Study Finds Stuffed Toys Release PFAS 'Forever Chemicals' Into Children's Saliva

A study published in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology reveals that commercial stuffed toys can release PFAS 'forever chemicals' into children's saliva during mouthing. Testing 18 European toys, researchers found short-chain PFAS, particularly PFHxA, in all samples. While washing toys in 30°C water generally reduced chemical migration, it was not uniformly effective and occasionally increased the release of certain compounds like PFBA and PFPeA, highlighting the complexity of early-life exposure mitigation.

PFAS migration from toys

• ▪Short-chain carboxylic acids, particularly perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), dominated the PFAS migration profiles of the tested stuffed toys, with PFHxA detected in every sample.
• ▪Washing stuffed toys in detergent-free water at 30°C for one hour generally reduced PFAS migration, but was not uniformly effective and occasionally increased migration for perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) and perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA).
• ▪A study in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology quantified saliva-mediated PFAS migration from 18 commercial stuffed toys marketed for infants and toddlers aged 0–3 years in Europe.

Environmental persistence of PFAS

• ▪PFAS are synthetic fluorinated compounds widely used since the 1950s whose chemical, thermal, and biological persistence is attributed to the strong carbon–fluorine bond, earning them the designation of 'forever chemicals.'
• ▪The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and United Nations Environment Programme list over 4,700 PFAS, with broader structural definitions encompassing tens of thousands of substances.

PFAS health risks

• ▪Immune suppression, particularly reduced antibody responses to routine childhood vaccinations, is the most sensitive adverse health outcome associated with PFAS exposure.
• ▪The European Food Safety Authority established a group tolerable weekly intake of 4.4 ng/kg body weight per week for the sum of PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS, and PFNA.
• ▪PFAS exposure is associated with dyslipidemia, altered liver enzymes, reduced birthweight, and increased risks of renal and testicular cancers at higher exposure levels.

Infant vulnerability to PFAS

• ▪Infants and young children are highly vulnerable to PFAS due to higher intake per unit body weight, immature renal elimination, and frequent mouthing behaviors.
• ▪PFAS are detectable in over 96% of U.S. adolescents and adults, with early-life accumulation occurring via maternal-fetal transfer and breastfeeding.

LC-MS/MS analytical methodology

• ▪PFAS analysis was conducted using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) with a binary gradient, electrospray ionization in negative mode, and multiple reaction monitoring.
• ▪To simulate infant mouthing, 10 cm² sections of toy fabric were incubated in 10 ml of artificial saliva at pH 6.5 and 37°C for 30 minutes with orbital agitation.