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A new algae-based menstrual pad could stop leaks

The prototype turns period blood into a gel

Stock photo of a person who menstruates sitting down, unpacking a period pad.

Menstrual blood can be unpredictable, and it can often easily leak through commercially available products.

Johner Images/Getty Images

By Claire Yuan

Menstruation can be messy and uncomfortable, often due to leaky pads, tampons and cups. A new alginate-based powder may solve that problem. The material, which solidifies menstrual blood by turning it into a gel mixture, could reduce leakage in period products without compromising capacity, researchers report July 10 in Matter.

“Our paper is a proof of concept,” says Rogério Aparecido Bataglioli, a chemical engineer at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg.