Can PFAS in food packaging transfer through fish to your blood?
Yes. A 20-year study tracking PFAS in human blood found both legacy and newer replacement PFAS are present, with some replacement chemicals rising as old ones decline.
What's actually in it
PFAS enter your body from nonstick cookware, food packaging, stain-resistant fabrics, and contaminated water. Once in your blood, they stick around for years. As older PFAS like PFOA were phased out, manufacturers switched to newer replacements. Both old and new versions circulate in human blood.
Your blood is essentially a record of your PFAS exposure history.
What the research says
A 2026 study in Environ Sci Technol analyzed human blood samples collected from 2003 to 2021 to track PFAS levels over nearly two decades.
Legacy PFAS like PFOA and PFOS declined slowly over the study period as they were phased out of products. But they were still detectable in every sample because they take years to leave the body.
Meanwhile, newer replacement PFAS appeared and rose in concentration. The total PFAS burden in human blood didn't actually decrease much. Old chemicals were simply being replaced by new ones.
This "regrettable substitution" pattern means that PFAS-free products, not just PFOA-free or PFOS-free products, are needed to actually reduce human exposure.
The research at a glance
| Study | Journal | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Evaluating Legacy and Emerging PFAS in Human Blood Collected from 2003 to 2021. | Environ Sci Technol | 2026 |
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