Buzz
If you spend enough time on the internet, you’re bound to stumble upon a mention of fart pads. These are not to be confused with fart cushions or classic whoopee cushions. Fart pads are thin charcoal-infused inserts designed to be placed in your underwear. When you release a smelly toot, the charcoal supposedly absorbs the odor, helping preserve your social life or marriage.
But do they actually do what they claim? Turns out, there’s scientific insight on the matter.
A 2005 study published in
In short: they put fart pads to the test.
The method was quite ingenious. Six courageous volunteers had the two sulfide gases introduced into their anuses, then wore “gas-proof Mylar pants” or special scientific flatulence pants over their regular clothes to keep everything contained. Hydrogen was also injected into the anus, as charcoal cannot absorb it. By analyzing the ratio of hydrogen to the sulfide gases, they could determine how well the charcoal pad performed at trapping the gases and their odors.
The participants' regular clothes captured about 5.3 percent of the gases, meaning that your everyday underwear and pants aren’t going to do much to contain a loud fart. (This 5.3 percent was deducted from all test results since normal clothing was used throughout.) Underwear made from activated charcoal fabric captured nearly all gases, while an insert pad filtered between 55 percent and 77 percent.
Pads can have limited success, as not all the gas escaping from the anus will be captured by the pad, according to the researchers.
A previous study from 1998 backs up these findings. In that study, 16 volunteers ate large amounts of beans and lactose, and their fart intensity was measured by judges who sniffed the emissions. A charcoal cushion, which is slightly bulkier than a pad, absorbed over 90 percent of sulfur gases.
The verdict? A charcoal pad in your pants will likely reduce, but not completely get rid of, the odor from your bean-filled meal. It also depends on how much of the pad covers your rear end.
If you’re interested in trying one, Flat-D Innovations sells a 7-inch by 5-inch washable fart pad for $15, available on Amazon.
However, be warned: Pads may help reduce the smell, but they won’t do anything about the sound. No fart filter is completely foolproof when it comes to saving you from the shameful noise.
