What are the safest children’s multivitamins available with the lowest amount of toxic contaminants like pesticides, heavy metals, PFAS “forever chemicals,” and phthalates? We asked our audience what children’s multivitamins they were giving their kids and we sent the top nine products off to different EPA-certified laboratories to check. The results can help parents in our community make educated decisions on what brands to purchase for their children. You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you consumer studies like safest cooking oils tested for phthalates, safest water filters to filter PFAS, and safest probiotics for kids tested for indications of PFAS “forever chemicals,” now join us for a consumer study testing children’s multivitamins for pesticides, PFAS “forever chemicals,” phthalates, & heavy metals.
Disclosure: This consumer study is released in partnership with Environmental Health News. Scientific reviews were performed by (1) Terrence Collins, Teresa Heinz Professor of Green Chemistry & Director of the Institute for Green Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University & (2) Linda S. Birnbaum, Scientist Emeritus and Former Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program & Scholar in Residence at Duke University, Adjunct Professor at the University of North Carolina, & Yale University. Donations were provided by Environmental Health News and Mamavation community members. Note that Mamavation has only “spot-checked” the industry and thus we cannot make predictions about brands and products that we have not tested. Products and manufacturing aides can change without notice so buyer beware. This post contains affiliate links, with most to Amazon, which means Mamavation will receive a portion of those sales and we will use that to pay ourselves back for the testing. You can also give a tax-deductible donation to our consumer studies here through Environmental Health Sciences. Thank you! Copyright © 2025 Mamavation — All Rights Reserved
Mamavation’s EPA-Certified Laboratory Finds Heavy Metals, PFAS, Pesticides, & Phthalates in Popular Children’s Multivitamins
As parents, we all want the best for our kids, and that includes ensuring the supplements we give them are safe. In a recent study, Mamavation tested popular children’s multivitamins for potential contaminants. The results revealed that while many brands are doing better in some areas, there’s still work to be done.
The investigation, which involved sending nine popular children’s multivitamins to EPA-certified labs, focused on identifying PFAS analytes, phthalates, heavy metals, glyphosate, and over 500 pesticides. The findings? A mixed bag, to say the least.
- PFAS Presence: A concerning 44% of the tested multivitamins contained detectable levels of specific PFAS chemicals, also known as “forever chemicals.”
- Phthalates Detected: Similarly, 44% of the products showed the presence of ortho-phthalates.
- Heavy Metals: Thankfully, none of the products exceeded levels requiring a California Prop. 65 warning for heavy metals like lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury.
- Pesticides & Glyphosate: The good news here is that none of the tested multivitamins showed detectable levels of glyphosate or other pesticides at the lowest standardized detection levels.
Expert Linda S. Birnbaum, Scientist Emeritus and Former Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program, weighed in after reviewing the study’s scientific aspects, stating: “Children’s multivitamins are doing a better job avoiding heavy metals… but still have issues with phthalates and PFAS. Those specific contaminants are very problematic to children’s health…”
Contaminants Included in Mamavation’s EPA Certified Laboratory Testing
The testing focused on a range of contaminants, including those not typically listed on ingredient labels. These hidden ingredients can come from manufacturing, transport, and even farming practices.
The labs looked for these contaminants:
- 40 specific PFAS “forever chemicals”
- Glyphosate
- 500+ additional pesticides
- Phthalates
- Lead
- Arsenic
- Cadmium
- Mercury
Expert Terrence Collins from Carnegie Mellon University highlighted the importance of this: “Companies in this area have some serious rethinking, resourcing, chemical purification, and chemical monitoring work to do to stabilize the bedrock that is essential for consumer trust.”
PFAS “Forever Chemical” Analytes Tested, Including PFOA & PFOS
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of man-made chemicals used in numerous consumer products. They’re known for their stain-resistant, water-resistant, and oil-resistant properties. Unfortunately, PFAS are persistent in the environment and have been linked to various health issues.
The CDC’s biomonitoring data confirms that PFAS are widespread in the U.S. population.
The study tested for forty specific PFAS analytes, including:
- Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA)
- Perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA)
- Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA)
- Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA)
- Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)
- Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA)
- Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA)
- Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA)
- Perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA)
- Perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTriA)
- Perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTeA)
- Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS)
- Perfluoropentanesulfonic acid (PFPeS)
- Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS)
- Perfluoroheptanesulfonic Acid (PFHpS)
- Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)
- Perfluorononanesulfonic acid (PFNS)
- Perfluorodecanesulfonic acid (PFDS)
- Perfluorododecanesulfonic acid (PFDoS)
- Perfluorooctanesulfonamide (FOSA)
- NMeFOSAA
- NEtFOSAA
- 4:2 FTS
- 6:2 FTS
- 8:2 FTS
- NEtFOSA
- NMeFOSA
- NMeFOSE
- NEtFOSE
- 9Cl-PF3ONS
- HFPO-DA (GenX)
- 11Cl-PF3OUdS
- ADONA
- 3:3 FTCA
- 5:3 FTCA
- 7:3 FTCA
- NFDHA
- PFMBA
- PFMPA
- PFEESA
