If you’re a loved one with babies and young children, when you see something advertised as “water-resistant” or “stain-resistant,” you are likely more inclined to consider the product. After all, kids are messy!
But, parents and loved ones everywhere may need to reassess that inclination after a new study from Silent Spring Institute showed that many children’s products—especially water-resistant ones and even those labeled as “green”—contain harmful PFAS chemicals not listed on the label.
Studies have linked per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to numerous adverse health outcomes, including cancer, thyroid disease, decreased birth weight, developmental toxicity, ulcerative colitis, preeclampsia and immunotoxicity.
Children’s exposure to PFAS is even more concerning as their smaller size, developing bodies and changing hormones and physiology may make them more susceptible to negative effects. In fact, a 2017 review found evidence of associations between PFAS levels in the blood and changes in the age when children first begin menstruating, changes in kidney function and immune responses, and with dyslipidemia, an imbalance of fats in the blood that can put children at risk for cardiovascular disease.
In this study, published in the American Chemical Society’s Environmental Science & Technology, researchers tested 93 different products often used by children and adolescents, including bedding, furnishings, and clothing. They specifically chose products that were labeled as stain-resistant, water-resistant, green or nontoxic.
The scientists first used a rapid screening method to test the products for fluorine—a marker of PFAS. Total fluorine was detected above 10 ppm in 54 of 93 products (58%). In the products, the element ranged from 0 to 3,660 ppm, with the highest concentration found in a water/stain-resistant school uniform shirt. In fact, overall, the researchers found that products advertised as water/stain-resistant—including those labeled as green or non-toxic—were more likely to contain detectable levels of total fluorine and higher levels of PFAS.
According to the study results, clothing and upholstery had the highest detection frequencies, both overall (79%) and among water/stain-resistant items (100%). Meanwhile, rugs and sheets had the lowest detection frequencies overall (25%), while within the water/stain-resistant category, masks and pillow protectors had the lowest detection frequency (33%).
“These are products that children come into close contact with every day and over a long period of time. Given the toxicity of PFAS and the fact that the chemicals don’t serve a critical function, they should not be allowed in products,” said co-author Kathryn Rodgers, a doctoral student at Boston University School of Public Health.
PFOA, a legacy PFAS that has been phased out in the U.S., was detected in a variety of products, including those labeled as green. However, most of those products came from China, where long-chain PFAS are still being manufactured.
“Approximately half of the products we purchased in the study came from China, while 75% of the products with long-chain detections (n=8) came from China. By contrast, products containing short-chain PFAS came from a wider range of countries, including China and the U.S., and more closely reflected the countries of origin among the products in our study overall,” the researchers explain in their paper.
Additionally, the study’s findings highlight the need for green certifiers to include PFAS in their criteria and to conduct a more thorough review of the products they certify, says Rodgers.
PFAS, also called forever chemicals, have been in the mainstream news often as of late as a number of states have introduced or passed legislation to prevent manufacturers from putting PFAS in products. California passed legislation banning the use of PFAS in certain infant and children’s products and is now considering a bill to ban PFAS in textiles; while Washington state passed a bill aimed at phasing out PFAS in a range of products, including apparel, cosmetics and firefighter gear by 2025. A new law in Maine prohibits the sale of all products with intentionally added PFAS, except those where the use of PFAS is unavoidable, starting in 2030, and Massachusetts introduced a bill that would prohibit the use of PFAS in common household products, including carpeting, cookware and cosmetics.