A recent study detected a number of metals in many types of tampons. Experts weigh in on the findings and what they could mean for your health.
A new study about tampons has sparked concern among consumers. The research, published in the journal Environment International, found evidence of 16 different metals in a wide range of tampons sold in the United States and Europe.
In the days since news of the study came out, women have taken to social media to express their alarm about the findings. “Soo nice of them to let us know they found LEAD & ARSENIC in our tampons 20 years after I started my period,” one TikTok user posted.
But while these findings can sound scary, several experts, including one of the scientists who led the research, said they are not a reason to panic, nor to immediately stop using tampons.
Levels of the toxic chemicals detected, including arsenic and lead, were very low, and two prior studies by the same group of researchers did not find significantly higher blood levels of the metals in women who use tampons compared with those who don’t.
“There’s small amounts of these metals found, really, everywhere,” said Dr. Bethany Samuelson Bannow, an associate professor of medicine specializing in hematology at Oregon Health and Science University, who was not involved in the study. “I would actually be less concerned about having these metals in tampons than I would about having them in food or water.”
Here’s what to know about the research and what it might mean for your health.
What the study found
The researchers analyzed 30 tampons from 14 different brands for arsenic, barium, calcium, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, manganese, mercury, nickel, lead, selenium, strontium, vanadium and zinc.