Editor's note: We updated this article in September 2026 to correct our earlier description of the 2024 tampon study and include new research published in 2026.
Metals have been found in tampon materials, including lead, arsenic and cadmium. That finding understandably raised questions about whether those metals leave a tampon during use and whether enough could enter the body to affect health.
The 2024 study that made headlines measured metals in the materials. It could not tell us how much a person might absorb. A later US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) study measured what could be released in a deliberately demanding laboratory test. Its assessment found negligible toxicological concern for the products it tested. That is reassuring, while leaving some questions about everyday use and other products open.
Key takeaways
- In 2024, researchers found all 16 metals and metalloids they tested for across a sample of tampons. They did not find all 16 in every tampon.
- The 2024 study measured what was present in the materials. It did not measure release during use, absorption into the body or health effects.
- In 2026, FDA researchers tested how much metal could be released from 11 US-market tampon products under exaggerated laboratory conditions. Their toxicological risk assessment found negligible concern from the amounts released.
- These findings do not give people a reason to stop using tampons because of metals. They also do not tell us the exposure from every tampon or measure metal absorption during ordinary use.
What did the 2024 study actually find?
Researchers examined 60 samples taken from 30 tampons representing 14 brands and 18 product lines. They tested for 16 metals and metalloids, including lead, arsenic, cadmium and zinc.
All 16 were detected somewhere across the samples, although the concentrations varied. Our earlier article described this as 16 metals being found in all tampons tested. That was incorrect: it confused a finding across the whole sample with a finding about each tampon.
The researchers broke down a small piece of each tampon using acid before measuring its metal content. This told them what was in the material, including amounts that might never leave it during use. It did not show that using a tampon exposes someone to all of those metals or that any detected amount causes harm.
What has the FDA found since then?
After the 2024 study, the FDA commissioned a review of published research on contaminants in tampons. The review found substantial gaps in evidence about actual exposure and health effects. One human study included in the review found no statistically significant association between tampon use and blood levels of lead, cadmium or mercury after adjustment for other factors. A single study cannot settle the question, but it gives useful context to the laboratory findings.
FDA researchers then tested 11 different tampon products legally marketed in the US. To investigate potential metal release, they placed the products in acidified water at 50°C for 24 hours. The conditions were intentionally more demanding than normal tampon wear. The researchers measured what came out and used those amounts to estimate a potential lifetime exposure and its toxicological risk.
Metals, including traces of lead, were released in the test. To avoid underestimating risk, the researchers assumed that all of each released metal would be absorbed into the bloodstream. Even with that conservative assumption, the estimated exposures had margins of safety indicating negligible toxicological concern. The study did not directly measure absorption through vaginal tissue or follow people using tampons over time. It tested a selection of US-market products, so its result should not be read as a measurement of every tampon sold in Australia.
Does finding a metal mean a tampon is unsafe?
Finding a substance in a product does not, by itself, establish a harmful exposure. What matters is how much is released, how much enters the body and whether that amount could affect health.
That is why the two studies sound different. The 2024 researchers identified metals in tampon materials. The 2026 FDA researchers went a step further by testing potential release and assessing the resulting risk. Together, they provide a clearer picture than either study alone. There is still room for research on how well laboratory findings reflect everyday use and how products may differ.
Are organic tampons different?
The 2024 study does not support using an “organic” label as a guarantee that a tampon contains fewer metals. In the products sampled, lead concentrations were higher in non-organic tampons, while arsenic concentrations were higher in organic tampons. No category consistently had lower concentrations of all or most metals tested.
That does not mean organic tampons are more dangerous, or that non-organic tampons are. The study compared what was in the materials, not how much of each metal a person absorbed.
How are tampons regulated in Australia?
Tampons are regulated therapeutic goods in Australia, although they do not need an entry in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods. Products supplied here must comply with the Therapeutic Goods (Standards for Tampons) (TGO 103) Order 2019 and the applicable Australian Standard, AS 2869:2022.
The requirements address materials and impurities, as well as absorbency, microbial content, performance, withdrawal cords, packaging and labelling. These are important safeguards. They do not replace research into precisely how much metal, if any, is absorbed during tampon use.
Should you stop using tampons?
The research discussed here does not provide a reason to stop using tampons because of metals. If tampons suit you, follow the packet instructions and choose the lowest absorbency that manages your flow. Healthdirect advises changing tampons as directed on the packet, generally about every 4–8 hours, and never using more than one at a time. Our tampon size and absorbency guide explains how to choose.
Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a rare but serious illness associated with tampon use. It is caused by a bacterial infection, not by metals. If you think you may have TSS, remove the tampon and seek urgent medical help. Symptoms can include a sudden high temperature, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, confusion or a rash.
Separate research has looked at other substances that may be released from tampons. Our article on oestrogen-like activity in tampon extracts explains what that laboratory study found and what it cannot yet tell us about health effects.
If you'd prefer a different period product
You do not need to change products out of fear. You might simply prefer how a reusable option feels, want to create less waste or be curious about what works for your body and routine. Cups, discs, sponges and cloth pads work in different ways, and none is automatically the right fit for everyone.
Our Menstrual Products Comparison Hub is a good place to explore the options. You can also read how to choose between a cup, disc or sponge, browse menstrual cups and discs or learn more about menstrual cup safety.
For now, the distinction to remember is simple: metals have been measured in tampon materials, but their presence alone does not tell us what reaches the body. The newer release testing is reassuring for the products studied. Choosing a period product can still come down to your comfort, flow and preferences.
Sources
- Shearston and colleagues, Tampons as a source of exposure to metal(loid)s (2024).
- FDA-commissioned systematic literature review, Contaminants in Vaginal Tampons (2024).
- FDA researchers, Do metals in tampons pose a health risk? (2026).
- FDA, Menstrual Product Options, Facts, and Safe Use.
- Therapeutic Goods Administration, Manufacturing or supplying tampons.
- Healthdirect Australia, Toxic shock syndrome.