Conventional Tampons

Scented or conventional cotton/rayon menstrual products.

57Moderate burden · out of 100

Cleaner swapUnscented organic-cotton products, or a medical-grade silicone cup

How this score is built

100Start
81.6Chemical hazard 4 × 4.6−18.4
64.6Everyday exposure 5 × 3.4−17
57Persistence 3 × 2.6−7.8, then rounded to 57
ModerateThe band57 sits in 40–59.

What each input rests on

The three ratings behind the score, and the studies each rests on
Input	Rating	Evidence
Chemical hazard	4/10	unsourced input
Everyday exposure	5/10	All 16 metal(loid)s tested were measurable in 30 tampons from 14 brands, including lead (geometric mean 120 ng/g), cadmium (6.74 ng/g) and arsenic (2.56 ng/g); no product category was consistently lower. Tampons as a source of exposure to metal(loid)s · Environ Int 2024 DOI 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108849 · PMID 38963987 · Abstract, Results · read 2026-10-16
Persistence	3/10	unsourced input

Ratings are editorial. A study listed here supports the rating; it did not compute it. How the index is built

What this means for you

Menstrual products contact absorptive tissue, and studies have detected fragrance chemicals and trace metals in some. Unscented, tested materials reduce that contact exposure.

Evidence strength: moderate

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Lower-exposure choices

Fragrance-Free Basic SkincareMinimal · Personal Care

All 33 personal care entries, highest burden first →