Should you be worried about lead and other toxic metals in your tampons? That’s the question on everyone’s mind this week following the release of a new study that has users of the hygiene product on edge. The study, published in the August edition of the journal , found that “several toxic metals, including lead” were detected in tampons that the researchers purchased from brick-and-mortar stores in New York City, Athens, Greece, and London, plus two “major online retailers.” Researchers studied the concentrations of 16 metalloids in 30 tampons across 18 product lines from 14 unnamed (both brand-name and “store-brand”).
Their report states that they found “elevated mean concentrations” of lead, cadmium, and arsenic in all the tampons tested. They also found that “lead concentrations were higher in non-organic tampons,” while organic tampons had higher levels of arsenic. The highest concentration of any metalloid found in the tampons overall was .
So what does this mean for tampon users? Should people immediately throw theirs away and switch to another type of menstruation product for good? Understandably, seeing the words “lead” and “arsenic” associated with something you put inside your regularly would set off alarm bells. Both of those metals can contribute to some very serious health issues—especially if you’re thinking about having or adding to a family—but it’s not necessarily worth freaking out just yet. “Users should stay info.