Toxic Tampon Warning As Arsenic and Lead Found in Common Menstrual Products
Tampons from several popular brands, used by potentially millions of people each month, have been found to contain toxic metals including lead, arsenic and cadmium, according to new research .
The study, led by a University of California , Berkeley researcher, evaluated levels of 16 metals in 30 tampons from 14 different brands.
Their concentrations in the menstrual products varied based on several factors, including where they were purchased—the U.S. or EU/U.K.—whether the tampons were organic or not and whether they were a store- or name-brand.
However, all types contained detectable levels of metals , with no single category consistently showing lower concentrations across all or most metals.
Specifically, nonorganic tampons had higher levels of lead, while organic tampons contained higher levels of arsenic.
"Despite this large potential for public health concern, very little research has been done to measure chemicals in tampons," said Jenni Shearston, a postdoctoral scholar at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health and UC Berkeley's Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, said in a statement.
"To our knowledge, this is the first paper to measure metals in tampons. Concerningly, we found concentrations of all metals we tested for, including toxic metals like arsenic and lead."
The 16 metals analyzed in the tampons were arsenic, barium, calcium, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, manganese, mercury, nickel, lead, selenium, strontium, vanadium and zinc.
These could make their way into tampons a number of ways. The cotton material could have absorbed the metals from water , air, soil or through a nearby contaminant, for example if a cotton field was near a lead smelter.
In addition, some metals might be added intentionally during manufacturing as part of a pigment, whitener, antibacterial agent or some other process in the factory producing the products.
Tampons are of particular concern as a potential source of exposure to chemicals, including metals, as the skin of the vagina has a higher potential for chemical absorption than skin elsewhere on the body, the study said.
In addition, the products are used by a large percentage of the population on a monthly basis—with 50–80 percent of women using tampons for several hours at a time.
Metals have been linked to an increased risk of dementia, infertility, diabetes and cancer. They can cause damage to the liver, kidneys, brain, cardiovascular system, nervous system and endocrine system. Additionally, metals can adversely affect maternal health and fetal development.
"Although toxic metals are ubiquitous and we are exposed to low levels at any given time, our study clearly shows that metals are also present in menstrual products, and that women might be at higher risk for exposure using these products," said study co-author Kathrin Schilling, assistant professor at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, in a statement.
"I really hope that manufacturers are required to test their products for metals, especially for toxic metals. It would be exciting to see the public call for this, or to ask for better labeling on tampons and other menstrual products."
It is currently unclear if the metals detected by this study contribute to any negative health effects. The researchers plan to conduct further analysis to test how much of these metals can leach out of the tampons and be absorbed by the body; as well as measuring the presence of other chemicals in tampons.
