Tampons under scrutiny: Study reveals presence of toxic metals

It might seem that tampons are one of the safest hygiene products people use during menstruation. However, it turns out that their composition can include substances harmful to our health.

In the pages of the magazine Environment International, scientists from the University of California, Berkeley, published the results of research on tampons from 14 popular brands. Experts admitted that heavy metals were found in all of them. Does this mean that using these types of hygiene products is dangerous?

The study's lead author, Jenni A. Shearston, emphasised that until now, there have not been many studies on what exactly is in tampons. This is problematic because the skin around the intimate areas is very delicate and absorbs substances it comes into contact with very well.

Scientists examined as many as 30 types of tampons available in the USA, the United Kingdom, and the European Union. They were looking for substances such as arsenic, barium, calcium, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, manganese, mercury, nickel, lead, selenium, strontium, vanadium, and zinc. Unfortunately, they found the above metals present in all the tested products.

However, it is worth noting that the amount of each substance in the tampons varied. It depended, among other things, on where they were sold, their brand, and what materials they were made from.

It isn't easy to pinpoint one specific reason for the presence of metals in tampons. Metals could have been introduced through water, air, soil, or during production. This does not mean, however, that they should be entirely discarded.

Scientists noted that they could not determine whether the amount of metals found in tampons could negatively impact women's health. Further studies are needed to address this issue.