Tampons, menstrual underwear, and other products come in close contact with the women who use them, and naturally do not contain anything potentially harmful. Therefore, many women were concerned when a recent American study revealed the presence of heavy metals in tampons.
The researchers measured 30 tampons from 14 brands, most of which were American-made. They found measurable concentrations of all 16 metals evaluated, some of which are toxic, including arsenic, cadmium and lead, the latter of which has “no safe exposure level,” they wrote in the scientific journal Environment International.
Does this mean that menstrual products pose a health risk? The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), whose goal is to protect human health, issued its opinion on the matter:
Should women worry about heavy metals in tampons?
No, according to the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, no adverse health effects are expected, based on an extremely unlikely worst-case scenario. Even if the minerals completely leaked out of the tampon and crossed the inner layer of the vagina into the bloodstream, the amount would be “enormous” compared to the amounts the body absorbs from everyday sources such as food, house dust and car exhaust.
For their part, American researchers said that more research is needed to determine whether this transmission is possible.
While the American study focused on products purchased mostly in the United States, this summer the German Consumer Protection magazine (Öko-Test) tested products available on the German market. Testers detected heavy metals, but their concentrations were generally lower than those found in the US study.
The magazine rated all products’ heavy metal contamination as “minor.”
The magazine advises women who are still concerned to use tampons made of organic cotton, noting that they are less contaminated – and to a lesser extent – with anthmonium, lead, cadmium, nickel, barium and zinc.
Do biocides in women’s menstrual underwear pose a health risk?
Absorbent fabric pants designed to absorb menstrual blood in the same way as sanitary pads must meet several requirements, including preventing unpleasant odors and inhibiting bacterial growth. To do this, some manufacturers use silver chloride, a biocide.
As the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment explains, biocides are regulated in the European Union and must be approved before manufacturers can use them in women’s menstrual underwear sold there. However, there are so-called “existing active ingredients” for pesticide products that were available on the market before the approval process began in May 2000.
These materials are being gradually tested, and their use in women’s menstrual underwear is still permitted in the meantime. “But also during this time, manufacturers are committed to providing safe and effective products,” writes the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment.
Biocides can actually cause adverse health effects depending on their concentration. It can cause allergic reactions and disturb the bacterial flora on the skin, according to the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, adding, “since the available data is limited at the present time.”