Tampons have been found to contain concerning levels of toxic metals such as lead, arsenic, and cadmium, a new study warns.
The study, published in the journal Environment International, was conducted on 30 unique tampons from 14 different “top-selling” brands across Europe and the US. The researchers assessed the products for 16 different metals, including lead, arsenic, nickel, mercury, and zinc.
Measurable concentrations of all 16 metals “in at least one sampled tampon” were found.
They found the metals were present whether bought in the US or EU/UK, and no category had consistently lower concentrations of most of the metals.
“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,” the study’s co-author, Kathrin Schilling, said.
According to previous studies, the exposure to toxic metals like lead and arsenic, is linked to a wide range of health conditions, including dementia, infertility, diabetes, and cancer, and also damage to organs, including the liver, kidneys, and brain.
Researchers say the findings are particularly concerning as the skin of the vagina has a higher potential for absorbing chemicals than skin in other parts of the body.
“Despite this large potential for public health concern, very little research has been done to measure chemicals in tampons,” the study’s lead author, Jenni Shearston, said.
“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.”
Researchers believe that metals could have entered the tampons in a number of ways during the manufacturing process. Some of these may be from intentional addition as part of a pigment, whitener, antibacterial agent, or some other process in the factory.
The cotton material could also be absorbing harmful metals from water, air, soil, or a nearby contaminant.
Currently, manufacturers are not required to test their products for the presence of metals.
“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 labelling on tampons and other menstrual products,” Dr Shearston added.
Which brands were found to contain metals?
Unfortunately, the names of the brands in the study could not be shared. But every tampon that was tested contained some amount of lead.
Very little is known about how dangerous the amount of metal found in tampons is.
Dr Shearston told Fast Company that “we do not yet know if metals can leach out of the tampon and whether they are absorbed by the body. We therefore cannot yet assess to what extent (if any) metals in tampons contribute to any health problems”.
Some experts also question the extent of harm metals found in tampons can cause.
Professor Atholl Johnston, a professor emeritus of clinical pharmacology at Queen Mary, University of London, told MailOnline: “I don’t doubt the research findings, but I do doubt the bioavailability of the metals found in the tampons.
“Prior to analysis, the tampons were cut up and then the researchers added 2 mL of 67-70 per cent nitric acid (HNO3) to each sample and pre-digested the tampons at room temperature overnight before microwave-assisted acid digestion.
“Hardly a similar environment to the average vagina.”
Safer alternatives to tampons
Unlike standard pads, cloth pads can be put in your underwear to absorb the fluid but can also be washed and reused, unlike standard pads, which are thrown away after use.
“Period pants” are just like normal underwear but they contain extra material to absorb menstrual fluid.
Menstrual cups are typically shaped like bells or bowls and are generally made of rubber, silicone or latex. Instead of absorbing your flow like a pad or tampon, menstrual cups catch and collect menstrual fluid.
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