Chloroform
Trichloromethane
What it is
A volatile solvent and a trihalomethane, formed when chlorine reacts with organic matter. It can appear as a trace residual from fiber bleaching or manufacturing.
In this product: None. A trace VOC residual, not an added ingredient.
Dose & route, what actually matters
Low-ng/g residue against permeable tissue. Because the mechanism appears to be threshold-based (harm from sustained high doses, not a single hit), trace product exposure is a smaller concern than a genotoxic carcinogen at the same level. Organic and unscented tested lower.
EUROPEAN UNION
Classified Carc. 2 under EU CLP.
UNITED STATES
EPA describes chloroform as a likely human carcinogen. No menstrual-product limit.
The evidence
IARC classifies chloroform as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B): inadequate human evidence, sufficient animal evidence, non-genotoxic mechanism.
regulatory · 1987 · source
A peer-reviewed survey detected chloroform in 62% of 79 feminine hygiene products tested, with organic-labelled and non-store-brand products generally lower (Lin et al., Environment International, 2020).
human · 2020 · source
California Prop 65: Listed under California Prop 65 as a carcinogen.
How to avoid it
Chlorine-free (TCF) and organic-cotton products avoid the bleaching chemistry that creates trihalomethanes like chloroform. Unscented tested lower than scented.
Editorial analysis of publicly available regulatory and peer-reviewed sources. Not medical advice. We name our evidence and link it, including when an ingredient is fine.