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FDA report concludes that arsenic, lead, and other metals in tampons aren't harmful
https://share.google/d13OBwmaCW4F4nlbeWell if the FDA says so..... !
A new study from the United States Food and Drug Administration confirmed that heavy metals, like arsenic and lead, present in several tampon brands aren’t released at levels high enough to cause concern for the people using them.
The study, which was published in the journal Toxicological Sciences, was a response to 2024 research that found more than a dozen metals in widely used tampons. On Monday, the agency said that “while trace metals are present in tampons, the amount released during use is too small to cause harm.”
FDA researchers studied 11 different tampons from six brands — but did not directly name them in the study. The team confirmed the presence of 19 metals in varying levels, depending on the product.
...
Tampons are made with cotton, rayon, or a combination of the two. Bloomberg notes that the FDA found that products made mostly of rayon had higher levels of lithium and zinc, while those containing more cotton had higher concentrations of calcium and iron.
“There is surprisingly little information available about the long-term safety of feminine hygiene products,” said Abee Boyles, Ph.D., health scientist administrator in the Population Health Branch at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. “Not just what is in the products, as this paper addresses, but also what chemicals are absorbed into the body and if there are impacts on the health of menstruating people from these common, recurrent exposures.”
The study, which was published in the journal Toxicological Sciences, was a response to 2024 research that found more than a dozen metals in widely used tampons. On Monday, the agency said that “while trace metals are present in tampons, the amount released during use is too small to cause harm.”
FDA researchers studied 11 different tampons from six brands — but did not directly name them in the study. The team confirmed the presence of 19 metals in varying levels, depending on the product.
...
Tampons are made with cotton, rayon, or a combination of the two. Bloomberg notes that the FDA found that products made mostly of rayon had higher levels of lithium and zinc, while those containing more cotton had higher concentrations of calcium and iron.
“There is surprisingly little information available about the long-term safety of feminine hygiene products,” said Abee Boyles, Ph.D., health scientist administrator in the Population Health Branch at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. “Not just what is in the products, as this paper addresses, but also what chemicals are absorbed into the body and if there are impacts on the health of menstruating people from these common, recurrent exposures.”