This week, the San Francisco Superior Court of California ordered pesticide giant Monsanta to pay US$289 million to a groundskeeper who alleged that glyphosphate (Roundup) was the cause of his cancer.
While this man’s plight may sound far removed from your own life, what you may be shocked to realise is that the majority of conventional cotton crops, which are used to create non-organic tampons are sprayed with… wait for it… gylphosphate. You read that right; it’s the very same product the court just confirmed to be carcinagenic (i.e. cancer causing).
So, is this an isolated, one-off case?
Alarmingly, it appears not. Because according to Reuters there are currently 5,000 similar cases pending in the USA alone.
Are the pesticide residues processed away by the time a tampon is produced?
Unfortunately, it appears not. In 2015, a widely reported study from the University of La Plata in Argentina, found that around 85 per cent of cotton products such as baby wipes, gauze, cotton balls, and feminine products like pads and tampons, actually tested positive for glyphosate. At the time, this is what Argentinian paediatrician Vazquez Medardo Avila, president of the 3rd National Congress of Doctors for Fumigated Communities said about the study:
“The results of this research are very serious. When you use cotton or gauze to heal wounds or for personal hygiene, you do this thinking that the products are sterilised; but in fact, you are using products contaminated with a carcinogenic substance.”
Monsanto maintain that their glyphosphate-containing products are safe. But do you really want to take their word for it?
If you believe that glyphosate should not be contained in tampons, consider signing the petition at https://actions.sumofus.org/a/what-is-monsanto-s-carcinogenic-herbicide-doing-in-tampons
Don’t risk your health any longer. By opting for Crimson Organic Tampons you are choosing a product that is made from certified 100% organic cotton, which contains no sprays, no pesticides and no toxins.
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