2024-07-07 09:28:30
Health risks from hygiene products? Current studies reveal harmful metals in tampons. What is known – and what is not.
The most important things at a glance
More than 10 million women in Germany regularly use tampons. But apparently some of them contain dangerous ingredients: A recent study by the University of California has detected metals in the hygiene products for the first time. Scientists analyzed 30 different tampons from 14 brands, 18 product lines and five different absorption strengths and found harmful metals such as lead, cadmium and arsenic in all samples.
What is particularly dangerous about this is that the long contact of the tampons with the vaginal mucosa means that the metals can be quickly absorbed by the body and spread throughout the body. Side effects cannot be ruled out: metals increase the risk of dementia, infertility, diabetes and cancer and can damage organs and the cardiovascular system.
“We found measurable concentrations of all 16 metals tested,” the researchers report. In at least one sample, all 16 metals tested were found simultaneously. The discovery of lead is particularly worrying: there is no known safe level of exposure for this metal. “Any amount of lead that could leak from a tampon and enter the systemic circulation could have negative health effects,” the researchers warn.
The scientists criticize the fact that neither the USA nor Europe have comprehensive regulations that require regular checks for metals and chemicals.
The study also revealed differences in metal concentration depending on the region of origin of the tampons. Tampons purchased in the US had higher concentrations of lead, cadmium and cobalt than those purchased in the EU or UK. However, only three of the products purchased for the study came from the EU and UK – and none from Germany.
The researchers also admit that the study focused primarily on the largest possible number of manufacturers and different products. Fewer samples were therefore selected from each product – there were two samples of each tampon, and no attention was paid to different batches. The scientists also make it clear that even if the three products from Europe are well-known brands, it is not known for sure whether they are representative of all products in Europe. The study does not contain any information about the manufacturers of the products tested.
The researchers also examined the difference between organic and non-organic tampons. “We found higher concentrations of lead in non-organic tampons, while higher concentrations of arsenic were found in organic tampons,” the scientists said. Organic tampons were usually made of 100 percent cotton, while non-organic tampons were made of rayon/viscose or a blend of cotton and rayon.
The concentration of metals also differed depending on whether the tampons were store-brand or private label. However, no category had consistently lower concentrations of all or most of the metals. This means that no specific brand or type of tampon can be considered safer than others, the researchers say.
The origin of metals in tampons can be varied. “Metals can enter tampons during the manufacturing process, either through contaminated raw materials or through the use of metal compounds for various purposes such as odor control or antimicrobial properties,” the study explains.
The cotton material could have picked up the metals from the water, air, soil, or from nearby contamination—for example, if a cotton field was near a lead smelter. Others could have been added intentionally during manufacturing as part of a pigment, whitener, antibacterial agent, or other process for easier introduction in the factory.
Although the study confirmed the presence of toxic metals in tampons, further research is now needed, the study says.