Center for Research on Ingredient Safety

What do the headlines say about metals and metalloids in tampons?

• Arsenic, Lead, and Other Toxic Metals Detected in Tampons, U.S. Study Finds

• Arsenic, lead and other toxic metals detected in tampons, study finds

• A study found toxic metals in popular tampon brands. Here's what experts advise

• Tampons have lead in them—what does it mean for your health?

• Tampons contain lead, arsenic and potentially toxic chemicals, studies say. Here's what to know

These are a few headlines of the many stories making their way through our newsfeeds over the past few weeks. While we know metals and metalloids can adversely impact our health at unsafe levels, let's look at how people are exposed to these contaminants and what it may mean for women's health.
 

What are tampons? Are tampons regulated for safety?

Tampons are products used by menstruating people that are primarily made out of cotton and rayon.

In the United States, tampons are regulated as medical devices by the Food and Drug Administration and are required to meet outlined safety standards.

How did researchers find metals and metalloids in tampons? What metals and metalloids did they find?

Researchers examined the materials used to make tampons, primarily cotton and rayon, and tested them to see what metals and metalloids may be present.

Researchers use a combination of an acid solution and microwave radiation to break down fibrous material and release the trace metal(loid)s into a solution for analysis.

They looked at sixteen metal(loid)s to see what may be present in the products, including Arsenic, Barium, Calcium, Cadmium, Cobalt, Chromium, Copper, Iron, Mercury, Manganese, Nickel, Lead, Selenium, Strontium, Vanadium, and Zinc.

Of the sixteen metal(loid)s tested, the researchers primarily focused on three metal(loid)s.

• Lead

• Cadmium

• Arsenic

Researchers also saw elevated levels of two metal(loid)s needed to maintain health when we're exposed to them at normal levels.

• Calcium

• Zinc

Are tampons causing harm? Are tampons safe?  

The metals and metalloids found in tampons were at exceedingly low levels.

When it comes to safety, the human body does not mimic the experimental conditions used in this study. So, it’s unclear if metal(loid)s can be released from the tampon and, if so, what amount of the released metal(loid)s can be absorbed by the body when used as directed.

We could find no documented cases of metal poisoning from the use of commercially available tampons.

All available evidence confirms that tampons are safe when used as intended.

How did these metal and metalloid contaminants get into the tampons?

There are a few possibilities on how the metal(loid) contaminants get into tampons.

Three primary categories of contaminants can affect the materials used to make tampons:

1. Natural: such as naturally-occurring metal(loid)s found in the soil

2. Human-made: such as metal(loid) pollutants in the environment

3. Human-introduced natural contaminant: can describe metal(loid)s or other elements like arsenic, an ingredient farmers regularly used as a natural pesticide in apple orchards decades ago but can still be found in some soils and can make their way onto or in plants and water.

Metal(loid)s could make their way into tampons in a number of ways, including:

• in nature from the natural growing process.

• from farming methods used to grow and harvest the material.

• during the processing and manufacturing of the products.

Based on the available information in the paper, it appears that the metals and metalloids detected in the tampons may naturally occur from the plants (e.g., cotton) up taking metal(loid)s found in the soil and then those plant fibers were used to manufacture tampons.

The paper's authors suggest this because of the presence of similar metal(loid)s levels in textiles made from the same materials.

Why do crops, like cotton plants, absorb metal(loid)s?

Crops grow in soil, are exposed to air, and need water to thrive. Since soil, air, and water naturally contain metal(loid)s, the crops are exposed to metal(loid)s, and the crop takes up the metal(loid)s during the growing process.

Some crops are more prone to absorbing specific metals and metalloids than other plants. For example, rice naturally absorbs more arsenic, lettuce and onions accumulate lead more readily, and spinach and carrots accumulate cadmium more easily (1,2).

Cotton, one of the main materials in tampons, is known to uptake many different metal(loid)s, including those found in the study.  

Is it possible to eliminate all metals and metalloids from tampons? Do all metals and metalloids need to be removed from tampons?

Unless the plants are grown in wholly controlled environments (e.g., aeroponically, hydroponically, etc.), it's impossible to eliminate the metal(loid)s. However, growers and manufacturers can and do mitigate risks.

That said, there are currently no documented adverse health effects from metals and metalloids in tampons.

Remember, the presence of a hazard does not necessarily mean there is a risk (1).

Metals and metalloids might be present but at levels so low or through exposure routes that don't cause harm.

Can I do anything to ensure that my tampons exceed the current safety levels set by the FDA?

While there have been no known adverse health events caused by metal(loid)s in tampons, some manufacturers ensure their textile materials (e.g., cotton, rayon) are third-party certified for additional safety by meeting OEKO-TEX certification requirements.

While this doesn't change tampons' known safety profile (they’re safe when used as directed), it can give people additional peace of mind.

The good news.

The levels of metal(loid)s detected in these products are not known to cause harm at these exposures. Additionally, women have used tampons at a population scale for decades, with no known adverse health effects caused by metal(loid)s.  

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