Scientists say the chemicals in nonstick pans could affect children for years to come

By Stacey Leasca | Food & Wine | May 28, 2026

Read the full article by Stacey Leasca (Food & Wine)

"By now, you're likely familiar with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as "forever chemicals," which are found in everything from waterproof clothing to nonstick pans. You may also know that researchers are uncovering alarming links between these chemicals and human health, including potential effects such as accelerated biological aging, increased risk of diabetes, and cancer. Now, researchers are finding that these substances may also have an outsized impact on children.

In March, a team of researchers led by the University of North Carolina published their study in the Journal of the Endocrine Society, finding that kids with higher blood levels of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), one of thousands of PFAS compounds, had lower forearm bone density by age 12 than those with low levels. The researchers also examined other PFAS compounds, including perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA); however, these compounds showed more variable results.

To reach this conclusion, the researchers tracked 218 children from a prospective pregnancy and birth cohort, measuring their blood PFAS levels at birth and again at ages 3, 8, and 12 years old, then assessed bone density using imaging technology. They found that bone density was lower by age 12, and that higher PFOA concentrations were consistently linked to lower forearm bone density at every time point measured."

This content provided by the PFAS Project.