Tampons may have ‘toxic levels’ of lead and arsenic in them, study warns

Tampons sold nether various celebrated brands whitethorn incorporate toxic metals specified arsenic arsenic and lead, according to a caller study retired of nan University of Berkeley successful California.

The study, published successful nan latest measurement of Environmental International, recovered that each 30 tampons tested from 14 brands — including integrated tampons — contained lead, pinch immoderate showing concerning levels of different toxic metals for illustration arsenic.

“We selected respective different products and tested them for a sheet of 16 different metals. And we recovered concentrations of each azygous 1 of nan metals we tested. For immoderate of nan metals, for illustration lead, which is toxic, we recovered a beingness successful each azygous 1 of nan tampons we tested. So we recovered a batch of metals,” said lead writer Jenni Shearston, a postdoctoral student astatine nan UC Berkeley School of Public Health.

But contempt nan ample imaginable for nationalist wellness concern, she told Global News, very small investigation has been done to measurement chemicals successful tampons.

Menstruators whitethorn usage much than 7,400 tampons complete their reproductive years, pinch each tampon being retained successful nan pussy for respective hours, nan study said. They are typically made from cotton, rayon, aliases a blend of some materials.

In Canada, tampons are regulated arsenic aesculapian devices by Health Canada. The wellness regulator’s website states it “makes judge that nan tampons sold successful Canada are safe, effective, and of precocious value based connected requirements for licensing, value manufacture, and post-market surveillance.”

The study raises concerns that those existent regulations whitethorn not beryllium enough.

Tampons are of peculiar interest arsenic a imaginable root of vulnerability to chemicals, including metals, because nan tegument of nan pussy has a higher imaginable for chemic absorption than tegument elsewhere connected nan body, according to nan study.

“A batch of nan metals that they found, we people person successful our body, our assemblage people uses for various things,” explained Dr. Eboni January, a U.S.-based obstetrician-gynecologist.

“However, erstwhile it’s astatine toxic levels, that is of astir interest to me. Lead was recovered successful beautiful overmuch each tampon and lead is not safe astatine immoderate level,” she told Global News.

Metals person been recovered to increase nan risk of dementia, infertility, glucosuria and cancer. They tin harm nan liver, kidneys, brain, and cardiovascular, tense and endocrine systems.

“Arsenic is simply a known carcinogen, period,” January said. “It tin origin lung cancer, tegument cancer, bladder crab and fertility issues.”

She added that she believes nan study was good done and hopes much investigation connected nan taxable will follow.

The researchers evaluated levels of 16 metals (arsenic, barium, calcium, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, manganese, mercury, nickel, lead, selenium, strontium, vanadium and zinc) successful 30 tampons from 14 brands crossed nan United States and Europe.

They purchased nan tampons betwixt September 2022 and March 2023 from stores successful nan U.S., nan United Kingdom and Spain and 2 awesome online retailers.

The researchers did not specify which brands they examined, but Shearston said they selected some name-brand and store-brand products that were much popular.

Metal concentrations varied depending connected nan state wherever purchased, whether nan tampons were integrated aliases non-organic and whether they were store-brand aliases name-brand.

But location was 1 communal facet nary matter what type of tampon aliases wherever it was purchased: metallic was recovered successful each tampon sample.

“What’s really important is nan consistency of our results, nan truth that we recovered metals successful everything that we tested, sloppy of what its marque was aliases characteristics of nan product,” Shearston said.

Lead concentrations were higher successful non-organic tampons but arsenic was higher successful integrated tampons.

Several toxic metals were detectable successful each tampon samples, including arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead and vanadium. Among these, lead had nan highest concentration.

January is not judge why zinc and cadmium were commonly seen together, but speculates it whitethorn beryllium for hygiene purposes.

“Zinc is antimicrobial. Maybe they were putting it successful location from an antimicrobial standpoint. And those 2 mixed (zinc and cadmium) really helped to forestall bacteria,” she said.

Metals tin make their measurement into tampons successful respective ways, Shearston said.

“One of them is that cotton, for example, is simply a beautiful decent accumulator of metals. So it could sorb metals that mightiness beryllium people coming successful ungraded aliases h2o mightiness sorb metals from fertilizer. So that’s 1 measurement that immoderate metals could get into immoderate of these products,” she said.

“Also, if it happens that nan earthy material, for illustration cotton, is grown adjacent a contamination source, for example, adjacent a roadworthy aliases adjacent a lead smelter, immoderate of nan metals from those contamination sources mightiness float down and onshore connected nan cotton.”

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She noted that it’s besides imaginable these metals are being added during nan manufacturing process, arsenic either an antimicrobial agent, a pigment aliases a whitener.

Because of this, nan authors statement that they dream manufacturers of tampons are required to trial their products for toxic metals.

Global News reached retired to Tampax shaper Procter & Gamble and O.B. tampon proprietor Edgewell Personal Care for remark connected nan study, but neither institution responded by nan clip of publication.

The study recovered lead successful each nan tampons tested, but a cardinal mobility remains unanswered: tin these metals beryllium absorbed into nan body?

“We don’t cognize if nan lead tin really travel retired of nan tampon and beryllium absorbed into nan body. So while we are uncovering these metals coming successful nan tampon, we can’t opportunity if it’s contributing to immoderate wellness effect astatine this point,” Shearston said.

She emphasized nan request for further investigation owed to nan wide usage of tampons.

While nan nonstop effects of these metals stay unclear, January pointed retired a concerning factor: nan vagina’s absorbency.

“The pussy is very vascular,” she explained. “So it’s not level for illustration skin. It has folds essentially. And truthful what that does is it increases nan aboveground area, and based connected nan type of compartment furniture that it is, there’s higher consequence for things to beryllium absorbed successful nan vagina.”

She utilized nan illustration of toxic daze syndrome, which occurs erstwhile definite toxins from germs tin beryllium absorbed into nan bloodstream done nan highly absorptive vaginal walls, often associated pinch nan usage of tampons.

“With nan pussy being arsenic absorptive arsenic it is, nan arsenic successful these tampons, that was concerning to maine arsenic an ob-gyn,” January said. “Women commencement their periods astatine nan mean property of 12. Menopause mean property is 51. So these women person utilized a ton of tampons. This is chronic exposure.”

There’s nary request to panic and propulsion retired your tampons conscionable yet, but this uncovering highlights nan value of ongoing investigation successful women’s wellness products, Shearston said.

While nan study identified nan beingness of metals successful tampons, it emphasized nan request for further investigation to find whether and to what grade these metals are absorbed by nan assemblage and airs imaginable wellness risks.

January suggested discussing immoderate concerns pinch your expert regarding nan materials that whitethorn beryllium coming successful your tampons.

“But we do person different options,” she added. “You person nan menstrual cups, you person nan disc, you person nan reusable pads arsenic well. So do your homework, amended yourself, scope retired to nan manufacturers and inquire them to beryllium transparent.”