Vitamin D Supplements Tested for Pesticides, Lead, PFAS, & Phthalates

Which Vitamin D supplements (primarily D3 K2 combos) contain the lowest levels of potentially harmful contaminants, including pesticides, heavy metals, PFAS “forever chemicals,” and phthalates? We asked our audience which Vitamin D supplements they were using, and then sent the top 11 products to different EPA-certified laboratories for contaminant testing. The results provide consumers with data-driven information to help evaluate and compare Vitamin D supplement brands based on contaminant levels. You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you consumer studies like safest cooking oils tested for phthalates, safest water filters to filter PFAS, and safest women’s multivitamins; now join us for a consumer study testing Vitamin D for pesticides, PFAS “forever chemicals,” phthalates, & heavy metals.

Disclosure: This consumer study is released in partnership with Environmental Health News. Scientific reviews were performed by (1) Terrence Collins, Teresa Heinz Professor of Green Chemistry & Director of the Institute for Green Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University. Donations were provided by Environmental Health News and Mamavation community members. Note that 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 most 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

Mamavation’s EPA-Certified Laboratory Finds Heavy Metals, PFAS, Pesticides, & Phthalates in Popular Vitamin D Supplements

Mamavation sent eleven popular vitamin D supplements to two EPA-certified laboratories testing for PFAS analytes, including PFOA/PFOS, phthalates, heavy metals, glyphosate, and 500+ additional pesticides. The contamination results were surprising considering how expensive most of these products were. Here’s the outcome of contaminants that were found according to our labs:

• 100% of Vitamin D supplements contained ortho-phthalates. That’s 11 out of 11 products.
• No Vitamin D supplements had levels of heavy metals (lead, arsenic, cadmium & mercury) that would require a Prop. 65 warning in California. 10 products had lower levels of heavy metals. However, 1 product had zero detectable heavy metals.
• None of the Vitamin D supplements we tested had detectable levels of glyphosate at the lowest standardized level.
• 64% of the Vitamin D supplements contained other detectable pesticides. That’s 7 out of 11 products.
• 9% of Vitamin D supplements contained specific PFAS chemicals. That’s 1 out of 11 products.

Terrence Collins, Teresa Heinz Professor of Green Chemistry & Director of the Institute for Green Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University, had some additional points he wanted to make about the testing.

“As a chemist deeply interested in all things chemical that matter to sustainability, my first question is not which brands scored well or poorly. Rather, it is: how are these contaminants getting into Vitamin D products in the first place? If brand owners have good insight into the origins of contamination, they can do a better job of keeping harmful contaminants out.

I take a daily Vitamin D supplement powder capsule and have done so for years. I have generally assumed that higher-priced brands with strong reputations would also exhibit superior contaminant control. The Mamavation findings suggest that this assumption may not always be warranted.

Vitamin D is manufactured primarily from lanolin, a greasy substance produced by sheep and other mammals to coat their wool for waterproofing and thermal insulation. Vegan products can be manufactured from lichen and algae. The synthesis from “wool oil” is relatively straightforward and involves photochemical conversion of lanolin-derived precursors into Vitamin D. One would expect modern purification procedures to remove most contaminants effectively. Yet the analytical findings suggest that contamination is entering some products at some point along the supply chain.

Observation 1: Anthraquinone appears in multiple brands at nearly identical concentrations.

A few vitamin brands contain anthraquinone at approximately 0.01 mg/kg (10 ppb). This raises the possibility of a common supplier, common processing aid, common capsule source, common contract manufacturer, or another shared supply-chain input. The quality-control teams at these brands should investigate whether they have a common upstream source.

Anthraquinone is carcinogenic in certain animal studies, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified it as Group 2B: possibly carcinogenic to humans.

Observation 2: The phthalate fingerprints do not suggest a single contamination source.

Mamavation has done a superb job of quantifying individual phthalates. There are many phthalates used in commerce, and different phthalates tend to be associated with different applications. The identity and quantity of each detected phthalate provide clues about possible contamination pathways.

The spread of phthalate profiles does not look like a single contaminant source affecting all brands equally. Rather, it suggests multiple contamination pathways rather than anything intrinsic to the Vitamin D source itself. At the same time, subgroups of brands exhibit similarities that could indicate common sources.

The first step for any manufacturer interested in eliminating these contaminants should be straightforward: analyze capsules separately from the fill material. Mamavation analyzed finished products, not the individual components. Without separate analyses of capsules, active ingredients, carrier oils, excipients, and packaging materials, it is difficult to determine where contamination is entering the system.

Observation 3: Several phthalate profiles are consistent with contact with flexible PVC materials.

The strongest signal, in my view, is possible contact with flexible PVC materials somewhere in processing or packaging. Diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), diisononyl phthalate (DINP), diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP), and benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) are commonly used as PVC plasticizers. Their recurring appearance across multiple brands is notable because one of their primary commercial functions is to soften PVC and impart flexibility.

Possible sources include:

• Flexible transfer hoses
•  Other tubing
• PVC-lined processing equipment
• Vinyl gloves
• Packaging components
• Other PVC-containing contact materials

This interpretation is, of course, a hypothesis rather than a conclusion. However, the contaminant fingerprints are broadly consistent with such sources.

In my view, PVC is a plastic with significant sustainability and human-health concerns. Phthalate exposure has repeatedly been associated with adverse reproductive outcomes in both laboratory animals and human studies and is considered one plausible contributor to declining male reproductive health.

Observation 4: Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) deserves particular attention.

DBP appears in numerous samples. Historically, its uses have included coatings, adhesives, printing inks, pharmaceutical excipients, and capsule-related processing materials.

The repeated appearance of DBP concerns me more than some of the other phthalates because human evidence exists demonstrating biological effects under real-world exposure conditions.

One of the strongest examples comes from work led by Russ Hauser and colleagues involving DBP-containing mesalamine formulations. Their findings included:

• Changes in semen quality measures when men switched between DBP-containing and non-DBP-containing formulations.
• Alterations in reproductive hormones, including LH, FSH, inhibin B, and testosterone-related signaling.
• Changes in sperm RNA and transcriptomic profiles.
• Associations between phthalate metabolites and sperm DNA damage or poorer semen parameters.

The mesalamine findings do not prove that the much lower DBP levels found in vitamin supplements produce similar effects. However, they demonstrate that DBP is not merely a theoretical concern and can affect human male reproductive biomarkers under real-world exposure conditions.

Several large analyses have reported declines in mean sperm counts exceeding 1% per year over recent decades. Approximately 10–15% of couples experience infertility, and male factors contribute to roughly half of those cases. Chemical contamination is a leading hypothesis for observed declines in male reproductive health and is supported by a growing body of mechanistic and epidemiological evidence, although the relative contribution of chemical exposures versus other factors remains uncertain.

Observation 5: Vegan and non-vegan products do not separate cleanly.

The contaminant profiles do not suggest that vegan products are systematically cleaner than non-vegan products. Manufacturers in both categories appear to have work to do.

Observation 6: One sample deserves immediate investigation.

The extreme outlier at 12,407 ppb total phthalates deserves special attention. This sample contains overwhelmingly DINP-dominated contamination and stands nearly an order of magnitude above most of the others tested.

Its contaminant profile is consistent with contact from a DINP-containing material somewhere in the manufacturing or packaging chain. Potential sources include transfer tubing, flexible PVC components, packaging materials, or another supplier-specific contact material.

If I were responsible for quality control at that company, identifying the source of that DINP contamination would be my first priority.

The broader lesson from these findings is that contaminant fingerprints often contain clues about where contamination enters a manufacturing system. Rather than treating the results merely as a ranking of good and bad brands, manufacturers should view them as diagnostic information. The patterns reported by Mamavation provide several testable hypotheses that quality-control teams could investigate immediately.”

 

Contaminants Included in Mamavation’s EPA Certified Laboratory Testing

Mamavation sent eleven Vitamin D supplements to two different EPA-certified laboratories looking for specific problematic contaminants that would not be listed on an ingredient panel. These ingredients are never found on an ingredient label because they are not considered “intentionally added” and would instead be considered more of a contaminant from manufacturing, transportation, storage, and/or agricultural practices. However, just because these contaminants are not “intentionally added” doesn’t mean they won’t impact your health over time and usage. With regular, long-term use, even low-level contaminants can matter for health. That’s why independent testing and transparent sourcing practices are important for both consumers and the companies they trust.

Our labs tested for the following contaminants and found some of them present in the Vitamin D we tested to varying degrees:

• 40 specific PFAS “forever” chemicals
• Glyphosate
• 500+ additional Pesticides
• Phthalates
• Lead — heavy metal
• Arsenic — metaloid
• Cadmium — heavy metal
• Mercury — heavy metal

PFAS “Forever Chemical” Analytes Tested, Including PFOA & PFOS

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 in consumer products, manufacturing, and building materials. Here are some of the health effects associated with different PFAS “forever chemicals:”

• Reduction in immunity
• Reduced vaccination response
• Increased risk of allergies & asthma in young children
• Affected growth, learning, and behavior of infants and older children
• Increase cholesterol levels
• Metabolic diseases like obesity & diabetes
• Cardiovascular disease
• Lowered a woman’s chance of getting pregnant
• Lowered male fertility
• Increased risk of kidney & testicular cancers
• Causes endocrine disruption
• Disrupted normal thyroid function
• Increases risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children 
• Cancer

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

For this investigation, we elected to test for forty specific PFAS analytes listed below using EPA method 1633:

• Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA)
• Perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA)
• Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA)
• Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA)
• Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)
• Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA)
• Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA)
• Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA)
• Perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA)
• Perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTriA)
• Perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTeA)
• Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS)
• Perfluoropentanesulfonic acid (PFPeS)
• Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS)
• Perfluoroheptanesulfonic Acid (PFHpS)
• Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)
• Perfluorononanesulfonic acid (PFNS)
• Perfluorodecanesulfonic acid (PFDS)
• Perfluorododecanesulfonic acid (PFDoS)
• Perfluorooctanesulfonamide (FOSA)
• NMeFOSAA
• NEtFOSAA
• 4:2 FTS
• 6:2 FTS
• 8:2 FTS
• NEtFOSA
• NMeFOSA
• NMeFOSE
• NEtFOSE
• 9Cl-PF3ONS
• HFPO-DA (GenX)
• 11Cl-PF3OUdS
• ADONA
• 3:3 FTCA
• 5:3 FTCA
• 7:3 FTCA
• NFDHA
• PFMBA
• PFMPA
• PFEESA

Glyphosate — Testing Details

Glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine] is the active ingredient in glyphosate-based herbicides (GBH) and is the most popular herbicide in the world. Its environmental presence increased sharply after the introduction of “Roundup Ready” crops in 1996, which allowed glyphosate to be sprayed onto crops such as soy, corn, and cotton without killing them. Beyond agriculture, glyphosate is extensively used in landscaping, roadside maintenance, golf courses, and vegetation control in fire-prone areas.

Glyphosate was originally patented as a chelator and an antibiotic, which means it binds minerals and interferes with microbial systems. These properties have fueled concern that long-term exposure may disrupt nutrient absorption, alter the gut microbiota, and increase antibiotic resistance.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified glyphosate as a probable carcinogen, and California lists it under Proposition 65 for cancer and reproductive harm.

Because glyphosate is not an intentionally added ingredient, it does not appear on supplement labels. However, its absence from ingredient panels does not guarantee absence from the product itself. Contamination can occur through agricultural practices, raw material sourcing, manufacturing, transportation, or storage—making independent testing a critical safeguard.

To evaluate potential exposure, Mamavation sent eleven Vitamin D supplements to an EPA-certified laboratory for testing. Samples were analyzed for glyphosate, glufosinate, and AMPA using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) with a detection limit of 10 parts per billion (ppb), which is the lowest level routinely achievable through standardized commercial testing. While some academic laboratories may reach lower limits, those methods are not widely available or standardized for consumer product screening.

500+ Additional Pesticide Laboratory Tests for Vitamin D Supplements — Testing Details

Eleven Vitamin D supplements were sent to our EPA-certified lab and analyzed using two different methods, which totaled testing for 587 pesticides down to the lowest standardized level, which was mostly 10 ppb. However, there are a few chemicals where the detection limit was between 18 and 25 ppb. The first method looked at the following pesticides:

• 2,4,6-Trichloroanisole
• 2,4,6-Trichlorophenol
• 2-phenylphenol (SP)
• 8-hydroxyquinoline (SP)
• Acetochlor
• Acrinathrin
• Alachlor
• Aldrin
• Alpha Endosulfan
• Alpha-HCH
• Ametryn
• Anthraquinone
• Atrazine
• Beflubutamid
• Benalaxyl
• Benfluralin
• Beta Endosulfan
• Beta-HCH
• Bifenazate-Bifenazate Diazene
• Bifenox
• Bifenthrin
• Biphenyl
• Bitertanol
• Bromophos-ethyl
• Bromophos-methyl
• Bromopropylate
• Bupirimate
• Captan
• Captan (Sum)
• Carbophenothion
• Chinomethionat
• Chlordane (Sum)
• Chlorfenapyr
• Chlorfenson
• Chlorfenvinphos
• Chlormephos
• Chlorobenzilate+Chloro propylate
• Chlorothalonil
• Chlorotoluron
• Chlorpropham
• Chlorpyrifos
• Chlorpyrifos-methyl
• Chlorthal-dimethyl
• Chlorthion
• Cinidon-ethyl
• Cis-Chlordane
• Cyfluthrin
• Cyproconazole
• Cyprodinil
• DDD-pp+DDT-0p
• DDT (Sum)
• DEET
• delta-HCH
• Deltamethrin
• Desethyl atrazine
• Diafenthiuron
• Diazinon
• Dichlobenil
• Dichlofenthion
• Diclobutrazol
• Dicloran
• Dicofol (Sum)
• Dicofol 0,p
• Dicofol p,p
• Dicrotophos
• Dieldrin
• Dieldrin (Sum)
• Dicofol o,p
• Dicofol p,p
• Dicrotophos
• Dieldrin
• Dieldrin (Sum)
• Difenoconazole
• Diflufenican
• Dimefox
• Dimoxystrobin
• Diniconazole
•  Dinobuton
• Diphenylamine
• Disulfoton (SP)
• Disulfoton (Sum)
• Disulfoton Sulfone
• Disulfoton Sulfoxide
• Ditalimfos
• Endosulfan (Sum)
• Endosulfan-Sulphate
• Endrin
• EPN
• Epsilon-HCH
• EPTC
• Ethalfuralin
• Ethion
• Ethofumesate (SP)
• Ethoprophos
• Etridiazole
• Etrimfos
• Fenarimol
• Fenazaquin
• Fenchlorphos (SP)
• Fenchlorphos (Sum)
• Fenchlorphos Oxon
• Fenitrothion
• Fenpropathrin
• Fenson
• Fenthion (SP)
• Fenthion Oxon
• Fenvalerate
• Flucythrinate
• Flumetralin
• Fluopicolide
• Fluopyram
• Fluotrimazole
• Flutamone
• Fluvalinate
• Folpet
• Folpet (Sum)
• Fonofos
• Furalaxyl
• Heptachlor (SP)
• Heptachlor (Sum)
• Heptachlor Epoxide A
• Heptachlor Epoxide B
• Heptenophos
• Hexachlorobenzene
• Hexaclorobutadiene
• Hexacanazole
• Iodofenphos
• Iprobenfos
• Iprodione
• Iprovalicarb
• Isazofos
• Isofenphos
• Isophenfos-methyl
• Kresoxim-methyl
• Lambda-Cyhalothrin
• Lindane
• Malaoxon
• Malathion (SP)
• Mefenpyr Diethyl
• Mepronil
• Metalaxyl-M (Mefenoxam)
• Methacrifos
• Methidathion
• Methacrifos
• Methidathion
• Methoxychlor
• Metribuzin
• Mevinphos
• Mirex
• Molinate
• Myclobutanil
• Naled
• Naled (Sum)
• Napropamide
• Nitrofen
• Nitrothal Isopropyl
• Nuarimol
• o,p-DDD
• o,p-DDE
• Ofurace
• Oxadixyl
• Oxychlordan
• Oxyfluorfen
• p,p-DDT
• p,p-DDE
• Paraoxon Methyl
• Paraoxon-ethyl
• Parathion Methyl (SP)
• Parathion Methyl (Sum)
• Parathion-ethyl
• Parathion-ethyl (Sum)
• Penconazole
• Pendimethalin
• Pentachloroaniline
• Pentachloroanisole
• Pentachlorobenzene
• Pentachlorobenzonitrile
• Pentachlorophenol
• Permethrin
• Phenthoate
• Phorate
• Phosalone
• Phthalimide
• Piperonyl butoxide
• Pirimiphos-ethyl
• Pirimiphos-methyl
• Procymidone
• Profenofos
• Profluralin
• Prometryn
• Propazine
• Propetamphos
• Propyzamide
• Prothiofos
• Pyrazophos
• Pyridaben
• Pyridaphenthion
• Pyrifenox
• Pyrimethanil
• Pyriproxyfen
• Quinalphos
• Quintozene
• Quintozene (Sum)
• Silthiofam
• Simazine
• Tebuconazole
• Tebufenpyrad
• Tecnazene
• Tefluthrin
• Terbacil
• Terbumeton
• Terbuthylazine
• Terbuthylazine Desethyl
• Terbutryn
• Tetrachlorvinphos
• Tetracanazole
• Tetradifon
• Tetrahydrophthalimide (THPI)
• Tetramethrin
• Tetrasul
• Thiometon
• Tolclofos-methyl
• Trans-Chlordane
• Transfluthrin
• Triadimefon
• Triadimenol
• Tri-allate
• Triamiphos
• Trifluralin
• Uniconazole
• Vinclozolin
• Zeta-cypermethrin

The second group was analyzed using the LC-MS/MS technique for 360 pesticides and included the following:

• 3-OH carbofuran (SQ)
• Abamectin
• Acephate
• Acequinocyl
• Acetamiprid
• Acibenzolar-S-methyl (SP)
• Alcarb (SP)
• Aldicarb (Sum)
• Aldicarb Sulfone
• Aldicarb Sulfoxide
• Ametroctradin
• Aminocarb
• Amitraz (SP)
• Atrizine Desisopropyl
• Azaconazole
• Azadirachtin
• Azamethiphos
• Azimsulfuron
• Azinphos-ethyl
• Azinphos-methyl
• Azocyclotin and Cyhexatin (SQ)
• Azoxystrobin
• Ben-Carb-TPN (Sum)
• Bendiocarb
• Bentazone (SP)
• Bentazones-methyl
• Benthiavalicarb
• Bioallethrin
• Bixafen
• Boscalid
• Bromacil
• Bromoxynil (SP)
• Bromuconazole
• BTS 44595
• BTS 44596
• Buprofezin
• Butachlor
• Butocarboxim
• Butoxicarboxim Sulfoxide
• Butralin
• Buturon
• Cadusafos
• Carbaryl
• Carbendazim and Benomyl
• Carbetamide
• Carboxin (SP)
• Carfentazone-ethyl (SP)
• Chloratraniliprole
• chlorbromuron
• Chlorfluazuron
• Chloridazon
• Chloroxuron
• Chlorsulfuron
• Chlorthiophos
• Clethodim (SP)
• Clethodim Sulfoxide
• Clofentezine
• Clomazone
• Clopyralid
• Clothianidine
• Coumaphos
• Crimidine
• Cyanazine
• Cyantraniliprole
• Cyazofamid
• Cyclanilide
• Cycloate
• Cycloxydim (SP)
• Cyenopyrafen
• Cyflufenamid
• Cyflumetofen
• Cyhalofop-butyl
• Cymoxanil
• Cyromazine
• Demeton S
• Demeton-S-methyl
• Demeton-S-Methylsulfone
• Demeton-S-sulfoxide
• Desmedipham
• Desmetryn
• Dialifos
• Dichiofluanid
• Dichlormid
• Dichloroprop
• Dichlorvos
• Diclofop (SP/SQ)
• Diclofop (Sum)
• Diclofo-methyl (SP/SQ)
• Diethofencarb
• Diflubenzuron
• Dimefuron
• Dimethachlor
• Dimethenamid-P
• Dimethoate
• Dimethoate (Sum)
• Dimethomorph
• Dimethylaminosulfotoluidide (DMST)
• Dinotefuran
• Diuron
• DNOC
• Dodemorph
• Dodine
• Edifenphos
• Emamectin B1a
• Epoxiconazole
• Ethaboxam
• Ethiofencarb
• Ethiofencarb sulfone
• Ethiofencarb sulfoxide
• Ethiprole
• Ethirimol
• Ethoxyquin (SQ)
• Etofenprox
• Etoxazole
• Famoxadone
• Fenamidone
• Fenamiphos (SP)
• Fenamiphos (Sum)
• Fenamiphos Sulphone
• Fenamiphos Sulphoxide
• Febnuconazole
• Fenbutatin oxide
• Fenhexamid
• Fenobucarb
• Fenoxycarb
• Fenpiclonil
• Fenpropidin (SP)
• Fenpropimorph
• Fenpyrazamine
• Fenpyroximate
• Fensulfothion
• Fensulfothion Oxon
• Fensulfothion Oxon Sulfone
• Fensulfothion Sulfone
• Fenthion (Sum)
• Fenthion Oxon Sulfone
• Fenthion Oxon Sulfoxide
• Fentin (SP/SQ)
• Fenuron
• Fipronil (SP)
• Fipronil (Sum)
• Fipronil Sulfide
• Fipronil Sulfone
• Flamprop
• Flazasulfuron
• Flonicamid (SP)
• Flonicamid (Sum)
• Florasulam
• Fluazifop-methyl (SP)
• Fluazifop-P (SP)
• Fluazifop-P-butyl (SP)
• Fluazinam
• Flubendiamide
• Fludioxonil
• Flufenacet
• Flufenacet (Sum)
• Flufenacet ESA
• Flufenacet OA
• Flufenoxuron
• Flumioxazin
• Fluometuron
• Fluoxastrobin
• Flupyradifurone
• Fluquinconazole
• Fluoxypyr (SP)
• Fluroxypyr-meptyl
• Fluroxypyr-meptyl
• Flusilazole
• Flutolanil
• Flutriafol
• Fluxapyroxad
• Foramsulfuron
• Forchlorfenuron
• Formetanate (SP)
• Formothion
• Fosthiazate
• Fuberidazole
• Halosulfuron methyl
• Haloxyfop (Sum)
• Haloxyfop-2-ethoxyethyl
• Haloxyfop-methyl (SP)
• Haloxyfop-R (SP)
• Hexaflumuron
• Hexazinone
• Hexythiazox
• Imazalil
• Imazapic
• Imazappic
• Imazapyr
• Imidacloprid
• Indaziflam
• Indoxacarb
• Iodosulfuron-methyl (SP)
• Ioxynil (SP)
• Isocarbophos
• Isoprocarb
• Isoprothiolane
• Isoproturon
• Isopyrazam
• Isoxaben
• Isoxathion
• Ivermectin
• Lenacil
• Linuron
• Lufenuron
• Mandipropamid
• Matrine
• MCPA (SP)
• Mecarbam
• Mepanipyrim
• Meptyldinocap
• Mesosulfuron-methyl
• Mesotrione
• Metaflumizone
• Metamitron
• Metazachlor (SP)
• Methiocarb (Sum)
• Methoprotyne
• Methoxyfenozide
• Metobromuron
• Metolachlor and S-Metolachlor
• Metolcarb
• Metoxuron
• Metrafenone
• Metsulfuron-methyl
• Milbemectin SQ (Sum)
• Milbemycin A3 (SQ)
• Milbemycin A4 (SQ)
• Monocrotophos
• Monolinuron
• monuron
• Neburon
• Nicosulfuron
• Nitenpyram
• Norflurazon
• Novaluron
• Omethoate
• Oxadiargyl
• Oxydiazon
• Oxamyl
• Oxasulfuron
• Oxathiapiprolin
• Oxycarboxin
• Paclobutrazol
• Pencycuron
• Penthiopyrad
• Phenmedipham
• Phorate (Sum)
• Phorate Oxon
• Phorate Oxon Sulfone
• Phorate Oxon Sulfoxide
• Phorate Sulfone
• Phorate Sulfoxide
• Phosmet (SP)
• Phosmet (Sum)
• Phosmet oxon
• Phosphamidon
• Phoxim
• Picolinafen
• Picoxystrobin
• Pinoxaden
• Pirimicarb
• Pirimicarb Desmethyl
• Pirimicarb Desmethyl Formamide
• Prochloraz (SP)
• Prochloraz (Sum)
• Promecarb
• Propachlor
• Propamocarb (SP)
• Propanil
• Propaquizafob
• Propargite
• Propham
• Propiconazole
• Propoxur
• Proquinazid
• Prosulfocarb
• Prosulfuron
• Prothiocaonazole
• Pydiflumetofen
• Pymetrozine
• Pyracarbolid
• Pyraclostrobin
• Pyraflufen
• Pydiflumetofen
• Pymetrozine
• Pyracarbolid
• Pyraclostrobin
• Pyraflufen
• Pyraflufen-ethyl (SP)
• Pyraflufen-ethyl (Sum)
• Pyridalyl
• Pyridate (SP)
• Quinclorac
• Quinoxyfen
• Quizalofop-ethyl (SP)
• Rimsulfuron
• Rotenone
• Saflufenacil (SP)
• Sebuthylazine
• Sethoxydim
• Spinetoram
• Spinosad
• Spirodiclofen
• Spiromesifen
• Spirotetramat (SP)
• Spirotetramat (Sum)
• Spirotetramatenol-glucoside
• Spirotetramat-enol
• Spirotetramat-ketohydroxy
• Spirotetramat-monohydroxy
• Spiroxamine
• Sulcotrione
• Sulfosulfuron
• Sulfotep
• Sulfoxaflor
• Tebufenozide
• Teflubenzuron
• Tepraloxydim (SP)
• Terbufos
• Terbufos (Sum)
• Terbufos Sulfone
• Terbufos Sulfoxide
• TFNA
• TFNG
• Thiabendazole
• Thiacloprid
• Thiamethoxam
• Thiamethoxam (Sum)
• Thidiazuron
• Thifensulfuron-methyl
• Thiobencarb
• Thiocyclam
• Thiodicarb
• Thiofanox
• Thiofanox Sulfone
• Thiofanox Sulfoxide
• Thiophanate-methyl
• Tolfenpyrad
• Tolylfluanid (SP)
• Tolyfluanid (Sum)
• Triasulfuron
• Triazophos
• Triazoxide
• Trichlorfon
• Tricresyl phosphate
• Tricyclazole
• Tridemorph
• Trifloxystrobin
• Triflumizole (SP)
• Triflumizole (Sum)
• Triflumizole FM-6-1
• Triflumuron
• Triforine (SQ)
• Triticonazole
• Vamidothion
• Zoxamide

Phthalates — Testing Details

Phthalates are linked to a range of adverse health effects in numerous studies involving both animals and humans. They are especially concerning because phthalates are associated with disruption of the endocrine hormone system. Hormones act at extremely low concentrations and play essential roles in development–determining how cells, tissues, and organs form–as well as in metabolism, reproduction, and immune function; even small disruptions can therefore have outsized biological consequences. Epidemiological studies have shown that phthalate exposure can alter hormone levels in ways that interfere with these critical processes. Several health outcomes associated with phthalate exposure are summarized below.

• Weight gain & obesity
• Shorter height
• Precocious puberty
• Asthma
• Allergies
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) 
• Lower IQ
• Social impairment
• Type II diabetes and insulin resistance
• Poor cardiovascular health
• Thyroid function and increased risk of thyroid cancer
• Females: pregnancy loss and preterm birth, low birth weight, earlier menopause
• Males: genital development, semen quality, reduced “masculine” play, Inhibits testosterone production, Shortened anogenital distance, or shortened “taint” , Shortened length of penis

Mamavation’s EPA-certified lab tested for the following phthalates. This is not a complete list of all the phthalates that are allowed to be present as an indirect food additive according to the FDA, however, this list goes above and beyond what is already restricted by the European Union or the State of California.

• Diethyl phthalate (DEP)
• Di-n-propyl phthalate (DPP)
• Diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP)
• Dibutyl phthalate (DBP)
• Dihexyl phthalate (DnHP)
• Benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP)
• Dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP)
• Diisononyl phthalate (DINP)
• Di-n-octyl phthalate (DnOP)
• Diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP)
• bis(2-Ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP)
• Dimethyl phthalate (DMP)
• Bis(2-propylheptyl) Phthalate (DPHP)
• Didecyl phthalate (DDP)

Heavy Metals: Lead, Cadmium, Mercury & Arsenic — Testing Details

Our EPA-certified laboratory tested each Vitamin D supplements for the following metals:

• lead,
• arsenic,
• cadmium,
• mercury

Mamavation then adjusted the lab results to align with California’s Proposition 65 by converting them into micrograms per day (ug/day) based on typical serving sizes. California uses some of the most health-protective exposure limits in the country. Instead of banning products outright, Proposition 65 requires companies to warn consumers when exposure to certain harmful chemicals exceeds established safety thresholds.

Proposition 65 has set “safe harbor” levels for several heavy metals tested in this study, including arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury. When exposures go above these levels, companies selling products in California must provide a warning label to inform consumers of potential risks related to cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm.

This approach is designed to put information directly in consumers’ hands, enabling informed choices about what they use and encouraging companies to reduce harmful contaminants whenever possible.

Here are the No Significant Risk Levels (NSRL) and the Maximum Allowable Dose Levels (MADL) established by the State of California for the heavy metals we tested:

• Arsenic: 0.06 ug/day (inhalation), 10 ug/day (except inhalation)
• Cadmium: 0.05 ug/day (inhalation), 4.1 ug/day (oral)
• Lead: 0.5 ug/day level for reproductive toxicity, 15 ug/day (oral) for carcinogens
• Mercury: no established levels in California, so the Federal maximum contaminant level for mercury would be followed instead.

Mamavation’s Raw Data From Our EPA-Certified Laboratory Ranked

Mamavation sent two sets of eleven Vitamin D supplements to different EPA-certified laboratories looking for traces of contaminants:

• 500+ pesticides (which is more comprehensive than other testing we’ve seen)
• Glyphosate
• 40 PFAS “forever chemical” analytes like PFOA & PFOS. (This is different from our other studies where we measured total organic fluorine.)
• Heavy metals (lead, cadmium, mercury, & arsenic)
• Phthalates

If you would like to donate to our efforts, you can do so by giving a tax-deductible donation here through Environmental Health Sciences. You can also support our efforts by shopping our affiliate links. Please note that links below are affiliate in nature and any purchases will pay us back for the testing and allow us to do more testing in the future. 

Product Brands We Tested

To help our community make safer choices, Mamavation sent multiple popular Vitamin D supplement brands to EPA-certified laboratories for contaminant testing. We also included several additional products selected by our community to give consumers a broader picture of what families are already purchasing. All products were evaluated for pesticides, PFAS, glyphosate, heavy metals, and phthalates.

Below is the complete list of women’s multivitamin brands included in our investigation.

Vitamin D Supplements Tested by Mamavation

• Designs For Health Vitamin D Synergy with Vitamin K1 and K2
• Garden of Life Vitamin Code Raw D3 5,000 IU (125 mcg)
• Life Extension Vitamins D and K and Sea-Iodine
• MegaFood Vitamin D3 & K2
• Metagenics D3 5000 +K
• Now Foods Vitamin D-3 & K-2
• Perfect Supplements D3 Drops Citrus Flavored
• Pure Encapsulations Vitamin D3 & K2
• Seeking Health Vitamin D3 + K2
• Sports Research D3+K2 Plant-Based Dietary Supplement
• Thorne Vitamin D + K2 Dietary Supplement Drops

Want full access to the raw data, contaminant results, and our recommendations for the safest children’s multivitamins? Sign up to MAMAGATE and get Free Access below. Make sure you are not on Facebook’s browser and use Internet Explorer, Safari, or Chrome instead.