skin-friendly, biocompatible product. The developed pad was tested for absorbency, wicking, retention, strike-through, and antimicrobial properties. The results of all tests performed on the developed product show a significant difference compared to that on commercial products. This approach can be considered as a contribution to the betterment of a healthy environmental scenario from the perspective of women’s health, sustainability, and environmental health concerns.

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Utilizing Soybean Protein Fabric as a Means of Sustainable Development

  • Shweta Tuteja Rakshit,
  • Ragini Mukherjee

摘要

The awareness of menstrual hygiene has become more and more important for both physical and psychological health of women. Various unsafe and unhygienic materials like rags, leaves, and so on were utilized earlier for menstrual management that caused several harmful effects. Sanitary pads introduced in the early nineteenth century were made of synthetic, non-biodegradable materials, and the continued use of these causes skin irritation, itching, rashes, and complex disorders including cervical cancer. Moreover, the environment is currently struggling severely as the atmosphere is exposed to hazardous gases because of a significant volume of non-biodegradable waste being dumped in landfills. In this study, efforts are made for a sustainable step by utilizing alternative materials to develop reusable absorbents of menstrual fluid replacing synthetic materials used in commercially produced sanitary napkins. The materials used to develop washable sanitary pads include two significantly efficient functional property bearing fiber-producing fabrics, namely, soybean fabric and bamboo terry as a surface layer and an absorbent layer, respectively, along with a leak-proof layer to develop a skin-friendly, biocompatible product. The developed pad was tested for absorbency, wicking, retention, strike-through, and antimicrobial properties. The results of all tests performed on the developed product show a significant difference compared to that on commercial products. This approach can be considered as a contribution to the betterment of a healthy environmental scenario from the perspective of women’s health, sustainability, and environmental health concerns.