ArticleEnvironment international2024
Tampons as a source of exposure to metal(loid)s.
Article in Environment international, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers.
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Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed.
- In vitro metal leaching from tampons under simulated vaginal and menstrual pH conditions.AJOG global reports · 2026Article
- Microplastics in the Female Genital Tract and Fetoplacental Continuum: A Lesion-Based Framework for Pathophysiological Interpretation.Pathophysiology : the official journal of the International Society for Pathophysiology · 2026Review
- Incidental Changes in Urinary Lead Excretion Following Intra-Venous Ca-DTPA Administration in Patients Treated Primarily for Gadolinium Exposure.Journal of xenobiotics · 2026Article
- Estrogenic activity in tampon products.Journal of the Endocrine Society · 2026Article
- Integrating experimental data and mechanistic modeling to assess potential lead exposure from tampon use.Toxicological sciences : an official journal of the Society of Toxicology · 2026Article
- Perspectives on engineering and biomaterials in tampon design: a review of device-tissue interactions and dysmenorrhea risk.Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology · 2026Review
- Endocrine disrupting chemicals and female sexual health: An emerging research priority.Environmental research · 2025Article
- Menstrual product use patterns in a large digital cohort in the United States: variations by sociodemographic, health, and menstrual characteristics.American journal of obstetrics and gynecology · 2025Article
- Chronic arsenic exposure of ovarian surface and fallopian tube cultures induces giant and/or multinucleated cells with phagocytosis-like properties and an inflammatory phenotype.Toxicology and applied pharmacology · 2025Article
- Heavy metal contamination in tampons: A hidden public health concern.Environmental analysis, health and toxicology · 2025Article
- ACMT Position Statement: No Evidence that Tampons Cause Metal Poisoning.Journal of medical toxicology : official journal of the American College of Medical Toxicology · 2025Article
- Influence of cervicovaginal microbiota onMicrobial cell (Graz, Austria) · 2025Review
- Polyphenols Regulate the Activity of Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals, Having Both Positive and Negative Effects.Journal of xenobiotics · 2024Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundBetween 52-86% of people who menstruate in the United States use tampons-cotton and/or rayon/viscose 'plugs'-to absorb menstrual blood in the vagina. Tampons may contain metals from agricultural or manufacturing processes, which could be absorbed by the vagina's highly absorptive tissue, resulting in systemic exposure. To our knowledge, no previous studies have measured metals in tampons.
objectivesWe evaluated the concentrations of 16 metal(loid)s in 30 tampons from 14 tampon brands and 18 product lines and compared the concentrations by tampon characteristics.
methodsAbout 0.2 - 0.3 g from each tampon (n = 60 samples) were microwave-acid digested and analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to determine concentrations of arsenic, barium, calcium, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, manganese, mercury, nickel, lead, selenium, strontium, vanadium, and zinc. We compared concentrations by several tampon characteristics (region of purchase, organic material, brand type) using median quantile mixed models.
resultsWe found measurable concentrations of all 16 metals assessed. We detected concentrations of several toxic metals, including elevated mean concentrations of lead (geometric mean [GM] = 120 ng/g), cadmium (GM = 6.74 ng/g), and arsenic (GM = 2.56 ng/g). Metal concentrations differed by region of tampon purchase (US versus European Union/United Kingdom), by organic versus non-organic material, and for store- versus name-brand tampons. Most metals differed by organic status; lead concentrations were higher in non-organic tampons while arsenic was higher in organic tampons. No categoriy had consistently lower concentrations of all or most metals. DISCUSSION: Tampon use is a potential source of metal exposure. We detected all 16 metals in at least one sampled tampon, including some toxic metals like lead that has no "safe" exposure level. Future research is needed to replicate our findings and determine whether metals can leach out of tampons and cross the vaginal epithelium into systemic circulation.
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