A study published in Environment International journal this month revealed toxic metals in numerous top-selling tampon brands.
Several toxic materials, including lead, cadmium and arsenic, were found in all 30 tampons tested, a range made up of 14 tampon brands and 18 product lines available in the U.S., UK and Europe. This is the first time these products have been tested for metals and metalloids, according to the report.
The metals researchers looked for are considered harmful. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), lead exposure is especially dangerous to children and women of reproductive age, which overtime is linked to damage of the kidneys and nervous system. The inorganic compounds found in arsenic, found in building products and contaminated water, have been linked to cancer, while organic arsenic, which can be found in some foods, is considered less toxic, according to the American Cancer Society.
Researchers say that name brand, store brand, organic and nonorganic all contained metals, which Kristen Upson, assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Michigan State University, and co-author of the study said could be an issue.
“While the concentrations of some metals were low, we have to remember that there are no safe levels of exposure to toxic metals, including lead,” Upson told MSU Today. “Going into this research, I was curious to see if there would be a tampon product that was consistently lower in metal content. However, we found metal concentrations across the board in all the tampons we tested.”
According to the study, lead concentrations were higher in non-organic tampons, but arsenic levels were higher in organic options. In one unnamed tampon, researchers found all 16 metals tested.
Some are jumping in to say that recent articles are misleading.
“There are so many click-bait, fear-filled headlines about lead and other metals in tampons. Remember, scaring women about vagin*l health is highly profitable,” OB-GYN and author of “Blood: the Science, Medicine and Mythology of Menstruation.” Dr. Jennifer Gunter said in a July 11 Twitter thread.
Gunter goes on to explain in a thread that plants, like cotton used in tampons, can absorb metals from soil but do not pose a threat.
“So we don’t know if the arsenic, lead, and cadmium in tampons can even get into the vagin*, never mind be absorbed,” she wrote.
The study also states that further research is needed to determine if these metals can be absorbed through the vagin*.
“Lead isn’t safe in any concentration, but it’s really important we don’t panic,” author of the report and University of California, Berkeley environmental epidemiologist Jenni Shearston told Chemical & Engineering News this week. “I can’t say that someone should or shouldn’t use a tampon based on our results. We don’t yet know if those metals come out of the tampon and if they do, we don’t know whether they can get into the bloodstream. Our team is continuing to study this.”
Though more research is needed to determine if tampons are putting women’s health at risk, many women are voicing their concerns online. While researchers did not release the name of the brands included in the study, the report states they selected products marked as “top sellers on a major online retailer.” According to Statistica, Tampax, U by Kotex, and Playtex are some of the top selling tampon brands in the U.S.
Though it is unclear which exact brands or products were tested, Reckon looked into the parent companies of some of the top selling tampon brands including Tampax, U by Kotex, and Playtex, finding that the CEOs of each are… men. Each year, U.S. consumers spend over $2 billion on period products, with the average menstruator using around 17,000 tampons or pads over their lifetime, according to Healthline. This being a billion dollar industry underscores the need for more research in women’s health.
For those looking for options outside of the mainstream market, Reckon gathered together a list of women and BIPOC-owned period brands, many of which offer clean, sustainable, or chemical free alternatives.
Saalt
Founder: Cherie Hoeger
Saalt carries a wide range of reusable period products from menstrual discs and cups to period underwear in different cuts – thongs, bikinis, boyshorts, and more. According to Saalt’s website, co-founder and CEO Cherie Hoeger says she created the brand after a conversation with her aunt in Venezuela, who said pads and tampons had not been available in stores there for years.
She learned more about the broader impact of period poverty, an issue affecting an estimated 500 million women worldwide, and decided to create reusable products she would use herself, focusing on clean, ethical, and sustainable materials to “keep toxins out of our ecosystems and out of our bodies.”
Ruby Love
Founder: Crystal Etienne
As more and more period underwear enter the market, Ruby Love takes the idea of period wear to the next level, offering sleepwear, loungewear, bodysuits and athletics all designed to absorb and lock in blood so it doesn’t disrupt your day. Owner Crystal Etienne also created period swimwear, dropping the need to pack tampons in your beach bag this summer.
This is a size-inclusive option for all body types, Ruby Love carries an array of sizes with some products ranging from XXS to 8XL.
Sequel
Founders: Greta Meyer and Amanda Calabrese
Greta Meyer, a star lacrosse player at Stanford University, and Amanda Calabrese, 6x champion in lifesaving, took their needs as athletes and reinvented the traditional tampon. Sequel Spirals add spiral ridges that make the flow path longer, to better absorb blood and prevent leakage.
According to Sequel, this is the first engineering redesign of the modern tampon in 80 years.
Niima
Founder: Toun Omezi
Niima founder Toun Omezi created the brand after her experience having endometrial polyp removed, growths in the inner lining of the uterus, and wanting a cleaner period product to use.
“While researching, I discovered the harmful chemicals used to produce conventional non-organic sanitary pads that I had been using for years,” Omezi told Essence in 2021. “I knew that I could not go back to using the conventional non-organic pads anymore now knowing what the adverse effects were, and I did not want other women to unknowingly do the same.”
According to their website, Niima pads free of latex, chlorine, and pesticides, are made with 100% certified organic cotton and are biodegradable, decomposing within 12 months.
Sherpax
Founder: Sherrie Evans
Many women use liners to absorb daily discharge, manage light period flow, or for bladder leaks, but recently gynecologists like Dr. Fatima Daoud have jumped on Tik Tok to share that wearing panty liners everyday can be irritating to vulvar skin.
Sherpax offers cloth pantyliners and pads made from breathable, moisture-wicking fabric that are reusable and can be thrown in the washing machine with the rest of your laundry. The cloth liners have wings which snap around your underwear to remain in place.
Evans regularly shares details about her products, and even teaches followers how to create their own pads at home on her Tik Tok.
Wuka
Founder: Ruby Raut
UK-based Wuka was founded by Ruby Raut, who grew up in Nepal, using fabric scraps as reusable menstrual products.
“My mum gave me one of her old saris to use as my first period product and that is what I did for nearly 20 years,” Raut told the Drum in Aug. 2023.
She broke through the menstrual product market selling period underwear before it was common, filling the gap for sustainable menstruation in 2017. Today Wuka offers an array of specialty options, including cooling underwear for those experiencing hot flashes and stretch underwear to accommodate weight gain and changing bodies.
Sunny
Founders: Cindy Belardo and Drew Jarvis
Menstrual cups are becoming more popular, especially for those looking for a more environmentally-friendly or cost efficient period management option, but the insertion/removal process or fear of leakage prevents some people from trying them.
Sunny solves that problem by adding an applicator to their cup, allowing users to have the familiarity of a tampon with the benefits of a menstrual cup that holds two to five times the amount of blood and can be worn for up to 12 hours. Both the cup and applicator can be reused for up to one year.
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