Scientists have discovered dangerously high levels of a cancer-linked pesticide in UK tampons — tested at 40 times the safe limit for drinking water — raising urgent concerns over health risks
Brits have been alerted by scientists after they found toxic pesticides in tampons at staggering levels that are 40 times the limit set for drinking water.
Upon testing 15 boxes of tampons bought from UK shops and supermarkets, including various popular brands, experts detected glyphosate — a widely used herbicide linked to cancer and other severe health conditions like Parkinson’s — in one of the tampon boxes at quantities significantly exceeding safety levels for drinking water.
Glyphosate, the world’s most commonly used herbicide, was proclaimed a “probable carcinogen” by the World Health Organization (WHO) back in 2015 due to its association with cancer.
The alarming findings were part of research conducted by Pesticide Action Network UK (Pan UK), the Women’s Environmental Network, and the Pesticide Collaboration. They uncovered amounts of glyphosate at a worrying concentration of 0.004 mg/kg in tampons.
READ MORE: Doctor warns of ‘inconsistent symptoms’ related to widely underdiagnosed health issueREAD MORE: Men think hot flushes can be cured by doing something very simple
The findings on the tampon residue goes vastly beyond the UK and EU maximum residue level for drinking water, which stands at just 0.0001 mg/kg. These levels are a stark 40 times higher than what is allowed in drinking water.
This discovery has raised serious concerns considering half the global population experience periods and likely use around 11,000 disposable menstrual products in a lifetime, suggesting there’s a severe oversight. Experts have warned that this is a “blatant gap in health and safety regulation”, reports the Manchester Evening News.
The report emphasised the gravity of the situation, stating: “Given the global concern around the impact of glyphosate on human health, finding it in tampons is particularly alarming.
“Unlike when ingested through food or water, chemicals absorbed via the vagina directly enter the bloodstream, bypassing the body’s detoxification systems and therefore posing a significant health risk.”
Pesticide residues are finding their way into period products due to their use in cotton cultivation, a primary component of tampons. Researchers detected aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), a breakdown product of glyphosate, in the tampons, suggesting that the cotton was treated with glyphosate at some point in the supply chain according to the report.
Amy Heley of the Pesticide Collaboration commented: “If this level of glyphosate is deemed to be unsafe in the water we drink, why is it allowed to appear in our period products?
“Our investigation reveals that women, girls and those who menstruate may not be protected from exposure to harmful chemicals. And yet, most people remain completely unaware that this is even an issue.”
The report notes that the lab was unable to determine whether the glyphosate was present in a single tampon or all of them in the box.
Josie Cohen, interim director at Pan UK, stated: “We were genuinely shocked to find glyphosate in tampons sitting on UK shelves. This harmful chemical is already impossible to avoid since it’s sprayed by councils in streets and parks and contaminates much of our food and water due to its overuse in farming.
“We urgently need to reduce our overall toxic load and shouldn’t have to worry about glyphosate and other highly hazardous pesticides in our period products. This is a blatant gap in health and safety regulation that the government urgently needs to address.”
Previous research conducted last year revealed that various types of tampons may contain as many as 16 metals or metalloids, including toxic substances such as lead and arsenic.
The study suggested that using tampons could be a “potential source of exposure to metals in menstruating people”.