Migration of bisphenol A from commercially available pacifiers: HPLC-FLD analysis and exposure assessment in infants...

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an endocrine-disrupting compound widely used in plastics and resins and associated with metabolic, reproductive, and neurodevelopmental disorders. Infants and toddlers are particularly vulnerable because detoxification capacity is immature and exposure occurs during sensitive developmental stages. While BPA is banned in infant feeding bottles within the European Union, its use in pacifiers remains unregulated despite frequent "BPA-free" labeling. This study quantified BPA migration from seven commercially available pacifiers and assessed potential exposure relative to the newly revised European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) tolerable daily intake (TDI; 0.2 ng kg⁻¹ bw day⁻¹) in a worst-case exposure scenario. Pacifiers were dissected into shield and teat components, cut into fragments, and analyzed separately using validated high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD). Measured BPA concentrations in the eluates (c(BPA,HPLC)) ranged from below the limit of quantification (LOQ) up to 288 µg/L. Based on these measured values, the extrapolated total BPA release per pacifier was 33 to 26,536 ng, with the highest migration observed in a "BPA-free" labeled product. Even the lowest total migration exceeded the 2023 EFSA TDI, whereas exposures would have been negligible under the former 2015 t-TDI (4 µg kg⁻¹ bw day⁻¹). These findings demonstrate that pacifiers can constitute a relevant early-life source of BPA exposure and contribute to already critical background levels. The results underline the unreliability of voluntary "BPA-free" claims and emphasize the need for harmonized EU regulation analogous to existing restrictions for feeding bottles and toys.