Jacob Michael Hands, MD

Lead found in 7 of 8 tampon brands we tested. Tens of millions of people in the US use tampons every month, with previous studies flagging heavy metals concerns. Yet tampons had never been tested for 256 analytes, and brands don't typically publish their lab reports. Oasis commissioned certified lab testing on 8 of the most popular products: Tampax Pearl, Playtex Sport, Kotex Click, L., Cora, Rael, Honey Pot, and Organyc. Screening for heavy metals, phthalates, residual solvents, and glyphosate. Lead was quantified in 7 of 8 products tested. Cadmium in 3, all labeled conventional. Conventional products carried substantially more lead than organic-cotton, the same pattern a 2024 peer-reviewed study found across 30 tampons from 14 brands. Every conventional product in our panel exceeded that study's geometric mean of 120 nanograms per gram. with every organic-cotton product falling below it. Why does this matter? Between 52% and 86% of people who menstruate in the US use tampons, worn internally for hours at a time. The FDA opened an investigation into metals in tampons in September 2024, and in 2026 its scientists published a risk assessment finding negligible toxicological concern from tampon exposure alone, with every metal's margin of safety above 1. Two caveats. Our testing measured how much metal is in the material, not how much leaches out or gets absorbed, so these numbers are not a health-risk estimate. And the FDA assessed tampons in isolation without accounting for total lead exposure from diet, water, air, and other products. Phthalates, glyphosate, and residual solvents were not quantified above reporting limits in any product. What the testing does surface is a regulatory gap. The FDA caps lead at 5 ppb in bottled water and 10 ppm in cosmetics, and finalized lead limits for baby food in January 2025 but sets no content limit for tampons. Our findings do not indicate a significant health risk from tampon use. Yet some users may still wish to reduce heavy metal contact where they can. Full methodology, product-by-product results and limitations can be found on the Oasis app and linked below. Beginning in August, Oasis is launching large-scale batch testing across consumer products and supplements with the goal of leading the most honest testing of every product possible. Testing and review overseen by Oasis Science Board @jacobmhands, @PhD_Leigh and @mike_lustgarten Full results on Oasis app