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Tampons Contain Traces of Lead: Health Implications Unclear
Confirmed
In Short: Recent studies have detected lead in tampons, raising questions about potential health risks.
Recent studies have detected traces of lead in tampons, sparking concerns about their safety. Dr. Kathrin Schilling, a researcher at a German university, has been investigating whether lead from tampons can enter the bloodstream through the vaginal lining. The findings, which show an average of 3.5 ng/g of lead in tampon samples, have prompted discussions on the potential health implications.
Dr. Marya Zlatnik, a professor at the University of California, San Francisco, noted that while the amounts are low, 'it will be years before longitudinal studies determine the effect of using these tampons.' Dr. Jeanne Conry, president of the Environmental Health Leadership Foundation, emphasized the need for manufacturers to test for lead and other heavy metals, suggesting that organic tampons may have lower levels.
Dr. Jenni Shearston, lead author of a 2024 study, stated that while the FDA found the absorbed lead to be very low, 'just because it’s very low doesn’t mean that there could be no effect.' Dr. Mehruba Anwar Parris, a medical toxicologist, agreed, noting that 'we don’t have in vivo data of how much lead actually may enter the body.
Dr. Jacob Hands, head of the Science Department at Oasishealth.app, which conducted the research, assured that the findings showed no clinical threat. However, Dr. Conry advised patients to be informed, suggesting that organic tampons might be a safer option. She concluded, 'I think tampons are fabulous, and they’re convenient,' while recommending that consumers stay informed about the latest research.
What's confirmed
- Recent studies have detected traces of lead in tampons, sparking concerns about their safety. Dr. Kathrin Schilling, a researcher at a German university, has been investigating whether lead from tampons can enter the bloodstream through the vaginal lining. The findings, which show an average of 3.5 ng/g of lead in tampon samples, have prompted discussions on the potential health implications.
- Dr. Marya Zlatnik, a professor at the University of California, San Francisco, noted that while the amounts are low, 'it will be years before longitudinal studies determine the effect of using these tampons.' Dr. Jeanne Conry, president of the Environmental Health Leadership Foundation, emphasized the need for manufacturers to test for lead and other heavy metals, suggesting that organic tampons may have lower levels.
- Dr. Jenni Shearston, lead author of a 2024 study, stated that while the FDA found the absorbed lead to be very low, 'just because it’s very low doesn’t mean that there could be no effect.' Dr. Mehruba Anwar Parris, a medical toxicologist, agreed, noting that 'we don’t have in vivo data of how much lead actually may enter the body.
- Dr. Jacob Hands, head of the Science Department at Oasishealth.app, which conducted the research, assured that the findings showed no clinical threat. However, Dr. Conry advised patients to be informed, suggesting that organic tampons might be a safer option. She concluded, 'I think tampons are fabulous, and they’re convenient,' while recommending that consumers stay informed about the latest research.
What's still developing
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- If even a tiny amount of lead is added to the body’s total concentration, “is there potentially any harm?” she said.
- “These numbers are not anywhere near what we would worry about in humans, with the caveat that we don’t have in vivo data of how much lead actually may enter the body,” said Mehruba Anwar Parris, MD, an associate professor of emergency medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark and a medical toxicologist with the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System.
- Manufacturers should be required to test for lead and include the levels, as well as arsenic, mercury, and cadmium, on product labels, said Jeanne Conry, MD, PhD, president of the Environmental Health Leadership Foundation in Granite Bay, California, and a past-president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
- The amount of lead extracted was 3.5 ng/g (or 3.5 µg/kg) of tampon sample.