Toxic metals found in tampons have set off alarm bells—the kind I responded to 35 years ago when starting my company
Regulators should demand greater transparency in period care products, says Natracare founder and CEO Susie Hewson.
The news of researchers finding toxic metals in big-brand tampons came as a shock to many women last month—but not to me. I’ve been worried about the safety of period products, as well as their environmental impact, for decades. I founded Natracare as a direct response to those concerns—more on that later.
The researchers—from the University of California at Berkeley—found 16 metals, among them lead and arsenic, in 30 tampons from 14 brands and 18 product lines sold across the U.S. and Europe. Metals may easily be absorbed when placed in direct contact with the vagina, as noted in the study, published in the journal Environmental International.
More research is needed to see if (or to what degree) the metals leach out, but obviously such findings are concerning for women’s health. The period products industry, however, has long exhibited a lack of transparency and an apparent absence of precautionary principles in design and material selection.
Over the years, the industry has seen numerous scandals, exposés, and alarming findings, such as the life-and-death outcomes of Toxic Shock Syndrome (a potentially fatal bacterial infection that can result from a tampon left in place too long); the reveal of dioxin residuals from the common use of chlorine bleaches in the pulping industry; phthalates in plastics and synthetics; the discovery of PFAS “forever chemicals” in period underwear; and volatile organic compounds (VOCs, or chemicals emitted into the air from certain materials) in a range of products.
And now metalloids?
I first became deeply concerned about menstrual products in the early 1980s. During my college years in Sweden, I frequently biked along the River Mölndalsån and noticed how the water would turn different colors, apparently due to pollution from a nearby factory processing pulp to create period care products. A few years later, I watched the documentary Disposable Risk, which exposed the health and environmental dangers caused by dioxin residues from the chlorine bleaching process primarily used for period products. Major period product manufacturers were asked for comment, but as one would expect, the collective industry response was along the lines of, “Nothing to see here.”
I was appalled to find an industry so seemingly dismissive of the facts presented—and with no other choices available for me to avoid these byproducts, it now felt personal. What exactly were we placing against our most delicate skin and inside of our bodies? The apparent lack of concern and transparency surrounding the processes and ingredients used to make period care products made me angry. Anger can be a great motivator for change—and I immediately began researching the materials and technology that would be required to correct these issues in a range of period products to rival those dominating the commercial market.
The Bristol Research Library in Bristol, England, became my second home, as I had zero experience in the industry. I had graduated with a design degree and a master’s in education, and I had two children under three years of age. The learning curve was steep and lonely. The more I delved into the construction of pads and tampons, the more issues I discovered. I learned that something that looked like cotton was instead mostly viscose or polypropylene; that the largest component of a menstrual pad was up to 90% petroleum-derived plastic; that super-absorbent polymers are indestructible and emit vapors that may be irritating to delicate skin; and that plastic is eternal in its pollution as it escapes through wind dispersal or sewage overflows into rivers and seas, becoming microplastics that relentlessly travel up the food chain.
As a result of my research and learnings, I founded the period care brand Natracare in the U.K. in 1989. In 1992, I set about launching the brand in North America. There was no internet, so brand building came down to snail mail and international phone calls. We eventually got a website up in 1996, which helped to level the playing field and get our health and environmental education points out for all to see.
Today, the concerns raised around the detection of heavy metals in tampons—likely associated with the use of dyes, fragrances, additives, plastics, etc.—are alarming. They also, perhaps, illustrate the reach of uncontrolled industrialization into our soils and watercourses.
Sewers today are overloaded with period products that are flushed down the toilet. With heavy rains, sewage is regularly discharged into lakes, rivers, and oceans. Plastic items (including period care products) that end up in the ocean will continue to break into smaller and smaller microplastics, adding to the plastic smog of 170 trillion pieces already blanketing the sea. Plastics also harm marine life and pollute our beautiful coastlines.
Ultimately, people who bleed deserve safe, natural options for their periods. In the U.S., I actively supported congresswoman Carolyn Maloney’s Tampon Safety and Research Act of 1997, now called the Robin Danielson Menstrual Product and Intimate Care Product Safety Act of 2023. (Congress hasn’t passed it.) I have pressed regulatory authorities to require tampon manufacturers to test for dioxin residuals, and I continue to strongly advocate for regulations that require them to test for chemicals of concern and heavy metal residuals. Such a framework exists for cosmetics, so why not tampons?
It can be done. Natracare tampons are regularly tested to ensure they’re free of heavy metals, PFAS, VOCs, pesticides, synthetics, and plastics contaminants—and the third-party test results are made publicly available. Natracare products are certified compostable according to ASTM D6400/EN 13432 (the U.S. and European commercial compost test standards), accredited by Made Safe—a health- and ecosystem-focused product certification program—and produced to the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS).
Today, I applaud the UC Berkeley researchers for their study of metalloids in tampons. Their findings are tremendously valuable. They will not only increase the pressure for better regulatory measures, but also give consumers the information they need to make better choices.
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