Overview
This page is a scaffolded entry for HMTc Taxonomy v2.0 Category 9 (Infant and Child Contact Products (Ages 0-5)), Row 7: Diapers and diaper components. Studies for this row are still being read. Where a section is empty, the row has not yet accumulated contributing sources of the required kind.
Scope: this row covers the diaper and its structural components (nonwoven topsheet and backsheet, the absorbent core, elastics, adhesives, and closures or fasteners). Baby and diaper wipes and diaper creams are not covered here; they are leave-on skin-cleansing and skin-care products and route to Category 2 (Infant and Child Personal Care), rows Baby wipes and Diaper cream.
Literature scope
The Heavy Metal Index source corpus is currently focused on food and food-contact materials. This page documents an HMTc Taxonomy v2.0 row in the category Infant and Child Contact Products (Ages 0-5) for which no peer-reviewed primary or government sources have yet been ingested. The page exists as the routing destination for future ingest. Until sources land, the literature-evidence sections below are deliberately empty rather than guessed; HMTc certification thresholds for products in this row continue to be developed under the certification program at heavymetalcertified.com, not on this public page.
Reading guide
Legal, regulatory and retailer teams can use the cited measurements, applicable limits and study limitations to assess the evidence for this category.
Quality teams can examine product form, measurement basis and sources of variation. Journalists and researchers can follow each reference to the original findings and methods.
Related tools and pages: heavymetalcertified.com · methodology
Evidence summary
Sources for this row will be listed here once they are catalogued.
Source Evidence Inventory
Sources for this row will be listed here once they are catalogued.
Supporting evidence and scope
Broader-scope sources for this row will be listed here when they are catalogued.
Federal/Regulatory Limits vs Field Findings
Regulatory limits for this row will be listed here once they are catalogued.
Controls and mitigation
Practical interventions to reduce heavy-metal load in this row, ordered by impact magnitude. Each lever names the magnitude of the effect with a cited source; cross-links to dedicated Mitigation pages where they exist.
- Sourcing levers — Not yet catalogued.
- Agronomic levers — Not yet catalogued. (See Agronomic mitigation for general agronomic mitigation context.)
- Processing levers — Not yet catalogued. (See Processing mitigation.)
- Formulation levers — Not yet catalogued. (See Formulation mitigation.)
- Testing and QC levers — Not yet catalogued. (See Testing and quality-control mitigation when published.)
- Packaging and storage levers — Not yet catalogued. (See Packaging and storage mitigation when published.)
How standards math uses this page
HMT&C certification thresholds for this row are developed under the certification program at heavymetalcertified.com, not on this page. The row-standard for this row is an aggregate computed from the contributing source pool in the row’s native finished-product basis; it is not a per-source decoration of any single value cited on this page. This public page reports literature evidence only.
Historical recalls and enforcement
Public regulatory events for this row, such as recalls and import alerts, will be listed here as they are catalogued.
Methodology
This page reports what the cited sources say about heavy-metal concentrations in diapers and diaper components. Speciation is non-substitutable (iAs vs tAs, MeHg vs tHg, Cr-VI vs total Cr). Basis is preserved (finished-product as sold unless the source specifies otherwise; see each row for the basis label). Non-detect handling follows each source’s reporting convention. Pooling is avoided across LOD/LOQ, period, geography, and analytical-basis differences. HMT&C certification thresholds for products in this row are developed under the certification program at heavymetalcertified.com, not on this page; this public page reports literature evidence only.
The applicable regulatory jurisdictions for this row are: CPSIA, CPSC, FDA (food-contact for bottles/nipples), EU.
Sources
Sources for this row will be listed here once they are catalogued.
Sources
Source records associated with this topic. Inclusion does not establish that every finding applies to this product or ingredient. References above identify works cited in the text.
| # | Citation | Year | Type | Used on this page for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ministry of Food and 2026. MFDS Notice 2026-23, standards and specifications for hygiene products, MFDS Notice No. 2026-23, Standards and Specifications for Hygiene Products, enacted 21 March 2018 as Notice 2018-19 | 2026 | Regulatory | Contribution to this topic remains under review; see the source record for its reported scope. |
| 2 | Lai et al. 2025. Infants’ Dermal Exposure to Phthalates from Disposable Baby Diapers and Its Association with DNA Oxidative Damage, Toxics 13(3): 218 | 2025 | Peer-reviewed | This Toxics paper quantifies six phthalates (DEP, DiBP, DnBP, DEHP, and two non-detectable isomers) in inner-layer disposable-diaper samples from 66… |
| 3 | Association 2024. OEKO-TEX® Limit values: New regulations 2024, OEKO-TEX® Service GmbH customer information notice, 09 January 2024, Zurich, Switzerland. Updates applicable test criteria, limit values, and requirements for the OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100, ORGANIC COTTON, LEATHER STANDARD, ECO PASSPORT, and STeP certification labels; new values binding from 01 April 2024 after a three-month transition period. | 2024 | Industry | INT/EU/CH Pb, Cd, tAs, Sb, Cr, Cr-VI, Ni, tHg occurrence in Not a primary-measurement study. The notice publishes the OEKO-TEX Association’s updated 2024 limit values for the STANDARD 100,… |
| 4 | CIRS – C&K Testing (Hangzhou C&K Testing Technic Co. 2023. REACH ANNEX XVII — Restrictions on the Manufacture, Placing on the Market and Use of Certain Dangerous Substances, Mixtures and Articles, CIRS – C&K Testing (Hangzhou C&K Testing Technic Co., Ltd), Hangzhou, China; downloadable consolidated reproduction of Annex XVII to EU REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006; document header states ‘Last update: 2023-07-17’. 64 pages, two-column ‘Column 1 (substance or group) / Column 2 (conditions of restriction)’ tabular layout reproducing entries 1 through 77. | 2023 | Industry | EU Pb, Cd, tHg, iHg, Cr-VI, Ni, tAs, Sn occurrence in Not a primary-measurement study. The document is a third-party reproduction of Annex XVII to EU REACH Regulation (EC)… |
| 5 | ECHA 2023. Investigation report to support the Commission on the preparation of a restriction proposal for the use and presence of CMR 1A or 1B substances in childcare articles based on REACH Article 68(2), European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), Helsinki, Finland. Investigation report version 2.0 (Final), 31 October 2023, prepared at the request of the European Commission under REACH Article 68(2). | 2023 | Regulatory agency report | EU Pb, Cd, Cr-VI, Co, tAs, tHg, Sn, Li, V occurrence in Not a primary-measurement study. The report aggregates 1,559 entries reporting measurements of CMR 1A or 1B substances in… |
| 6 | EU 2023. Decision (EU) 2023/1809, EU Ecolabel for absorbent hygiene products, Official Journal of the European Union, L 234, 22 September 2023, p. 142 | 2023 | Regulatory | Contribution to this topic remains under review; see the source record for its reported scope. |
| 7 | Nyamukamba et al. 2023. Determination of Selected Harmful Substances in Baby Diapers Available on the South African Market, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 20(2): 1023 | 2023 | Peer-reviewed | ZA/CN/PL Pb, Cu, tAs, Zn, Co, Ni, Cr, Cd, Mn, Se occurrence in 20 disposable baby diapers procured in Cape Town, South Africa, across three retail tiers: high-end (H1-H5, n=5), medium-end… (n=20) |
| 8 | Bernard 2022. Dermal Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals in Baby Diapers: A Re-Evaluation of the Quantitative Health Risk Assessment Conducted by The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES), International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2022, 19(7), 4159. MDPI. Review article. Received 29 July 2021; accepted 25 September 2021; published 31 March 2022. | 2022 | Peer-reviewed | This is a single-author peer-reviewed review article by Alfred Bernard (IREC, UCLouvain, Brussels) published in MDPI’s *International Journal of Environmental… |
| 9 | Makoś-Chełstowska et al. 2021. Environmental problems and health risks with disposable baby diapers: monitoring of toxic compounds by application of analytical techniques and need of education, Trends in Analytical Chemistry 143:116408 | 2021 | Peer-reviewed | Contribution to this topic remains under review; see the source record for its reported scope. |
| 10 | Dubey 2021. Phthalates or Phthalates-free Diaper: Money Matters, Toxics Link, New Delhi (research compiled by Alka Dubey; supervised by Piyush Mohapatra) | 2021 | NGO report | This is an eight-page Toxics Link (New Delhi) NGO investigation report, compiled by researcher Alka Dubey under supervision of Piyush… |
| 11 | ANSES 2019. Opinion of the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety on the safety of baby diapers (revised opinion, Request No 2017-SA-0019), ANSES Opinion, Request No 2017-SA-0019, Maisons-Alfort, 17 January 2019 (revised; cancels and replaces Opinion of 6 December 2018). English translation of the original French opinion. | 2019 | Regulatory | This revised ANSES opinion is the French food, environmental and occupational health agency’s collective expert appraisal of the safety of… |
| 12 | BfR 2019. Preliminary estimation of undesired substances in diapers, BfR Communication No. 005/2019 of 01 March 2019, Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung (German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment), Berlin. English translation of the original German communication. | 2019 | Regulatory | This is the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) Communication No. 005/2019 of 01 March 2019, in which the… |
| 13 | Bae et al. 2018. Safety Evaluation of Absorbent Hygiene Pads: A Review on Assessment Framework and Test Methods, Sustainability 10(11): 4146 | 2018 | Peer-reviewed | This Sustainability review article describes the exposure-based quantitative risk-assessment (QRA) framework applied to disposable absorbent hygiene pads — baby diapers,… |
| 14 | Dey et al. 2016. Exposure Factor considerations for safety evaluation of modern disposable diapers, Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology | 2016 | Peer-reviewed | Contribution to this topic remains under review; see the source record for its reported scope. |
| 15 | Yu et al. 2016. Potential Allergens in Disposable Diaper Wipes, Topical Diaper Preparations, and Disposable Diapers: Under-recognized Etiology of Pediatric Perineal Dermatitis, Dermatitis | 2016 | Peer-reviewed | Contribution to this topic remains under review; see the source record for its reported scope. |
| 16 | Ishii et al. 2015. Investigation of the amount of transdermal exposure of newborn babies to phthalates in paper diapers and certification of the safety of paper diapers, Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology 73:85-92 | 2015 | Peer-reviewed | Contribution to this topic remains under review; see the source record for its reported scope. |
| 17 | Šmajgl et al. 2015. Occurrence of tin in disposable baby diapers, X-Ray Spectrometry | 2015 | Peer-reviewed | HR/EU Sn occurrence in 6 brands of disposable baby diapers purchased in Croatia 2012-2014. Top sheet and adhesive tape system analyzed separately… (n=6) |
| 18 | Kosemund et al. 2009. Safety evaluation of superabsorbent baby diapers, Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology 53:81-89 | 2009 | Peer-reviewed | Contribution to this topic remains under review; see the source record for its reported scope. |
| 19 | Anderson et al. 2002. Toxic Emissions from British and American Brands of Disposable Diapers, Proceedings: Indoor Air 2002, pp. 636-640 (paper CIB6678) | 2002 | Peer-reviewed | This four-page Indoor Air 2002 conference-proceedings paper from the Anderson Laboratories group (West Hartford, Vermont) reports a screening-level mouse-bioassay comparison… |
| 20 | DeVito et al. 2002. Exposure Assessment to Dioxins from the Use of Tampons and Diapers, Environmental Health Perspectives 110(1):23-28 | 2002 | Peer-reviewed | DeVito and Schecter performed a screening-level and refined exposure assessment of dioxin (PCDD/PCDF) uptake from tampons and disposable diapers, motivated… |
| 21 | Stringer et al. 2001. Toxic chemicals in a child’s world: an investigation into PVC plastic products, Greenpeace Research Laboratories, University of Exeter (UK); June 2001 | 2001 | NGO report | AT/BR/CA Pb, Cd, Sn occurrence in 54 vinyl-chloride (PVC or vinyl) consumer products purchased in 20 countries (Austria, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Czech Republic,… (n=54) |
| 22 | Berg et al. 1994. Association of Skin Wetness and pH With Diaper Dermatitis, Pediatric Dermatology, Vol. 11 No. 1, March 1994, pages 18-20 | 1994 | Peer-reviewed | Contribution to this topic remains under review; see the source record for its reported scope. |
| 23 | Yamada et al. 1993. Small-Scale Survey of Organotin Compounds in Household Commodities, Journal of AOAC International, Vol. 76, No. 2, pp. 436–441 | 1993 | Peer-reviewed | JP Sn occurrence in 95 commercially available household commodity items purchased between 1990 and 1992 from retail stores in Aichi Prefecture, Japan,… (n=95) |
Update history
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