The U.S Food and Drug Administrationannounced a review of tampon safety in the wake of a July study, which found arsenic, lead, and 14 other “toxic” metals in the menstrual products.
In a statement issued on Sept. 10, the agency said that, while the study “found metals in some tampons, the study did not test whether metals are released from tampons when used. It also did not test for metals being released, absorbed into the vaginal lining, and getting into the bloodstream during tampon use.”
The research, published in Environment International, tested 14 brands for arsenic, barium, calcium, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, manganese, mercury, nickel, lead, selenium, strontium, vanadium and zinc — finding found “measurable concentrations of all 16 metals assessed.”
Stock image of a woman holding a tampon.
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The study authors noted the unique biology of the vagina includes more “permeable” skin than other parts of the body, highlighting that “vaginally absorbed chemicals do not undergo first-pass metabolism and detoxification via the liver” — and instead, “directly enter systemic circulation.”
It’s that risk of absorption that the FDA says it’s investigating.
“The FDA has therefore commissioned an independent literature review and initiated an internal bench laboratory study to evaluate metals in tampons. The comprehensive review of the published literature will provide a better understanding of the data currently available regarding the presence of chemicals in tampons and, importantly, any associated health effects of those chemicals,” the agency said in its statement.
“The FDA’s laboratory study will measure the amount of metals that come out of tampons under conditions that more closely mimic normal use. These initiatives will enable the FDA to complete a risk assessment of metals contained in tampons, based on a worst-case scenario of metal exposure.”
Findings will be announced when “they are available and have been peer reviewed,” the agency says — and in the meantime, they will “continue monitoring these devices as part of its total product lifecycle approach to medical devices”.
The study did not name the brands they evaluated but noted they were available to purchase in the U.S., U.K., and Greece.
The study’s authors said “regulations in the US, EU, and UK protecting consumers from potential contaminants in tampons are nearly nonexistent, and none of these governments requires manufacturers to test their products for harmful chemicals, including metals.”
However, the FDA, in its statement, said “Before a product is allowed onto the market, biocompatibility testing is undertaken by the manufacturing company, which is part of safety testing, and is reviewed by the FDA prior to market authorization.”
And specifically for menstrual products, the FDA said “before tampons can be legally sold in the U.S., they must meet FDA requirements for safety and effectiveness. Manufacturers must test the product and its component materials before, during, and after manufacturing.”
