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Blood drips steadily. A wave of cold anxiety roars. It’s that time of the month. Roughly four billion people have experienced or will experience menstruation—the shedding of the uterine lining, which is a layer of tissue that lines the uterus. Each month, the ovaries release an egg. If this egg is not fertilized, the uterine lining is discharged through the vaginal opening as menstrual blood. To manage this process, menstruators have several options available to prevent leakage, such as sanitary napkins (pads), panty liners, or cups. The most popular choice in the US, used by forty-seven percent of women, is the tampon—an absorbent cylindrical device inserted into the vagina to collect menstrual blood. Despite their widespread use, little is known about the trace chemicals tampons may contain. In a recent study, researchers at Columbia University, University of California, Berkeley, and Michigan State University discovered that tampons can contain toxic metals and metalloids.
The team of scientists, led by Jenni Shearston, a postdoctoral researcher at UC Berkeley, analyzed a diverse range of tampon types to investigate potential metal contaminants. The study included best-selling brands and store-brand tampons, organic and nonorganic tampons, as well as tampons with and without applicators. Using mass spectrometry, a laboratory technique that measures the chemical composition of a sample by breaking it down into charged particles, Shearston evaluated tampons for trace amounts of sixteen different heavy metals, such as arsenic, cadmium, chromium, mercury, and lead.
To Shearston’s surprise, twelve of the metals tested were found in the tampons, raising serious health concerns. Lead, for example, is a known neurotoxin and carcinogen. Because the vagina and cervix have a high density of blood vessels, metals in tampons quickly enter the bloodstream. Over time, the accumulation of toxic metals, such as lead, in the body could lead to unwanted health consequences, such as immune dysfunction and cancer. Shearston’s team proposed several potential sources for these metals. Organic, plant-based tampons had high levels of arsenic and chromium, likely absorbed from the soil where the raw materials were grown. Additionally, chemical treatments such as bleaching, disinfection, and lubrication, may introduce metals like lead, titanium, or cadmium into the final product.
Although these results are concerning, Shearston emphasized the need for further study before drawing conclusions about whether tampons are unsafe. “I want to urge that it’s not time to throw tampons away or to panic as a result of this study,” Shearston said. “It’s really the tip of the iceberg, and we need to know a lot more before we might make a decision about whether or not we should or shouldn’t use tampons right now.” Regardless, these findings stress the need for more research into menstrual product safety and, eventually, changes in policies surrounding tampons. Currently, the FDA requires that tampon labels include warnings about bacterial infections and absorbency information, but manufacturers may omit ingredient listings. Expanding research efforts and implementing more comprehensive labeling regulations could better inform and protect menstruators from the risks of metal contamination.