A recent study about tampons is alarming consumers. The research, published in the journal Environment International, found evidence of 16 different metals, including arsenic and lead, in a wide range of tampons sold in the U.S. and Europe. However, several experts say the study is no reason to panic.
What did the study uncover? Researchers tested tampons from 14 different brands purchased in the U.S., U.K. and Greece for 16 different heavy metals and found an average of "100 nanograms per gram of lead and 2 nanograms per gram of arsenic in the tampons," Kathrin Schilling, a study co-author and an assistant professor at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, said to CNN. There was "no detectable level of chromium and no detectable level of mercury, which is very good." Organic tampons had higher levels of arsenic, while nonorganic tampons had higher levels of lead.
The study was unable to determine if the heavy metals could pass from the tampon into the body, meaning it's still unknown whether there are potential health impacts. Levels of the toxic chemicals found were low, and two prior studies by the same team did not find significantly higher levels of metals in the blood of women who used tampons as compared to those who did not. Still, "arsenic shouldn't be present in tampons at all, and we don't yet understand the effects of vaginal exposure since it hasn't been studied," Schilling said.Â
Are tampons safe to use? Many experts say these findings are not as extreme as they might seem. "There's small amounts of these metals found, really, everywhere," Dr. Bethany Samuelson Bannow, an associate professor of medicine at Oregon Health and Science University, said to The New York Times.
Vaginal tissue is very permeable, so if metals did leach into the body, it could be a significant problem, said Anna Pollack, an associate professor at George Mason University, to CNN. However, there's "no reason for people to be afraid to use menstrual products at this time," and tampon users should "just be aware of the issue and monitor any research that develops." |