Environmental problems and health risks with disposable baby diapers: Monitoring of toxic compounds by application of analytical techniques and need of education

Due to the widespread use of disposable diapers in healthy babies as well as children prone to allergies and premature babies with reduced immunity, disposable diapers should only be made of non-toxic and natural ingredients. Unfortunately, disposable diaper manufacturers are reluctant to present their exact chemical composition, claiming that their trade secrets apply. However, several reports show that disposable diapers of well-known brands, “store” brands and “bio” brands may contain a number of toxic compounds. There is very little study focused on the chemical composition of disposable baby diapers. Commonly, diapers may contain different pollutants including polychlorodibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), organically active compounds of ethylene benzene, xylene and toluene, polyacrylates or phthalates. Some of them may be risky for children's health. Only few methodologies are reported for the determination of some groups of compounds that could have a negative impact on the baby's skin condition. These procedures are mainly based on chromatographic separation. Another issue connected with disposable baby diapers is its enormous impact on the environment, starting from the production step, finishing at disposal procedure. Thus, the aim of this review is to present problems connected with disposable baby diapers and its impact on the baby's health and on the environment. One of the important issues in this range is the limited knowledge in society and this aspect is also described. Another topic discussed here is related to the occurrence of toxic compounds in disposable baby diapers. Moreover, the importance of analysis and monitoring of these xenobiotics is reviewed in the article. [Display omitted] •Disposable diapers may contain a number of toxic compounds.•The chemical composition of disposable baby diapers is not well known.•The monitoring of the chemical composition of such diapers should be performed.•Disposable baby diapers have enormous impact on the environment.•The lack of knowledge on the impact of diapers on environment and baby health in society exist.