Can lead, mercury, and PFAS pass into breast milk?
caution
What can pass into milk
Breast milk is still an important food for babies. It can also reflect some exposures in a parent's body.
The best-studied concerns include lead, mercury, PFOA, and PFOS. PFOA and PFOS are older PFAS chemicals.
What the research says
A 2026 systematic review in Environmental Research reviewed 48 articles from 46 studies. It found that higher exposure to lead, mercury, PFOA, and PFOS during pregnancy or lactation correlated with higher concentrations of those contaminants in human milk.
The review rated certainty as moderate for lead, PFOA, and PFOS, and low for mercury. Evidence for arsenic and cadmium was limited and inconclusive. The review does not say parents should stop breastfeeding.
What to do at home
Ask your clinician about personal concerns, especially if you live in an older home or have known water or fish exposure issues. For daily food storage, glass can reduce extra contact with plastic packaging and coated containers. Do not heat food in plastic.