Tampax Pearl Lawsuit Alleges Toxic Lead in Tampons May Enter Bloodstream

Class action indicates Tampax Pearl tampons contain dangerously high levels of lead, which may expose women to numerous mental and physical side effects.

A newly filed lawsuit claims the manufacturer of Tampax Pearl tampons has misled consumers about the safety of their product, by omitting warnings that the tampons contain with harmful amounts of lead, which could enter the bloodstream and cause various health risks.

The complaint (PDF) was brought by Ciji Sanchez and at least eight other plaintiffs in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio on November 19, pursuing damages from The Procter & Gamble Company on behalf of themselves and other similarly situated consumers. 

Lead is a toxic heavy metal that has been linked to a range of serious health problems, including hypertension, kidney damage and reproductive harm. Federal health officials stress that no amount of lead exposure is considered safe for the human body.

In August 2024, researchers from Columbia University and the University of California, Berkeley reported finding lead and other heavy metals in at least 14 tampon brands and 18 product lines sold nationwide. The study warned that exposure to these contaminants may raise the risk of infertility, hormonal disturbances and certain cancers among women.

Those findings add to a growing body of federal and independent reports showing that lead and other heavy metals have been detected in a wide variety of consumer products, including e-cigarettes, soft drinks and baby food.

Lead contamination in baby food has become a significant concern in recent years, with exposure to heavy metals linked to developmental delays, learning difficulties and behavioral problems in children. These risks have led to a wave of toxic baby food lawsuits against major manufacturers, including Gerber, Beech-Nut, Plum, Hain, Campbell, Walmart and Sprout, with families alleging their children developed autism or ADHD after consuming products later found to contain dangerous levels of heavy metals.

In their tampon lawsuit, Sanchez and the other plaintiffs indicate that P&G marketed the Tampax Pearl products as safe, “clinically tested gentle to skin,” free of dyes and perfumes, indicating that they were endorsed by U.S. gynecologists. However, the plaintiffs contend the manufacturer failed to warn that the absorbent portion inserted into the body may be contaminated with lead, a potent neurotoxin.

Independent laboratory testing commissioned by the plaintiffs allegedly detected measurable lead levels across all tampon varieties at issue, including:

• Tampax Pearl Ultra
• Tampax Pearl Super
• Tampax Pearl Super Plus
• Tampax Pearl Regular

The complaint states lead concentrations were up to 40 times higher in the affected tampon brands than the EPA’s action level for drinking water. The complaint also compares P&G’s products to other brands, noting that some competitors, including P&G’s own Tampax Pure Cotton line, registered no detectable lead in laboratory testing.

The lawsuit notes that internal absorption presents heightened risks, since lead absorbed through tissue can enter the bloodstream more readily. Plaintiffs point to research indicating that this route of exposure allows toxins to reach systemic circulation more efficiently than oral ingestion, raising concerns about reproductive harm, cognitive effects, hypertension, and other long-term health issues linked to lead.

According to the complaint, lead contamination in tampons is especially material to consumers, and survey data collected by plaintiffs’ counsel indicates more than 95% of respondents believe tampon manufacturers should test for and disclose lead. The filing states that none of P&G’s packaging or labeling provides such information, even though consumers routinely rely on ingredient lists and safety representations when choosing menstrual products.

The plaintiffs allege P&G had superior knowledge of the potential for heavy-metal contamination but continued marketing the tampons as safe to preserve sales, and allow the manufacturer to continue charging premium prices. They claim the company was aware of published research identifying lead in tampons, yet continued manufacturing the same products without adding warnings, even after lawsuits were first filed in 2024.

Each plaintiff states they purchased Tampax Pearl products based on safety representations on the box and would not have bought them, or would have paid significantly less, had they known the tampons contained or were at risk of containing lead. The lawsuit seeks damages for economic losses, arguing that consumers paid for a product worth less than represented and were deprived of the ability to choose safer alternatives.

“Defendant improperly, deceptively, and misleadingly labeled and marketed their Products to reasonable consumers, like Plaintiffs, by omitting and not disclosing to consumers on their packaging that the Products are contaminated with or at the risk of being contaminated with unsafe levels of lead, which is a powerful neurotoxin that is known to cause, inter alia, cognitive deficits, mental illness, dementia, and hypertension.”

— Ciji Sanchez et al v. The Procter & Gamble Company

The complaint presents claims under consumer-protection statutes in nine states, along with breach of implied warranty and unjust enrichment, and seeks nationwide certification as a Tampax Pearl class action lawsuit. Plaintiffs request restitution, disgorgement of profits, punitive damages, and injunctions requiring P&G to disclose heavy-metal content and halt deceptive marketing practices.

Tampax Tampon Lawsuits

This is not the first class action complaint to allege dangerous levels of lead contamination in various Tampax Pearl products. In July 2024, a separate lawsuit was filed by Allison Barton, naming P&G as the defendant.

According to independent tests cited by Barton, lead concentrations in Tampax Pearl tampons range from about 0.243 micrograms in the Pearl Light variety to roughly 0.787 micrograms in the Pearl Ultra product.

However, Barton noted that P&G’s own marketing materials indicate many users rely on three to six tampons per day. Based on those usage rates, she estimated daily lead exposure could range from roughly 0.729 to 2.36 micrograms, levels she says exceed California Proposition 65’s maximum allowable dose of 0.5 micrograms and should require a warning label.

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