“Hey, here’s a question. Is anything sacred? Is anything safe?” a woman asks her phone’s front-facing camera, a store shelf full of tampons behind her. She points at Tampax Radiant. “No.” Tampax Pearl. “No.” Kroger Regular Unscented. “Hard pass.” After clarifying that the video is not sponsored, she says, “I’m just trying to find something I can find for my body … and not be given cancer.”
The video, which has more than eight million views on TikTok, was posted on July 8, shortly after an academic study revealed that a dozen metals, from arsenic to zinc, were found in popular tampon brands sold in the United States and Europe. Panic about tampons quickly spread.
“I just want to get a big fucking can of spray paint right now … and spray paint, poison,” says one TikTok user while panning across an array of feminine-care products. In another, which has 4.3 million views, a girl throws several boxes of tampons into a trash can and waves good-bye. “I’m never in my life going to wear tampons. I [just] can’t,” one comment reads.
For the academic study, which was published in late June in the science journal Environment International, researchers led by a U.C. Berkeley environmental epidemiologist tested for 16 metals in 30 types of tampons, from regular to super-plus, both industrial and organic, made by 14 different “top seller” brands sold in New York City, London, and Athens. All 16 metals were detected. Twelve metals—including lead, calcium, and zinc—were found in every tampon tested.
The study didn’t disclose the brands of the tampons included in the test because “this is a systemic issue that needs to be addressed, not at each brand specifically, but at a more comprehensive scale,” says Marianthi-Anna Kioumourtzoglou, an associate professor of environmental-health sciences at Columbia University and a co-author of the study.
It’s unclear exactly why these metals are in tampons. The study’s co-authors hypothesize that zinc, for example, could be added as an anti-microbial, or for odor control. Tampons are made of 100 percent cotton, or a cotton-rayon blend. Cotton plants can take up copper and cadmium through soil, while other metals, such as arsenic, are used in fertilizers.
Some metals, like zinc, which was found in the highest concentration, are “essential metals we need,” says Kioumourtzoglou, though she clarifies that too much exposure makes them toxic. Others, such as lead, cadmium, and arsenic, are often considered toxic in any amount.
Twelve metals—including lead, calcium, and zinc—were found in every tampon tested.
Part of the problem is that scientists don’t know if the metals can leach out of tampons and into the body through the vagina. “Even small levels of metals can lead to chronic disease,” such as cardiovascular disease, dementia, and diabetes, says Kathrin Schilling, an assistant professor at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and co-author of the study. Another issue is that “we don’t know what happens specifically when [metals] are in the reproductive system,” says Kioumourtzoglou.
Some scientists remain unconvinced that the findings portend danger. “The levels were extremely low in the tampons,” says Bethany Samuelson Bannow, an associate professor of medicine at Oregon Health & Science University. “All of these metals are present in low levels in the soil, and present in low levels in the food we eat and the water we drink.”
“It’s not a new exposure. It’s coming from a new route,” says Anna Pollack, a professor of global and community health at George Mason University.
Yet for many women—particularly those active on TikTok—it’s a sign to throw their tampons away. “I get that it’s maybe a small amount or whatnot, but for me personally, I just don’t think it should be in there at all,” says Cassie Meschke, a 23-year-old who has posted about chemicals found in tampons.
After learning about the study, Kara Thornton, a 30-year-old who lives in North Carolina, posted a video in which she uses an at-home lead test on a tampon. (“Lead test = positive.”) “I definitely don’t plan on using tampons,” says Thornton. “I’ll be doing something that’s not so invasive and that gets the job done,” like reusable pads. A recent instructional TikTok for D.I.Y. reusable cloth pads has two million views.
“If certain people do not feel comfortable using tampons, they can stop,” says Kioumourtzoglou. “The problem is, we don’t know that the alternatives are necessarily safer.” After first considering research on chemicals in tampons a decade ago, Kioumourtzoglou swapped her tampons for a menstrual cup. “In theory, it should be safer, because it should be medical-grade silicone.” But menstrual cups haven’t been tested for toxic chemicals.
For some, the only 100 percent safe menstrual product is none at all. “Ok so looks like im free bleeding for the rest of my life 😍😍😍😍,” announced one TikToker. Comments on the video range from “never used a tampon in my life ❤️” to “free bleeder for life 🫶.”
“They must not have very heavy menstrual periods,” says Pollack.
Jensen Davis is a Senior Editor at AIR MAIL
