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Jul 21, 2026

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

New research published in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology found that all 18 tested stuffed toys released at least one type of PFAS into artificial saliva under conditions simulating children mouthing the toys, with PFHxA being the primary compound detected.

Jul 21, 20264 sources

Top claims

▪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.
▪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).
▪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.

Subtopics

Children1 Drug Approval and Clinical Trials1 Environmental1 Environmental and Occupational Health1 Environmental health1 PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances)1 PFHxA (Perfluorohexanoic Acid)1

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