“It’s crazy this has just come up now”; Toxic metals in tampons causing health concerns

A new research study is making its way across social media, sparking a conversation about the safety of tampons.

A first-of-its kind study looked into the presence of metals and found trace amounts of more than a dozen metals in 14 different brands.

Florida Gulf Coast University students were scrolling TikTok when they learned about the toxic metals found in their feminine products. It sounded scary to Avery Larson.

They don’t know whether or not it actually goes into the body or what the levels might be. Christina Dzioba, FGCU Assistant professor, College of Nursing

“It impacts the use of tampons further on because we don’t know what’s in them. And it’s crazy that this has just come up now,” said Larson.

Her friend, Florcie Jean, shared her alarm. “I also saw like a whole bunch of slideshows on TikTok of people saying like, ‘Oh, like this brand was higher and like this brand was lower.’ “

There is no truth to that. This was a blind study; even researchers didn’t know the brands.

Published in July by Environmental International, 30 types of tampons from 14 popular brands—including organic ones—purchased at major retailers in the U.S. were tested. The results yielded 16 different metals, among them mercury, arsenic and lead. This creates concern because tampons are an important and popular part of feminine hygiene.

Full list of metals:

-Arsenic

-Barium

-Calcium

-Cadmium

-Cobalt

-Chromium

-Copper

-Iron

-Lead

-Manganese

-Mercury

-Nickel

-Selenium

-Strontium

-Vanadium

-Zinc

The modern tampon was patented back in 1931, and its premise remains the same: to pull moisture away from the body. Today, up to 80% of menstruating women use them.

WINK News health and medical reporter Amy Oshier shared the study with FGCU assistant professor Christina Dzioba. Dzioba offers a unique perspective. “I was an engineer before I was a nurse. And one of the things that I did was feminine care products.”

This makes her intimately familiar with tampon design. “Tampons are going to be some kind of cotton, or rayon that is absorbent. They’re usually kind of encased in a material like a spun cotton or something that holds it together,” Dzioba said. “And then there’s a cord that goes into them; they can have all kinds of different materials that help with wicking.”

Dzioba said it’s likely the metals, which are naturally occurring, come from the cotton.

“The roots of the plant take it up. The same way that we get our nutrients in our food is the same way that it’s going to end up probably getting into the products that we’re using.”

Some of these metals, the mercury, arsenic and lead are considered toxic. There is concern they can disrupt hormones, and the chemicals are linked to dementia, cancer and other health issues.

“It’s very low levels that they found. They don’t know whether or not it actually goes into the body or what the levels might be,” Dzioba said. “But it is a very small amount compared to what we think of as an acceptable level overall.”

For now, women everywhere are wondering whether they should toss their tampons.

“I would want to learn more about it because definitely cause for concern,” Larson said.

More research needs to be done to find out if these metals are absorbed into the body.

WINK News reached out Procter & Gamble, the maker of Tampax, to see if they were part of the study or could offer insights. We did not hear back.

Click here to read the study.