Photo Credit: Aleksandr Grechanyuk

Tampon use is a potential source of metal exposure, according to a study published in the Environmental International. The study authors compared the concentrations of 16 metal(loid)s (arsenic, barium, calcium, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, manganese, mercury, nickel, lead, selenium, strontium, vanadium, and zinc) in 30 tampons from 14 tampon brands and 18 product lines. The researchers found measurable concentrations of all 16 assessed metals, including detectable concentrations of several toxic metals, with elevated mean concentrations of lead (geometric mean [GM], 120 ng/g), cadmium (GM, 6.74 ng/g), and arsenic (GM, 2.56 ng/g). There were differences seen in metal concentrations by region of tampon purchase (United States versus European Union/United Kingdom), by organic versus non-organic material, and for store- versus name-brand tampons. Lead concentrations were higher in non-organic tampons, while arsenic was higher in organic tampons. Consistently lower concentrations of metals were not seen for any single category.