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woman hand wiping spilled coffee with paper towel

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Do your paper towels contain indications of toxic PFAS “forever chemicals”? Mamavation was asked that question by our audience, and the only way to find out was to send the most popular paper towel products to the lab. So that is what we did in our latest consumer study on PFAS. You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you topics like best green beauty makeup sans PFAS, best & worst cookware sans PFAS, & best water filters to capture PFAS, now join us for a consumer study on indications of PFAS and paper towels. Scroll down to the bottom of this post to see the raw data from our EPA-certified laboratory inside MAMAGATE.

Disclosure: This consumer study is released in partnership with Environmental Health News. Donations were provided by Environmental Health News and Mamavation community members. 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 some 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 © 2026 Mamavation — All Rights Reserved

Paper Towels together in a pile

Mamavation Finds Indications of PFAS in Paper Towels

PFAS “forever chemicals” are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances used as stain-resistant, water-resistant, & oil-resistant chemicals in commerce. They have been used for decades inside consumer products, manufacturing, and building materials. There are over 15,000 different chemicals in the PFAS chemical class (including PFOA & PTFE), and because there are so many of them, they are incredibly hard to identify and test for. The biggest problem with PFAS is their staying power–they do not leave the environment or our bodies for many many years, which is the reason they are dubbed “forever chemicals.”

Mamavation sent 16 paper towel products to an EPA-certified laboratory to test for organic fluorine, which is a marker for PFAS “forever chemical” compounds. We included as many types of paper pulp as we could, such as bamboo, recycled, and conventional wood pulp.

Here are the main findings from Mamavation’s paper towels PFAS Consumer Study:

  • 31% of paper towels tested at Mamavation’s EPA-certified lab had indications of PFAS “forever chemicals”, while 69% of paper towels tested did not. In other words, 5 out of 16 products contained indications of PFAS “forever chemicals.”
  • According to our lab, levels of organic fluorine, a marker for PFAS, were found between 6 parts per million (ppm) to 37 parts per million (ppm).
  • 80% of the products with detectable levels of organic fluorine were recycled paper products. In other words, 4 out of 5 detectable products were made from recycled pulp
  • (UPDATE: 5 additional brands were updated to this investigation in 3/2026. They are not reflected in the percentages above.)

When PFAS is detected in paper towels in the amounts we are seeing they are unlikely added on purpose but are more likely present due to manufacturing or packaging contamination of some kind in the supply chain. 

Roll of paper towels and wooden board with butter on kitchen table

PFAS “Forever Chemicals” Have Problematic Health Effects

PFAS “forever chemicals” are problematic for human health and the environment. They are considered ubiquitous, persistent, and toxic. Many of these PFAS chemicals can last for years or decades in our bodies. The health effects of exposure to PFAS on the skin in sensitive areas like breast tissue are unknown. It’s also unknown what happens when it is absorbed into our tissues and travels around in our bodies. However, we do know that these areas can be vulnerable to toxic chemicals like PFAS “forever chemicals.” Therefore, it’s imperative to reduce the amount of PFAS you are exposed to from food, water, and consumer products. Mamavation is dedicated to helping you do that when you are shopping for paper towels.

Here are some of the health effects of different PFAS “forever chemicals:”

It’s also very clear based on biomonitoring evidence from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) that PFAS are in all Americans. Therefore, these exposures can harm most Americans.

Two paper kitchen towels on the brown wooden table.

Other Categories of Products Mamavation Has Tested for Indications of PFAS “Forever Chemicals”

Before we launch into the raw data from our lab, we wanted to remind you about all the other studies we have done on indications of PFAS “forever chemicals” inside the food and consumer products you may bring inside your home. Each one of these studies were done in a similar fashion as this study with brands sent independently to the lab and raw data of those labs at the bottom of the post.

All additional consumer studies are posted here.

Paper Towels on a mint background

Mamavation’s Investigation of Paper Towels & Indications of PFAS “Forever Chemicals”

Paper towel products were donated in 2024 & 2025. For this consumer study, most products were purchased by community members and sent to us in original packaging.

Testing: Mamavation’s EPA-certified laboratory uses marker testing to identify the potential presence of PFAS “forever chemicals” in paper towels. Organic fluorine is a marker for PFAS because all PFAS chemicals are carbon-based compounds that contain fluorine. The specific lab method used to test for total fluorine was the Determination of Total Fluorine by Oxygen Flask Combustion and Ion-Selective Electrode. If total fluorine was observed at a detection level of 10 ppm or greater, the lab did the Determination of free Fluoride Ion in the product by Ion-Selective Electrode and then subtracted that from the Total Fluorine to determine the amount of organic fluorine. This marker testing is likely to show the presence of PFAS. Organic fluorine can also capture other fluoropolymers, pharmaceuticals, and common hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants, such as 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (commonly known as R-134a) and 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (commonly known as HFO-1234yf), which are all also PFAS.

Product Brands We Tested
To help our community make safer choices, Mamavation sent a wide range of popular paper towels to our EPA-certified laboratory for organic fluorine testing.

Below is the complete list of paper towels included in our investigation.

Paper Towel Products Tested by Mamavation

  • Aware (Amazon) 100% Bamboo Paper Towels
  • Bounty Paper Towels
  • Brawny Tear-A-Square Paper Towels
  • Caboo Tree Free Paper Towels Made from Sustainable Bamboo
  • EcoFirst Sustainable Paper Products Paper Towels
  • Ever Spring 100% Recycled Paper Towels
  • Green Forest 100% Recycled Paper Towels contains 80% post-consumer recycled paper
  • Grove Co. Tree-Free Paper Towels
  • Kirkland Signature Premium Towel
  • Natural Value 100% Recycled Quilted Kraft Paper Towels 80% Post Consumer Recycled Content
  • Natural Value 100% Recycled Paper Towels
  • Purafide 100% Bamboo Paper Towels
  • Seventh Generation 100% Recycled Paper Towels Minimum 85% Post-Consumer Recycled Paper Whitened without Chlorine Bleach
  • Seventh Generation Unbleached Paper Towels 100% Recycled to Save Energy & Water Minimum 80% Post-Consumer Recycled Paper
  • Sprouts Farmers Market Recycled Strong & Absorbent Paper Towels Unbleached
  • Sprouts Farmers Market Strong & Absorbent Paper Towels
  • Reel Premium Tree Free Kitchen Towel Made from 100% Recycled Fiber 
  • Reel Sustainable Bamboo Paper Towels
  • Repurpose Ultra Strong Bamboo Paper Towels
  • Up & Up (Target) Premium Quality Paper Towels
  • Viva Multi-Surface Cloth Paper Towels

Want full access to the raw data, organic fluorine levels, and our recommendations for the safest mouth tape products? Join MAMAGATE and get free access to the complete buying guide below, with detailed lab results for every product.

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