Medical Devices
Tampons, Dioxin & Asbestos
A joint statement by Medsafe, New Zealand and the Therapeutic Goods
Administration, Australia
November 1999
Rumours have recently been circulating on the Internet and elsewhere
concerning the presence of dioxins and asbestos in tampons. These rumours
first surfaced as long ago as 1990 and have been the subject of investigation
on a number of occasions.
The presence of asbestos in tampons has never been substantiated and both the
Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and Medsafe regard this rumour as
totally unfounded.
The levels of dioxin in tampons are extremely low and there is no evidence
that tampons are a risk to health from dioxin contamination. This is a view
shared by other regulatory authorities including the US Food and Drug
Administration (FDA).
Tampons present NO health risk from dioxins.
Some brands of tampon contain rayon fibres. Some of the rumours claim that bleaching processes in rayon manufacture generate harmful levels of dioxins. Rayons used in tampons are bleached by processes which, although they could theoretically generate extremely low levels of dioxins, are in all practical terms dioxin free. Testing by manufacturers and by government laboratories in several countries have shown dioxin levels in tampons to be at or below the detectable limit of about one part in a trillion. That is equivalent to about one teaspoonful diluted in a thousand olympic size swimming pools. Such extremely low levels present no health risk to tampon users.
Tampons do NOT contain Asbestos
There have been rumours circulating for many years that tampon manufacturers deliberately incorporate asbestos into their products to increase bleeding and therefore promote tampon sales. TGA and Medsafe have no evidence of such a practice – which would of course be a crime.
Australia and New Zealand have strict controls for tampons.
Tampons supplied in Australia and New Zealand must comply with quality and
safety standards which are set out in the Australia/New Zealand Standard
AS/NZS 2869:1998 Tampons – Menstrual.
AS/NZS 2869 sets minimum requirements for permissible materials, absorbency,
microbial content, package labelling and a patient information leaflet.
August 2003
Information about tampons and Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) is available on the Health Canada web site: Health Canada - It's Your Health - Menstrual Tampons