Toxic pesticide levels found in tampons 40 times higher than legal limit for water

Chemicals absorbed through the vagina directly enter the bloodstream, bypassing the body’s detoxification systems. Photograph: Dorset Media Service/Alamy

Toxic pesticide levels have been found in tampons at levels 40 times higher than the legal limit for drinking water.

Traces of glyphosate, a pesticide linked to cancer, has been found at very high levels in menstrual products, according to a report by the Pesticide Action Network UK (Pan UK), the Women’s Environmental Network and the Pesticide Collaboration.