(Bloomberg) -- The US Food and Drug Administration is studying the metals found in tampons after lawmakers urged the agency to take a closer look at the products’ safety.
In a study published earlier this year that gained widespread publicity, researchers found more than a dozen metals, including lead and arsenic, in widely available tampons in the US and Europe. Senator Patty Murray, a Democrat from Washington, asked the agency to review the findings.
“These are products millions of women are using on any given day, so it’s important we absolutely put to rest any concerns about their safety,” Murray said in a statement Thursday.
The FDA has commissioned an independent contractor to undertake a review of already-published research to assess any possible links between tampon use and adverse health effects, Murray said in the statement.
A unit in the FDA’s Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories has also initiated a study to determine the proportion of metals that may be released by tampons in normal use, according to Murray.
An FDA spokesperson said the agency will share its findings from both initiatives when the results have been peer-reviewed, which is considered the gold standard in scientific research.
“These initiatives will enable FDA to complete a risk assessment of metals contained in tampons, based on a worst-case scenario of metal exposure,” the spokesperson said. Those who are worried about tampon safety may consider using a different option such as pads, cups or discs in the meantime, the FDA said.
(Updates with FDA statement in sixth paragraph.)
©2024 Bloomberg L.P.
