Tampon fears: Experts REFUSE to say which 14 brands contain toxic metals... as concern grows on social media that women's health is at risk
Women today called on tampon brands to urgently review the levels of toxic metals in their products in the wake of heightened safety fears.
Tests on 30 products purchased in New York, Athens and London have found some contained dangerous levels of arsenic, chromium and even lead.
MailOnline approached the researchers to ask which 14 brands were involved and they declined to comment.
Instead, they insisted while tampons could be 'a potential source of metal exposure' for women, more research was first needed to assess their danger.
One woman, however, labelled the findings 'unreal', arguing 'women are literally being poisoned by these products'.
Tests on 30 products purchased in New York, Athens and London have found some contained dangerous levels of arsenic, chromium and even lead. All 16 metals tested were detected in at least one tampon. But US researchers, who carried out the probe, chose not to name the 14 brands involved
Women took to social media to express shock and worry about research that found tampons contained toxic metals — however researchers have refused to reveal which 14 brands they tested
Another, @danielleweisber, who also took to X/Twitter, wrote: 'I don't feel like enough people are yelling about the new findings of high levels of toxic metals being in tampons?
'Like all tampons even organic ones?? Why is there arsenic in tampons?????'
A third user, @FraukeEcke, added: 'What the hell! We need to reduce exposure to environmental contaminants not increase it! How difficult can it be to produce safe sanitary products?'
A fourth also said: 'The real question is, how long have these companies this information'.
Possible heavy metal exposure via tampons is concerning given the thin nature of the internal tissue of the vagina could provide an easy way for these substances to enter the body.
Exposure to lead can impair brain development, whist other metals can trigger life-threatening blood clotting and raise the risk of some cancers.
The findings are also potential far reaching with about 50 to 80 per cent of women who menstruate using tampons on a monthly basis — for several hours at a time.
In the study, the 16 metals tested included arsenic, barium, calcium, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper and iron.
Manganese, mercury, nickel, lead, selenium, strontium, vanadium, and zinc were among the others.
Researchers identified examples of all 16 among the tampons tested.
Several metals were detected in all samples, including arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead and vanadium.
Among these lead had the highest concentration with a mean total of 120 nanograms per gram (ng/g).
Cadmium followed at 6.74 ng/g, with arsenic logging 2.56 ng/g.
In the study, the 16 metals tested included arsenic, barium, calcium, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper and iron. Researchers identified examples of all 16 among the tampons tested
Writing in the journal, Environment International, researchers said: 'There is no safe exposure level to lead.
'Any proportion of lead that may leach out of a tampon and reach systemic circulation might contribute to negative health outcomes.'
No brand or type of tampon had notably lower levels of metals overall, they added.
Organic tampons had higher levels of arsenic, but non-organic tampons had higher levels of lead.
The authors said there were several ways the metals could have become embedded into tampons in the first place.
One was that the cotton plants used to manufacture tampons could have absorbed the metals from soil and water, particularly when there are nearby contaminants, for example, a cotton field near a lead smelter.
They can also be potentially added during manufacturing processes as whiteners, antibacterial agents, or through cross-contamination from other factory processes.
But women who took to X/Twitter questioned what impact this had on tampon users.
'The article I just read implied that no-one has ever been required to test for this and I'm so mad right now,' one wrote.
'How worried should I be? How bioavailable are these metals?'
Another added: 'Brand new research has found that most tampons contain metals such as arsonic and lead (!!!).
'I'm not a scientist but that seems real, real bad.'
Dr Jenni Shearston, study co-author and an expert in the epidemiology of air pollution at the University of California, Berkeley, said: 'Despite this large potential for public health concern, very little research has been done to measure chemicals in tampons.
'To our knowledge, this is the first paper to measure metals in tampons.
'Concerningly, we found concentrations of all metals we tested for, including toxic metals like arsenic and lead.'
It comes just weeks after US consumer watchdog group Mamavation and the Environmental Working Group also suggested tampons could contain harmful perfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS. Dubbed 'forever chemicals' because they can linger in the environment for hundreds of years, they have been linked to everything from cancer and high cholesterol to infertility
She added: 'I really hope that manufacturers are required to test their products for metals, especially for toxic metals.
'It would be exciting to see the public call for this, or to ask for better labelling on tampons and other menstrual products.'
Meanwhile, Professor Kathrin Schilling, an assistant professor and geochemist at Columbia University, said: 'Although toxic metals are ubiquitous and we are exposed to low levels at any given time, our study clearly shows that metals are also present in menstrual products, and that women might be at higher risk for exposure using these products.'
Other experts, however, urged women not to panic and cautioned there was 'no evidence that the metals would leech into menstrual blood'.
Professor Atholl Johnston, a professor emeritus of clinical pharmacology at Queen Mary, University of London, told MailOnline: 'I don't doubt the research findings, but I do doubt the bioavailability of the metals found in the tampons.
'Prior to analysis, the tampons were cut up and then the researchers added 2 mL of 67-70 per cent nitric acid (HNO3) to each sample and pre-digested the tampons at room temperature overnight before microwave-assisted acid digestion.
'Hardly a similar environment to the average vagina.'
He added: 'Were I a tampon using woman, I wouldn’t panic at this stage.
'There is no evidence that the metals would leech into menstrual blood and be absorbed into the body.'
It comes just weeks after US consumer watchdog group Mamavation and the Environmental Working Group also suggested tampons could contain harmful perfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS.
Dubbed 'forever chemicals' because they can linger in the environment for hundreds of years, they have been linked to everything from cancer and high cholesterol to infertility.
Mamavation found popular Playtex tampons, Always liners and Carefree liners, all sold in the US, tested positive for organic fluorine, a chemical that contains known PFAS.
Last year, some period pants sold by high street retailers in the UK were also found to contain high levels of silver.
Silver is used as an antimicrobial agent and is typically added to period pants to combat user concerns about smell and hygiene.
However, scientists have discovered nanosilver can kill lactobacillus, the healthy bacteria in the vagina that help fight off infection.
This can put period pant users more at risk of harmful bacteria, potentially leading to an increased risk of bacterial infections and pregnancy complications.
