Toxic metals found in tampons could cause serious health problems

Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health have discovered toxic metals, such as lead, arsenic and cadmium, in both organic and inorganic tampons used during menstruation.

According to Berkeley Public Health reports, researchers studied 30 tampons from 14 brands and found 16 metals that could put women at risk for cardiovascular disease, cancer, infertility and even dementia.

Toxic metals are everywhere and we are “exposed to low levels of them at any given time,” says study co-author Katherine Schilling.

According to lead author Jenny Sherston, given the sensitivity of the vagina and the widespread use of tampons, these products have "significant potential" to pose a real public health concern.

Tests on 30 products purchased in New York, Athens and London found that some contained dangerous levels of 16 metals tested for.

The 16 minerals included arsenic, barium, calcium, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, and iron, along with manganese, mercury, nickel, lead, selenium, strontium, vanadium, and zinc.

The researchers noted that a single tampon could contain all of the above minerals.

The researchers added that the concentrations of metals varied depending on the country. They found that lead was more present in non-organic tampons, while organic tampons contained arsenic.

These metals have been shown to damage internal organs, including the brain, nervous system, and endocrine system. They can also affect maternal health and fetal development, according to Berkeley Public Health reports.

Researchers don't know if these minerals cause harmful effects. More studies will be needed to assess how much is absorbed into the vagina and whether other chemicals are also absorbed into the body. But since the results relate to many women each month, more studies need to be done, and quickly.

“I really hope that manufacturers are required to test their products for metals, especially for toxic metals,” Sherston told Berkeley. “It would be interesting to see a public call for this, or a call for better labeling on tampons and other menstrual products.”

According to the University of California, Berkeley, tampons can absorb minerals during the manufacturing process, or they may be present due to additives like bleach and antibacterial agents.

According to Sherston, they don’t even know if brands are required to assess the toxicity of tampons. But they do know that the vagina has a “greater capacity to absorb chemicals” than our skin. So, given that half the world’s population of women menstruate monthly for years, and more than half of them (52-86%) use tampons for several days, a potential public health concern besides disease is infertility.

Tampons were only invented in 1931 and became widely available in the 1960s, so “their effects may not be fully understood, but metals like arsenic and lead are toxic, and we’re exposed to them more than we’d like. Organics don’t change that. So, regardless of health, keeping toxics out of the body would be the ideal scenario,” the researchers note.

 The full results of the study were published in the journal Science Direct.