More than 34 million women use tampons in the United States, yet scientific research into the composition of this type of sanitary protection is extremely rare. For the first time, a study by the prestigious University of California, Berkeley, published in early July in the journal Environment International, has revealed the presence of over 16 metals in these period protection products. Notably, even organic cotton tampons contained higher concentrations of arsenic compared to their conventional counterparts.

Of the 14 brands analyzed, on sale in the US, United Kingdom and Greece, the scientists detected arsenic, cadmium, chromium, zinc and lead. Jenni A. Shearston, one of the study’s authors, is most concerned about lead, as it was found in all the tampons tested. She emphasized that “there’s no safe level of exposure to lead.”

The quantities measured (120 nanograms per gram) are “alarming,” said the epidemiologist, who is continuing her research to demonstrate the exact health effects. “We don’t know if the lead can actually leach out of the tampon and be absorbed by the body,” she explained.

The scientist chose to study tampons first, because “the skin of the vagina has different characteristics than skin on other parts of the body, which can make it a more efficient absorber of substances.” Shearston pointed out that if lead is present in the body, it attacks the neurological system and can cause or aggravate mental illness.

Mysterious contamination

Other toxic metals found by scientists can increase the risk of cancer and diabetes by damaging the liver, kidneys and cardiovascular system. These substances can also cause infertility problems. To date, however, Shearston has not established a link between exposure to these metals and toxic shock syndrome, a very rare but potentially fatal disease. To avoid this, it is recommended not to wear a tampon or menstrual cup for more than six hours at a time.

In France and the European Union, intimate protection products are not classified as medical devices, unlike in Canada, Japan and the US. In the latter country, their marketing has even been regulated since the late 1970s. Yet even in the US, it’s hard to know how these substances ended up in tampons.

Shearston nevertheless puts forward several hypotheses. Cotton fields may be contaminated if they are located near a place that diffuses metals into the air, such as a freeway or a lead smelter. Cotton fields may be contaminated if they are located near a place that diffuses metals into the air, such as a freeway or a lead smelter. Certain fertilizers containing these potentially toxic elements can also absorb these elements from the soil.

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