Did you know that many items of children's clothing can contain lead? This surprising finding was presented by researchers at the spring 2026 meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS).
Researchers tested 11 shirts from four retailers, including fast fashion and discount retailers. They found that every sample contained lead that exceeded US safety (federal regulatory) limits - which is 100 ppm. Brightly colored fabrics, especially red and yellow, had particularly high levels.
The researchers than analyzed how much lead would be transferred if chewed, sucked, or held by a child. They found that such exposure would exceed the daily lead ingestion limit for children. This means young children may be exposed to especially high and dangerous levels if they briefly chew or suck on their clothes - which many children do.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission currently has a 100-parts-per-million (ppm) lead limit for children’s products like toys and clothing. Apparently some manufacturers use lead acetate as an inexpensive way to help dyes stick to the materials and produce bright, long-lasting color. And yes, there are safe alternatives to lead acetate that fix dyes to fabrics and keep them vibrant.
By the way, there is no safe level for lead. It is always dangerous and can cause nervous system damage, including lower IQs.
From Science Daily: Study finds dangerous lead levels in children’s clothing
Fast fashion offers an affordable way to keep up with kids who quickly outgrow their clothes. But new early research suggests that some of these garments may contain a dangerous substance: lead. After analyzing shirts from several retailers, undergraduate researchers found that every item tested exceeded U.S. federal safety limits for lead. Their findings also suggest that even brief chewing on these fabrics (which young children often do) could expose kids to unsafe levels.
The results were presented at the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS).
Kamila Deavers, who led the project, became interested in lead exposure after her young daughter briefly showed elevated lead levels linked to toy coatings, before stricter regulations were introduced. Today, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission limits lead in children's products like toys and clothing to 100-parts-per-million (ppm).
Deavers now works with undergraduate students in her chemistry lab at Marian University to identify everyday sources of heavy metal exposure and share that information with the community. "I started to see many articles about lead in clothing from fast fashion," says Deavers. "And I realized not too many parents knew about the issue."
Earlier research has shown that lead can appear in metal components of children's clothing, such as zippers, buttons and snaps, sometimes leading to recalls. However, lead has also been detected directly in fabrics, including items sold for adults.
According to Deavers, some manufacturers use lead(II) acetate as a low-cost way to help dyes bond to fabric and maintain bright, long-lasting colors.
Cristina Avello and Priscila Espinoza, both pre-med students at Marian University, joined the study to better understand how fast fashion might affect children's health. They also wanted to combine research with outreach on a topic that often goes unnoticed.
Lead exposure is harmful at any level. It has been linked to behavioral issues, damage to the brain and central nervous system, and other health problems. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency identifies children under 6 years old as especially vulnerable.
"Not only are children the most vulnerable to the effects of lead, but they're also the population that is going to be putting their clothes in their mouths," says Avello.
Testing Reveals High Lead Levels in Kids' Shirts
The research team tested 11 shirts in a range of colors, including red, pink, orange, yellow, gray and blue, purchased from four retailers that included fast-fashion and discount brands.
"We saw that the shirts we tested were all over the allowed limit for lead of 100 ppm," says Espinoza.
Across brands, brighter colors such as red and yellow tended to contain more lead than less vibrant shades. While the sample size was limited, Avello notes that none of the items tested met U.S. safety standards.
Simulating Exposure From Chewing on Fabric
In a second phase of the study, the researchers simulated how the body might process lead if children mouthed or chewed on clothing. They recreated stomach conditions to estimate how much lead could become available for absorption.
Using this data, they modeled potential exposure from mouthing behavior (e.g., sucking, holding or chewing on fabric). The results suggest that such exposure could exceed the daily ingestion limit for children established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Deavers notes that these estimates are likely conservative. Even so, repeated exposure over time could raise a child's blood lead levels enough to warrant clinical monitoring.
They also want to examine how washing affects lead(II) acetate. This includes whether contaminated clothing could transfer lead to other items in the wash and how detergents interact with the chemical. One concern is that washing could create a lead-containing residue inside machines, which might need to be cleaned to prevent releasing contamination into wastewater.
Calls for Safer Dyeing Methods in Fast Fashion
The researchers hope their findings will encourage more thorough testing of clothing before it reaches consumers and push manufacturers to adopt safer alternatives during the dyeing process.
Options already exist for fixing dyes without lead, including natural mordants derived from plants rich in tannins, such as oak bark, pomegranate peel and rosemary, as well as alum, which is considered environmentally safe.
"But if you want to change the clothing industry's technology, that will cost a lot of money," says Deavers. Without pressure from consumers or regulators, companies may have little motivation to switch to safer methods.
Ultimately, the researchers aim to inform the public about a potential but often overlooked source of lead exposure in children's clothing. By increasing awareness, they hope parents and caregivers can make more informed decisions.