“’Despite this large potential for public health concern, very little research has been done to measure chemicals in tampons,’ said lead author Jenni A. Shearston, a postdoctoral scholar at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health and UC Berkeley’s Department of Environmental Science, Policy, & Management. ‘To our knowledge, this is the first paper to measure metals in tampons. Concerningly, we found concentrations of all metals we tested for, including toxic metals like arsenic and lead.’
Metals have been found to increase the risk of dementia, infertility, diabetes, and cancer. They can damage the liver, kidneys, and brain, as well as the cardiovascular, nervous, and endocrine systems. In addition, metals can harm maternal health and fetal development.
‘Although toxic metals are ubiquitous and we are exposed to low levels at any given time, our study clearly shows that metals are also present in menstrual products, and that women might be at higher risk for exposure using these products,’ said study co-author Kathrin Schilling, assistant professor at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.”
Read more on First study to measure toxic metals in tampons shows arsenic and lead, among other contaminants via Berkeley Public Health.
Family Medicine Residency Site: Abbotsford-Mission 