Is Toilet Paper Toxic? And Other Problems with Toilet Paper

Look, if you told me when I started this blog that I would end up writing a post about the potential toxicity of toilet paper and suggesting alternatives to the mainstream alternatives, I’d have chuckled and moved on with my life. But here we are. 

If you’ve read my other posts, you can probably tell that I’m a bit of a moderate in all areas of my life. “This is important but don’t freak out.” “I try to minimize my use of this but I don’t worry about it too much.” “This may be an issue, but it’s not going to kill you.” Yada yada. So like… toilet paper? Really?

Yes. Toilet paper. Is nothing sacred? There has been a rise in the idea that toilet paper (and every other stinking thing under the sun) is toxic. But is that true? That’s a little complicated so let’s get into it.

One note: this whole discussion really could apply to tissue paper in general, which includes products like tissues and paper towels. I mostly refer to toilet paper and focus on research for that but they’re very similar products. 

Some important presuppositions

Toilet paper may be toxic

What does the evidence actually say about toilet paper and toxicity?

Toilet paper is terrible for the environment

Toilet paper alternatives

Summary / TLDR

A few presuppositions

’d like to take a second to note that this topic involves a few presuppositions that not everybody will agree with anyway. I think if you’re reading this, you’re more likely to be on board, but I still want to point them out.

1) Substances like endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and bleaching chemicals and their by-products are toxic (LINK). I have discussed both of these topics and you can follow the links to read more about this. However, there is research to show that these chemicals in and of themselves are toxic. Now, there is debate about levels of safety, at what concentration negative effects begin, etc. The stance I have come to through my research is that they are toxic in raw form and appear to have toxic effects in their currently utilized forms.

2) The toxicity of these chemicals may not be immediately life threatening but can cause damage nonetheless. When I say these chemicals are toxic, it’s important to note that they aren’t going to cause you to drop dead. (Well… inhaling large quantities of elemental chlorine might… but you catch my drift.) The links between these chemicals and certain negative health outcomes are not certain, but they are likely enough that I, personally, choose to mind them. Additionally, due to my research, I take the stance that the current “safe” levels do not adequately take into account the potential effects of low dose exposure over time.

3) We should reduce our exposure to these chemicals. I do not freak out about these exposures. However, I do think they are important, and I do attempt to reduce them for myself and particularly my children, who are more vulnerable to toxic effects. I’m not an overly cautious person, but my research has led me to be potentially overly cautious in the area of chemical exposure.

4) We should not jump to claims of toxicity when there is not enough evidence to support it. There’s a difference between holding that something may not be the best, and saying that something is toxic. You really do need to pick what you worry about and sift through the information to find what’s garbage.

Now back to toilet paper!

Your toilet paper may be toxic

Okay here’s the thing. The toxic toilet paper conversation is one of those areas where one source came out with a bit of “research” and the media took it and ran with it. In this case, Mamavation, which is essentially just a blog that focuses on reviewing products for toxicity, came out with a “study” that stated they found levels of PFAS or PFAS indicators in a few brands of toilet paper. I’d consider this work more of a consumer report and will call it that from here on.

In their original release, they reported testing 17 brands of toilet paper in an EPA certified lab for indicators of PFAS. Their results were that four of the 17 came back positive for indicators of PFAS. From there, we saw articles pop up across major news networks with headlines like “Toxic ‘forever chemicals’ found in toilet paper around the world.”

This is the same thing that happened when the Environmental Working Group (EWG; whom I love for some purposes but doesn’t always get it right) came out with a study that Cheerios cause cancer. The media went wild with it, especially because of a trial related to the suspect agricultural chemical glyphosate going on at the time. But there were some very major problems with that study and that study wasn’t necessarily corroborated by a lot of other studies on the chemical.

Why am I even talking about this? Because it perfectly highlights how, in both the glyphosate and toilet paper arenas, you can’t just take one source’s word for it. You have to check it against other research as well as consider the interests of stakeholders involved in the group. The EWG advocates for organic farming, which is great! But that means they are going to have a bias when it comes to agricultural chemicals used and they may not be 100% transparent or reliable when it comes to producing balanced literature that examines both sides. 

I will caveat that, though they will claim to be, the other sources of major research are not always (or maybe even usually) unbiased either. A lot of agricultural research is funded by the USDA or “Big Ag” with a vested interest in supporting chemicals that make it easier and cheaper for them to operate. A lot of research has bias. That’s why I always advocate looking at a multitude of sources as well as checking their quality and stakeholder interests.

Okay, but what about toilet paper already?

On the surface, the Mamavation report seems okay. Generally, testing for the presence of something is straightforward. There are correct ways to do it and it’s important that it’s done in a certified lab, but it appears that was likely accomplished here. And the fact of the matter is four of the 17 products did show indicators of PFAS, including Charmin Ultra Soft, which is a major brand! 

But here’s my problem. There are no other studies or reports that analyze this and corroborate the findings. There’s also not been a follow up/repeat of this by Mamavation. There is one other source I’ve been able to find that analyzed both toilet paper and wastewater sludge for PFAS and found toilet paper to contain levels of PFAS, with 6:2 fluorotelomer phosphate diester (6:2 diPAP) being the most prevalent.

Beyond this, I’ve found nothing but people repeating Mamavation’s findings. 

So here’s what I take from this: though toilet paper likely does contain some toxic chemicals, these reports/studies are not enough to verify that “toilet paper is toxic,” especially with the veracity seen by Mamavation. However, even without these studies/reports I would think it possible it contains toxins because of what we know about paper and pulp production, which we talked about in our discussion of TCF vs. ECF and will discuss more in a moment.

So these findings above are not inconsequential, they are just not complete nor enough to say that toilet paper is without a doubt toxic. The Mamavation report is also not nuanced enough to consider concentration levels at all. Additionally, PFAS is difficult to measure. 

What does the research actually say about the toxicity of toilet paper?

As I stated, the Mamavation consumer report did find that four brands of toilet paper contained indicators of PFAS. These brands were Charmin Ultra Soft, Seventh Generation 100% Recycled, Tushy Bamboo, and Who Gives a Crap Bamboo. They also note (especially after they added a few more products they tested due to reader demand) that a majority of the products testing positive for PFAS indicators were bamboo. 

I discussed a little bit about why I don’t love “soft” bamboo products in my post about non-toxic diapers and will do so again in our toilet paper alternatives post, but for now I’ll just leave it at this: any time you want to make something into a fundamentally different form or change its fundamental function (such as making bamboo or a tree soft, flexible, and absorbent), you are going to have to utilize chemicals, sometimes in an intense way, sometimes in a toxic way, and there will likely be residue left from that process. 

Another thing I will talk more about in our toilet paper alternatives post is that recycled paper can carry toxic chemicals since sources of recycled paper include receipts and similar products, which utilize BPA. There are some companies that have made efforts not to use receipt paper in their recycled tissue, which is great.

But when considering just general run of the mill toilet paper, what do we know? Well, one study I briefly mentioned earlier explained that toilet paper does appear to be a significant source of PFAS both in its original form and in wastewater sludge. Though not the only, the highest concentration was found for 6:2 fluorotelomer phosphate diester (6:2 diPAP), which is considered a pretty dangerous PFAS, with decent though not comprehensive evidence that it causes reproductive issues including testicular impairment. That’s significant, but it’s also the only significant piece of evidence that I’ve been able to find. It’s a start but doesn’t stand alone.

One piece of “evidence” I’ve seen floating around in articles discussing how toilet paper is toxic is a case study done where one individual had chronic vulvar irritation and no intervention worked except changing her toilet paper, which in theory is evidence that the toilet paper was causing vulvar irritation. Now, case studies are not bad. In fact, a good number of case studies together can be a great part of compelling research. However, there are no other case studies I could find like this (not to say there aren’t other cases and I certainly saw many comments of people saying they had the same experience) and there isn’t enough other kind of research as well to add credence to this. It’s not nothing, it’s just also not much.

That is the extent of the research on whether toilet paper is toxic or not. As you can see, there’s not much there. Certainly not enough to say, “toilet paper is toxic.” But let’s move onto a slightly different take on the topic.

This angle is similar to the discussion we had about bleaching of wood pulp and other elements in diapers. I’m not going to go into as much detail on that here, but bleaching with elemental chlorine is harmful for a number of reasons, including the byproducts the process produces that both pollute the environment and are toxic for humans. This is why it was discontinued for use in diapers decades ago and why it’s not used for tissue and paper production anymore either. You can check out our TCF vs. ECF post if you want more details on the bleaching processes utilized today.

As for the actual dermal exposure to the toxins involved in paper production, as well as the potential toxicity from the level of dermal exposure, there is evidence that handling of several main paper products likely isn’t a concern and there is not enough evidence to say that it IS a concern. An old report from the EPA states that the levels of dioxins in paper products is so low as not to be a concern but also that they were actively trying to reduce them anyway, especially for environmental pollution purposes. 

However, as we saw in the American Chemical Society paper earlier, there have been instances where toilet paper has been tested for PFAS and came up positive for these substances. Certainly when it breaks down into wastewater and sludge, it releases these PFAS, but, like clothing, it’s difficult to say how much of these PFAS are released from the paper and transferred to your skin. 

There is new evidence that dermal transfer of PFAS specifically in cosmetic products is quite high, with decent amounts entering the skin and even the bloodstream. This is concerning due to the negative impacts seen from PFAS exposure, with rising concern for even small levels of exposure.

However, it’s important to keep in mind that cosmetic products, like lotions, also contain ingredients that are designed to help it absorb into the skin, which may increase the amount of PFAS that absorbs as well, if there is PFAS in the product. The absorption also occurs over a period (in this particular study) of up to 36 hours. 

There’s none of that going on with toilet paper so it remains difficult to say how much PFAS could possibly be transferred in the three seconds it takes to wipe your butt with it. It’s not the same thing and the risk is likely negligible in comparison.

There is one type of paper that may be somewhat more concerning, that being thermal paper, mostly used for receipts. There are quite a few analyses of receipt paper, some with small and some large samples that do find BPA and BPS (a BPA alternative that has raised toxicity concerns of its own). One problem with the use of BPA for thermal paper is that (unlike other plastic products where BPA is polymerized, which is still problematic but reduces the overall level of exposure) it uses free BPA, which means the exposure is at a higher concentration and more susceptible to dermal penetration.

There are several other studies of smaller size that reveal the same prevalence of BPA on thermal paper and some studies that look more at the result of handling thermal paper and the resultant BPA concentrations in the body, showing that those who handle thermal paper more do appear to have more BPA in their bodies.

We do know that BPAs, dioxins, and a variety of other chemicals involved in the paper manufacturing process are toxic and that the industry in general, while it has greatly improved in this regard, is a major source of environmental pollution. The main source of dioxin contamination in humans is actually through consumption of meat, and the meat only accumulate in animals due to their existence in their feed and water, as well as somewhat the existence in the air. So while wiping your butt with toilet paper doesn’t seem likely to cause harm (though it may contain some toxins), the overall issue of paper likely is contributing to toxic exposures and potential negative health associations through other avenues. 

Toilet paper is terrible for the environment

The previous section explains why, even though it’s possible I’d be micro-exposing myself and my family to toxins through use of toilet paper, it’s not likely a significant issue. However, there are massive environmental reasons I’ve alluded to that cause me to limit our use of paper in my house and seek alternatives. Let’s get into that.

This 2019 report from the National Resources Defense Center (NRDC) provides a great, brief, easy to understand overview of the major issue with tissue paper products such as toilet paper, facial tissue, and paper towels. They discuss the insane amount of paper thrown away globally, but highlight the fact that Americans account for 20% of global tissue paper use. They also discuss the impact this has on the earth’s forests, especially the Boreal Forest in Canada, which experiences ecosystem destruction due to mass amounts of deforestation so we can wipe our nose with paper and then throw it away. 

It is important to understand the NRDC has bias in the way they present data because of their personal beliefs and what they advocate for. For instance, they don’t mention at all how a lot of trees for paper purposes come from trees that are planted specifically for that purpose, not from virgin forests. But nonetheless, the report is a good highlight of just how wasteful this industry is. Plus, with all of the markets that utilize wood, we are outpacing what we can plant.

Though you can find specific stats online about exactly how much tissue paper production contributes to deforestation, this statement by Serious, a recycled toilet paper company, explains why these stats may not be completely reliable.

Nonetheless, it does appear that tissue paper production accounts for a significant amount of deforestation, varying by forest and region. What you’ll see a lot is 15% of deforestation, but that’s likely a lot lower in some forests and maybe higher in other forests. Either way, we can look at the total amount of global tissue use, estimated at about 41 million tons per year by some and expected to grow every year, and see that it obviously contributes to deforestation. 

I won’t get into it here, because at this point I don’t focus on environmental issues too much where it doesn’t impact personal health. While I do think environmental issues impact personal health, it’s a bit too broad for what I’m trying to accomplish at this time and not as salient. 

Nevertheless, if you’ve read any science, you probably understand that we should be concerned about the levels of deforestation, habitat loss, and other issues related to our mass waste problem. 

The final thing I’ll say on this is that, though toxic chemicals may not transfer to your skin when you use tissue paper, they do enter our wastewater and other parts of our environment through our waste management systems. This causes immense damage to our ecosystems and animals, especially our aquatic systems, as well as significant health risks for most people, especially those living near pulp and paper plants that will have higher concentrations of these toxins in their environment.

Finally, even just the materials used in producing these products have detrimental impact on our environment and thereby our health, though this has improved somewhat over the last couple decades.

Toilet paper alternatives

This is going to have to be a teaser for a separate post because this post is getting a lot longer than I expected when I started it. 

I know, most people are going to go buy their Cottonelle or their Charmin or their cheap 1-ply no matter what I or anyone else says. If that’s you, do your thing, I know I can’t convince you. However, if you care about potential minute chemical exposure, you may want to consider an alternative. If you’re like me and find this argument somewhat lacking but you care about the environment (and all the cascading impacts of our waste production and management on our health and the health of our planet), then I would especially urge you to consider an alternative.

It can take some time to wrap your head around making a change like this, and it may not always be as “convenient,” but convenience is most of what has gotten us into our environmental and health mess anyway… And you may be surprised that you really like this swap. 

In my upcoming post on toilet paper alternatives I will discuss actual toilet paper alternatives (such as recycled, bamboo, or slightly less destructive paper) and all their pros and cons as well as the infamous bidet! I will also discuss the very easy swap of hand sized cloths for ladies to take care of just urination wiping and the massive positive impact that can have.

Summary / TLDR

Contrary to what you’ll see splashed across the internet, no, toilet paper is probably not toxic. If it is toxic, it’s so minutely so that it’s not likely to be an issue. If you’re not convinced of that and are still somewhat concerned about it, I’d say fine, but there are so many other much more likely exposures, like through diet, to toxic chemicals that you can work on reducing before looking at your tissue paper.

However, I would still advocate for reducing your use of toilet paper (and tissues and paper towels) due to the impact these products have on our environment. I know they’re so incredibly convenient and we are used to having them available, but they’re simply unnecessary. 

Cutting down on driving can be difficult. You have to go to work and you don’t always have the best options about how far away that is. But tissue paper? You can use a cloth… You can use a cloth to wipe your butt (even if you only wipe for pee and not for feces), you can blow your nose with a t-shirt, hankie, or cloth, and you can wipe the counter with a regular kitchen towel. 

These changes are not difficult and collectively they could make a massive impact on the waste we contribute to our planet, the pollution and thus negative health impacts we receive from that, and protect valuable forests that keep our air healthier. I know most people aren’t likely to make changes like these… I have a lot of opinions on that and, though I would love to see it, I don’t really begrudge people their personal choices. 

I do, however, think it’s a little silly to be worried about the toxins contaminating our soil, food, and so on, and continuing to utilize the products that are causing this… But anyway. 

Toilet paper is probably not toxic, though it may contain trace amounts of PFAS or other EDCs that may or may not be absorbed dermally.

If you are interested in exploring some alternatives, check out our follow up post on toilet paper alternatives.

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