Heavy metals in tampons - German experts issue warning
Recently, a US study reveals that metals in tampons could be harmful to health. This news alarms users of this hygiene product, but experts from German institutions reassure: There is no reason to stop using tampons.
In a US analysis, trace amounts of heavy metals such as Arsen, Cadmium, and Lead were detected in various tampon brands. The health consequences of using tampons are, according to the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), not to be expected. The elements were only found in very small quantities.
Even if all the metal particles contained were absorbed through the mucous membrane - an unrealistic scenario - the exposure would be negligible, as it is lower than the background exposure from food, water, household dust, traffic, and industry.
No Reason to Abstain
"The study results are not a reason to abstain from tampons," emphasizes toxicology expert Andrea Hartwig from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). Elements like Lead and Arsen are present everywhere, so a detection in consumer goods or food is not unusual. The detected amounts were even in the worst-case scenario, a complete absorption, only a few percent of the daily intake from food.
The team led by Jenni Shearston from Columbia University in New York examined 30 tampons from 14 tampon brands - a relatively small number of products were tested. Three of the tampons were purchased in European countries, as stated. They were specifically looking for Arsen, Cadmium, Chromium, Mercury, and Lead.
Every one of the 16 metals was detected in at least one tampon sample, as reported by the team in the journal "Environment International". The concentrations varied significantly depending on the region, material, and brand.
Below EU Guidelines for Textiles
In the EU, the amounts of Lead, Cadmium, Chromium, and Arsen in textile fabrics must not exceed one milligram per kilogram, as stated in the study. The tampons all fell below this limit. However, tampons come into contact with the vaginal mucous membrane, which may absorb more of these substances.
Calcium and Zinc, which were found in relatively high concentrations, are intentionally added - for odor control, as lubricants, and as antimicrobial agents. "Perhaps this explains why we found them in such high concentrations," explain the researchers.
It is worrying that toxic metals like Arsen and Lead are found in tampons, explains Shearston. However, the researchers themselves note that it is unclear whether the metals are released from the tampons and whether they penetrate the vaginal epithelium into the bloodstream. Currently, it cannot be determined whether the detected metals contribute to negative health effects.
Sources: Plants and Manufacturing Processes
The metals could originate from the soil in cotton fabric, as explained by Shearston's team. Another source could be manufacturing processes. The researchers believe it is necessary for manufacturers to test tampons in the future for toxic metals.
Toxicologist Hartwig considers this demand reasonable: For manufacturers of other consumer goods and hygiene products, it should be mandatory to control the heavy metal content of their products.
According to the BfR, the share of heavy metals should continue to be reduced responsibly through careful raw material selection and good manufacturing practices. The concentration of lead in particular should be as low as reasonably achievable.
A major entry point for heavy metals are the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract. They are also absorbed through the mucous membranes of the respiratory system, for example through cigarette smoke. Long-term, chronic exposure to heavy metals can lead to health problems. Neurological damage can occur with lead and mercury, and kidney and bone damage with cadmium.
Heavy metals accumulate
Heavy metals are contained in rocks in the Earth's crust and can enter plants and other foodstuffs as a result of natural weathering processes. In addition, they enter the environment through certain industrial processes, automobile traffic, the disposal of sewage sludge, and the application of certain pesticides, as the Federal Institute for Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) states.
Therefore, heavy metals accumulate in certain plants or organs of livestock. According to the BVL, higher cadmium concentrations are frequently found in poultry, mushrooms, and the internal organs of slaughtered animals. Organically bound mercury predominantly occurs in fish and mussels.
In the past decades, the overall contamination with metals has already decreased significantly, says KIT expert Hartwig. In the case of lead in particular, this is due to the ban on lead in gasoline. However, since there is no safe value for lead and arsen, it is sensible to reduce the contamination in all areas as much as possible.
Despite the detection of heavy metals like Arsen and Lead in some tampon samples, the health risks are deemed negligible, as these elements are present in various sources such as food, water, and household dust. According to experts, the amounts detected would only contribute a few percent to the daily intake from food, even in an unrealistic scenario of complete absorption. Moreover, the EU guidelines for textiles have not been exceeded by any tampon brand, and metals like Calcium and Zinc, intentionally added for certain purposes, were found in relatively high concentrations in some tampons.
