A world-first study has found that sanitary products used by millions of women yearly can contain concerning levels of toxic metals, including arsenic, lead, and cadmium.
The study, which is the first to measure toxic metals in tampons, was conducted by scientists from the University of Berkeley, California and Colombia University.
Tampons are of particular concern as a potential source of exposure to chemicals, including metals, because the skin of the vagina has a higher potential to absorb chemicals than anywhere else on the body, researchers explained. Additionally, the products, often used monthly – by roughly 50 to per cent of women who menstruate – are used for several hours at a time.
In the study, researchers evaluated levels of 16 metals (arsenic, barium, calcium, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, manganese, mercury, nickel, lead, selenium, strontium, vanadium, and zinc) in 30 tampons from 14 different brands. Concentrations of metals varied by where the tampons were purchased (in the EU/UK versus the US), whether they were organic or non-organic, or store versus name-brand.
However, the research discovered that metals were present in all types of tampons, and that no category had consistently lower concentrations of all or most metals. Lead concentrations were higher in non-organic tampons while arsenic was higher in organic tampons.
Lead author Jenni A. Shearson said that despite the large potential for public health concern, very little research has been done to measure chemicals in tampons. The postdoctoral scholar at UC Berkeley School of Public Health and UC Berkeley’s Department of Environmental Science, Policy, & Management commented: “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.”
Co-author of the study, Kathrin Schilling, an assistant professor at Colombia University Mailman School of Public Health said that women may be at higher risk due to exposure.
“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,” Schilling said.
Metals have been found to increase the risk of dementia, infertility, diabetes, and cancer. They can also cause damage to organs, such as the liver, kidneys and brain, along with nervous, cardiovascular and endocrine systems. Researchers have previously found that metals can harm maternal health and fetal development.
Researchers suspect that metals were making their way into tampons in a range of ways during the manufacturing process. These include being intentionally added during manufacturing as part of a pigment, whitener, antibacterial agent, or some other process in a factory. They also point to the possibility that the cotton material could have absorbed the metals from water, air, soil, through a nearby contaminant (for example, if a cotton field was near a lead smelter).
“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,” Dr Shearston said.