FDA researching potential effects of toxic metals in tampons. Here’s what you should know

PITTSBURGH — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is now working on a big research project to look at the possible effects of toxic metals in tampons. This comes after a study published in July found 16 metals including arsenic, mercury and lead, in more than a dozen brands.

“They tell you to avoid all this stuff, but then you need them,” said Teresa Solimando. “How can you avoid them?”

Solimando, like many women, wants to know more after a study about tampons was released in July.

“As time goes on, girls get their periods even earlier,” said Teresa Solimando. “Truly, how will that affect girls in their childbearing ages?”

It’s estimated that in that time period, women used about 7,400 tampons. Researchers at Columbia University, the University of California Berkeley, and Michigan State University tested 30 tampons from 14 unnamed brands purchased from major online retailers and stores in the United States, United Kingdom and Greece. They found 16 heavy metals such as arsenic, mercury and lead. Organic tampons contained higher levels of arsenic. In contrast, non-organic tampons had higher levels of lead.

“The most concrete piece of evidence to me though is that they can detect lead, and we know that there is no safe level of exposure to lead,” said Allegheny Health Network OB/GYN Dr. Grace Ferguson.

Dr. Grace Ferguson says more data is needed.

“We need to understand so it’s detectable, but is it really transmitting to the person,” said Ferguson. “Is it causing any effects in the person?”

Last week, the Democratic Women’s Caucus, which includes Congresswoman Summer Lee, sent a letter calling on the Commissioner of the FDA to address these concerns. Days later, the FDA announced it’s starting its own research project and will be looking into the amounts and whether the body absorbs the metals.

“There’s no way for a consumer to take this information, act on it other than to take tampons entirely out of their life,” said Ferguson.

Dr. Ferguson suggests using a menstrual cup or pads. She believes changing your tampon more frequently won’t help.

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