A new study published in Nature (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41370-026-00946-8) found that commercially available stuffed toys can release PFAS into artificial saliva, suggesting an overlooked exposure source for infants and young children.
At first glance, this may seem surprising. Why would a child’s plush toy contain “forever chemicals”?
The answer is that PFAS are often introduced during manufacturing—not necessarily because the toy is made of plastic, but because of the materials and chemical treatments used throughout the product.
Many stuffed toys are made from polyester fabric and polyester fibrefill, both plastic-based materials. However, polyester itself does not require PFAS. Instead, PFAS may be present because they are used:
• as water-, stain- or dirt-resistant finishes on textile surfaces,
• in coatings or processing aids during textile manufacturing,
• in sewing threads, labels or decorative components,
• or as residues from fluorinated chemicals used somewhere in the production process.
The study found that all tested toys released detectable levels of PFAS into artificial saliva, with short-chain PFAS—particularly PFHxA—dominating. These short-chain PFAS are increasingly used as replacements for older PFAS, such as PFOA and PFOS, which are already regulated under the Stockholm Convention on POPs, yet important questions about their long-term health impacts remain. This highlights a broader challenge.
Consumers cannot know which chemicals are hidden inside everyday products. Manufacturers often cannot fully identify the chemicals present throughout complex supply chains. And regulators struggle to manage risks when information is incomplete.
This is why chemical transparency matters. Improved disclosure of chemicals in products would help manufacturers substitute hazardous substances, enable informed purchasing decisions, improve recycling, and ultimately reduce unnecessary exposure—especially for children.
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