A new study has detected concentrations of 16 metals in different types of tampons, but researchers say that the work is only a first step because they do not know if they are affecting health.
Tampons contain concentrations of various metals, including lead, arsenic and zincaccording to a new study, but more research is needed to determine whether they could affect health.
The researchers evaluated 16 metals in 14 different brands of tampons and found “measurable concentrations” of all metals investigated. These included toxic metals such as lead, cadmium and arsenic, and elevated levels of calcium and zinc compared to the other metals.
Tampons usually be cotton or rayon and are used for absorb menstrual flow inside the body. Researchers claim that this product It is especially worrying for their possible exposure to chemicals, since the vagina is “highly absorbent” and people who menstruate use them regularly for years.
“This study is a first step because, although we have found metals in tampons, we do not know if they can filter out and be absorbed by the body. We do not know if the metals of the tampons affect health,” Jenni Shearston, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California at Berkeley and lead author of the study, explains to ‘Euronews Health’.
“That’s why it’s really important that let’s continue studying tamponsespecially since a large number of people (between 52% and 86% of those who menstruate) use tampons, and have used them for decades,” he added.
There were differences between the tampons, for example, lead concentrations were higher in non-organic tampons, while those of arsenic were higher in the organic onesthey pointed out.
Should menstruating people be worried about the study results?
Studies that measure the amount of metals and chemical substances present in menstrual products “are important, but alone are not enough to know whether people who menstruate should worry“Kabrena Rodda, group leader and senior advisor in analytical chemistry and instrumentation at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (United States), explained to ‘Euronews Health’ in an email.
Rodda, who was not involved in the study, said it could be important to do more research to measure the amount of these materials in the bloodstream, but it would be complicated since “the absorbent materials used in menstrual products They are also used in clothing, towels, bedding and… other common household items,” he said.
“Even if absorption of the materials studied occurs to a high degree, we would also need to explore to what extent exposure through other means, such as wearing clothing made of the same material, increase the levels even more in the blood,” he said.
Graham Peaslee, professor of physics at the University of Notre Dame (USA) who has already analyzed feminine hygiene products looking for chemicals, said in an email that his biggest concern is that “it appears that zinc is intentionally added to many tampons, which is exactly what we have found in other textile products, such as the fabrics used in menstrual panties.
Peaslee explained that copper and zinc are often added to fabrics such as cotton. to reduce odoras they are antimicrobial, but some research has suggested that they may not be as effective on clothing worn on the human body as they are in the laboratory.
Meanwhile, he stated that neither lead nor arsenic concentrations They seemed very high“so users don’t have to worry about most of the metals observed in this study.”
Shearston, for his part, pointed out that The manufacturers should check for the presence of metals in their products, and the study authors called for more research to test the health impact of their findings.
The cleaning products of the time are increasingly under scrutinyespecially for containing perfluoroalkylated and polyfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS), also known as “chemicals forever“, which have dangerous effects on the environment and our health.
