A recent study finding lead and other metals in tampons has raised concern on social media. However, there is not yet convincing evidence showing that these metals in this context pose any real health concern.
You could certainly use one of many available alternative menstrual products until more information is available if the possibility of heavy metal exposure is concerning to you.
Between 52-86% of people who menstruate in the United States use tampons. This can add up to more than 7,400 tampons over the course of a person’s reproductive years. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifies tampons as medical devices and regulates their safety, but there is no requirement to test tampons for chemical contaminants. Until recently, no studies had measured metals in tampons.
A recently published study evaluated the concentration of 16 metals in tampons across 14 different brands and 18 different product lines. These metals included arsenic, barium, calcium, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, manganese, mercury, nickel, lead, selenium, strontium, vanadium, and zinc. The tampon brand and product line names were not disclosed, but they were listed as “top sellers” by a major online retailer and bought at stores in New York City, London, and Athens.
Using a process called microwave-acid digestion (heating small samples of tampons in acid), researchers found measurable concentrations of all 16 metals assessed, including several “toxic” metals (lead, cadmium, and arsenic) defined as having no “safe” exposure level.
Despite these concerning findings, the study had limitations including:
1. The researchers had to boil the tampons in acid to extract the metals– a scenario that does not closely resemble the vaginal environment (thankfully!).
2. The study didn’t evaluate whether the metals can be absorbed by the body and enter the bloodstream at levels that affect human health.
3. The sample size (only 30 different tampons, 2 samples per tampon) was not large enough to show that all tampons contain heavy metals, or which kinds of tampons may be preferable.
Implications:
The potential for heavy metal poisoning from sources like paint, batteries, cigarette smoke, and pesticides is well-documented, including symptoms like damaging the cardiovascular, nervous, and endocrine systems; damaging the liver, kidneys, and brain; increasing the risk of dementia and cancer; and harming maternal health and fetal development. However, this typically requires absorption of relatively high concentrations of metals. Some of the metals measured in the study are not toxic at low levels and some, such as iron and manganese, are even necessary to human health. On the other hand, even small concentrations of lead can be harmful, but this study doesn’t speak to what amounts of metal can be absorbed from tampons.
To put this into context, products like green and black teas, have more arsenic compared to any single tampon measured in this study, and these are directly ingested. As framed by Dr. Jen Gunter in her newsletter the Vajenda , “If someone uses three super tampons a day, using the tampon with the highest (metal) levels, then they would be just over the lead allowed in a single 500 ml bottle of water.” In fact, 75% of tampons contained less than half of the amount allowed in a bottle of water. It would be hard to use enough tampons to add up to a harmful amount if it is possible to absorb these metals in this way.
What happens now?
This exploratory study has prompted follow-up by the FDA. The FDA’s lab will measure the amount of metals that are released from tampons under conditions that resemble normal use more closely. This will help researchers understand whether metals are absorbed into the vaginal lining and into the bloodstream during tampon use. Another study will review current research regarding the potential health effects of these metals.
Whether it is period underwear, GMO foods, sunscreen , or even Diet Coke, scary headlines about everyday products are common in the news and on social media. It’s natural to have concerns when you read these headlines. But often the headlines don’t match the conclusions reached by scientists. In this case, the study couldn’t say anything about whether these metals posed a health risk or not.
In the meantime, it’s reasonable to choose to continue using tampons if that’s what works best for you. Those Nerdy Girls will update you as new science emerges.
Why we shouldn’t worry:
Slate – You Don’t Have to Worry About Toxic Metals in Your Tampons
The Vajenda – Don’t Panic about Lead in Tampons
WebMD – FDA response – https://tinyurl.com/4pkwmcwn
