tiktok tuesday: titanium dioxide in tampons doesn't make them 'toxic death sticks'
while the outrage over the substance is overblown, professionals encourage consumers to continue to ask questions and call for more research into menstrual products.
4 minute read
titanium dioxide represents less than 0.1 per cent of all ingredients used in the tampon, a spokesperson proctor and gamble, the company which produces the l. brand, told the skimm. getty
tiktok users were outraged this week after a video claimed titanium dioxide in tampons cause cancer, and while there’s very little evidence this is true, some researchers say there is also a lack of evidence proving it’s safe.
in the viral video with more than 7.9 million views, tiktok user @rachelmorgann__ explained that she recently saw another tiktok video where a woman claims that after using the l. brand tampons she experienced excessive bleeding, ovarian cysts and “irreversible uterine damage.” morgan goes onto claim that one of the ingredients listed on the back of the tampon box, titanium dioxide, causes cancer.
titanium dioxide (tio2) is a biologically inert substance used to create an opaque, white finish to the product it is added to. in canada, food-grade titanium dioxide is permitted as a food additive to whiten or brighten foods.
the substance has recently come under scrutiny as the european union evaluated the use of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (different from food-grade) and came to the conclusion that there is insufficient evidence that this new form of the substance is safe for humans. as a result, even though the eu noted they could not find any evidence of harm, the committee concluded that titanium dioxide can no longer be considered safe as a food additive. after a similar review, health canada came to the opposite conclusion and continues to allow the substance to be used.
advertisement
titanium dioxide represents less than 0.1 per cent of all ingredients used in the tampon, a spokesperson proctor and gamble, the company which produces the l. brand, told the skimm. the fda also confirmed it has not received any reports about titanium dioxide in menstrual products, and requires manufacturers to evaluate the safety of the finished products in a number of ways — including on vaginal bacteria.
dubbing the videos “chemophobia,” dr. jen gunter, ob/gyn, wrote that titanium dioxide doesn’t dissolve in water, so there isn’t a risk of the substance building up in blood pooling in the vagina and then being absorbed into the body. coupled with the fact that tampons are one-use only, there is little risk of breakdown in the body.
gunter also pointed out the myriad of ways titanium dioxide is used in our everyday lives — from sunscreen to mouthwash — with no reports of being linked to developing cancer.
“titanium dioxide isn’t making tampons into toxic death sticks,” gunter writes.
“inadequate evidence” titanium dioxide carries cancer risk for humans
while research in rats indicates titanium dioxide may be a cancer risk if inhaled, there is no direct evidence that there is a risk for humans, dr. ryan marino, a medical toxicologist and assistant professor at case western reserve university school of medicine, told gizmodo. while some research involving injection of “massive amounts” of the chemical were linked to inflammation and possible genetic damage, this was far beyond what a normal consumer would encounter through casual use of over-the-counter products.
advertisement
a report by the who’s international agency for research on cancer (iarc) concluded that there is “inadequate evidence” to indicate titanium dioxide carries a cancer risk for humans. to come to this conclusion, the working group reviewed multiple studies on production workers in facilities producing titanium dioxide. one study, conducted in “six european countries” indicated a slightly increased risk of lung cancer, however, it is important to note that these workers were also exposed to other particles in the air as a nature of their daily work. two other similar studies based in the u.s. did not find an increased risk for lung or any other cancer in those who worked in titanium dioxide industry, while a third study conducted in montreal did not find an increased risk of lung or kidney cancer.
other studies on the use of titanium dioxide in sunscreens found that the substance is only able to penetrate the outer layers of healthy skin.
however, because of the animal studies that indicate a risk to rats and mice, the iarc working group listed the substance as a group 2b carcinogen, which means the chemical is “possibly carcinogenic to humans.”
ask questions about tampons and other menstrual products
advertisement
some medical professionals see this ongoing question as yet another example of the lack of research on menstruation and female reproduction.
“there is no published research available currently that has examined the impacts of vaginal or vulvar exposure to titanium dioxide,” aimee eyvazzadeh, md, a fertility and endocrinology specialist, told well + good. “but while no study has positively linked titanium dioxide exposure to ovarian cancer, miscarriages, or utis, we also don’t have the science to assure us that this kind of exposure is perfectly safe either.”
alexandra scranton, director of science and research at women’s voices for the earth, also stressed to the skimm that while there isn’t data to support this “alarmist concern,” there also isn’t much data to confirm these products are 100 per cent safe for use in menstrual products. consumers should continue to read ingredient labels and ask questions about what it is they’re putting in their bodies.
“what’s great is that people are asking these questions,” scranton said. “and that’s a really good thing to drive science [and] safer products. this is what manufacturers need to know — that people are reading these things and asking these questions.”
advertisement
emma jones is a multimedia editor with healthing. you can reach her at emjones@postmedia.com or on instagram and twitter @jonesyjourn.
thank you for your support. if you liked this story, please send it to a friend. every share counts.
share story
