Scientists have issued a warning after finding toxic heavy metals in dozens of mainstream tampon products. In particular, lead was detected in all products tested, raising concerns about the impacts of this exposure on women's health.
Tampons are used by between 52 to 86 percent of menstruators in the U.S., with the average woman using thousands of tampons throughout their reproductive years. Not only that, but tampons spend long periods of time in contact with the delicate skin of the vagina, which is more absorptive than other tissues in the body. As a result, any contaminants in the tampons have a higher chance of entering our bloodstream.
"There has been a historical taboo around menstruation and periods, and this doesn't just impact us socially, it has also contributed to a lack of scientific research in these areas," Jenni Shearston, a postdoctoral scholar at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health and UC Berkeley's Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, who led the study, told Newsweek.
"Despite this large potential for public health concern, very little research has been done to measure chemicals in tampons."
In their study, published in the journal Environment International, Shearston and colleagues from Berkeley and Columbia University evaluated the levels of 16 heavy metals in 30 tampons from 14 different brands. They included tampons with different absorbencies, as well as organic vs, non-organic, EU/U.K. vs. U.S., and whether it included a plastic applicator.
In total, heavy metals were found across all tampon types and brands, including detectable levels of lead.
"There is no safe exposure level to lead," the researchers wrote. "Any proportion of lead that may leach out of a tampon and reach systemic circulation might contribute to negative health outcomes."
Lead is a naturally occurring toxic metal that can replace the calcium in our bones and teeth and can be stored in our body for decades after the initial exposure. Over time, this heavy metal can accumulate and may be released back into our blood.
The metal has been associated with a range of neurological and cardiovascular conditions, as well as problems with our kidneys, our blood, our immune system and our reproductive health.
"Of particular note, even low-level exposure to lead can result in neurobehavioral impacts in adults and children, including decreased cognitive function such as impaired attention, memory, and learning ability," the researchers wrote.
However, immunologist, microbiologist and science communicator, Andrea Love, cautioned that it is important we put these findings into context. "The levels of these substances, including lead, are well below levels that would be viewed as a health risk. Indeed, the regulatory thresholds for lead in foods, water, cannabis products, clothing/textiles (also made from cotton) are substantially higher than the levels measured in these tampons," Love told Newsweek.
Of all the tampons included in the study, the highest levels of lead were found in non-organic tampons, those with plastic applicators, and those with higher absorbencies.
However, it is unclear whether any of these metals are actually absorbed in the vagina. "We cannot yet say if people need to protect themselves from metals in tampons," Shearston said. "We do not yet know if metals can leach out of the tampon and whether they are absorbed by the body [...] We definitely need more research on this severely understudied area, especially because millions of people could be affected."
Love added: "The only conclusion that can be made is that plant materials, like cotton, contain levels of these metals that are found in soils, which is not a surprise at all. The study did not assess any potential real-world situations: it did not assess if these detected substances were able to leave the tampon material in a physiological condition, and it did not assess any possibility of absorption by vaginal mucosa."
While Love said that more research in this area should "absolutely be conducted," you don't need to throw away all your tampons just yet. "This study should not give anyone pause about using tampons if that is their preferred method," she said.
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Update 07/28/24, 2:34 p.m. ET: This article was updated to include comment from Andrea Love.
About the writer
Pandora Dewan is a Senior Science Reporter at Newsweek based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on science, health ... Read more
