By Jessica Miller · Brand Reviews Lead · Reviewed by Emily Carter, Hydration & Nutrition Editor · Updated
Our team has tracked La Croix’s PFAS story since the original 2020 lab results and cross-checks every figure against the original Consumer Reports report.
Yes — La Croix tested at 1.16 parts per trillion total PFAS in Consumer Reports’ independent 2020 analysis. That is a measurable amount, but it sits well below every enforceable safety limit. The number put La Croix in the middle of the sparkling water pack: higher than Spindrift (0.19 ppt) and San Pellegrino (0.31 ppt), lower than Bubly (2.24 ppt) and far below Topo Chico’s original 9.76 ppt. Here’s what the figure actually means, how it compares, and whether it should change what you drink.
La Croix’s PFAS Number vs Other Sparkling Waters
All figures from Consumer Reports’ 2020 testing of 47 bottled waters, measuring 30 PFAS compounds. Lower is better.
| Brand | Total PFAS (ppt) | vs La Croix |
|---|---|---|
| Spindrift | 0.19 | 6x lower |
| San Pellegrino | 0.31 | ~4x lower |
| Perrier | 1.10 | Nearly identical |
| La Croix | 1.16 | — |
| Canada Dry | 1.24 | Slightly higher |
| Bubly | 2.24 | ~2x higher |
| Topo Chico (2020) | 9.76 | 8x higher |
Where 1.16 ppt sits against the limits
The EPA’s 2024 enforceable limit is 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS individually — La Croix is well under it. The bottled-water industry standard is 5 ppt single / 10 ppt combined — comfortably under. The only line La Croix crosses is the Environmental Working Group’s 1 ppt precautionary guideline, which is stricter than any actual regulation. The FDA’s April 2025 survey of 197 bottled waters found zero products exceeding EPA limits.
The 2020 Headlines vs What the Data Said
When Consumer Reports published its results in September 2020, “La Croix has PFAS” ricocheted across wellness media within hours. The context that got lost: seven of twelve carbonated waters in the same test exceeded 1 ppt. La Croix wasn’t an outlier — it was the middle of the pack in a category that broadly tests higher than still water, likely because carbonation equipment adds contact points where PFAS-containing materials can leach.
Six years later, the practical takeaway hasn’t changed: a single 2020 sample of 1.16 ppt tells you La Croix was measurably but modestly contaminated at that point in time. PFAS levels vary by batch and bottling plant, and no newer independent retest of La Croix has been published. That uncertainty cuts both ways — and applies to every brand.
What “Natural Essence” Actually Means on a LaCroix Can
The phrase driving a decade of LaCroix speculation is “naturally essenced.” Here is what is actually known: LaCroix’s flavors come from natural essence oils — aromatic compounds released when the named fruit is heated, captured as vapor or oil and added to carbonated water. No juice, no sugar, no artificial sweetener.
A 2018 class-action lawsuit alleged LaCroix contained synthetic ingredients, naming linalool and limonene. What the suit omitted is that these occur naturally in the fruits and oils they come from — limonene is the dominant compound in citrus peel. The case was voluntarily dismissed in 2020, and the FDA “natural” classification of the flavorings was never overturned. “Natural essence” is real but deliberately unspecific, and the ingredient scare was largely a misreading of chemistry.
For PFAS, the essence question matters because flavoring supply chains are one unverified route by which trace contaminants can enter a product — part of why flavored seltzers test slightly higher as a category than plain sparkling water.
Is LaCroix Actually Healthy? Beyond PFAS
Most people asking about LaCroix want the fuller health picture. On core metrics it performs well: 0 calories, 0 g sugar, 0 mg sodium, no artificial sweeteners — genuinely a better daily-drink choice than soda or diet soda. The two common concerns are both smaller than the internet suggests:
- Tooth enamel. Carbonation makes LaCroix mildly acidic at around pH 4-5, versus cola at pH 2.5 and still water at 7. Acidic enough to matter if sipped all day, but far gentler than soda — drinking it with meals limits enamel contact time.
- Bloating. Dissolved CO₂ can cause gas in sensitive people, but causes no lasting digestive harm. It is a comfort issue, not a health risk.
Net: LaCroix counts toward daily hydration and carries none of soda’s sugar load. The 1.16 ppt PFAS figure is the one measurable knock — and it still sits within legal and industry limits.
How LaCroix’s 1.16 ppt Compares Across Flavors and Brands
One nuance the headline number hides: PFAS testing is usually done on a single flavor or a composite sample, not every SKU. LaCroix sells more than 20 flavors, and there is no public per-flavor breakdown — so the 1.16 ppt figure should be read as representative of the brand, not a guarantee for every can. That is a limitation shared by essentially all bottled water testing, and it is why we treat these numbers as directional rather than absolute.
| Brand | Total PFAS (ppt) | Type | vs LaCroix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spindrift | 0.19 | Flavored, real juice | 6x cleaner |
| San Pellegrino | 0.31 | Mineral, sparkling | 3.7x cleaner |
| Topo Chico | 3.9 (was 9.76) | Mineral, sparkling | 3.4x higher |
| LaCroix | 1.16 | Flavored seltzer | — |
| Topo Chico (high sample) | up to ~9.8 | Mineral, sparkling | 8x worse |
The comparison reframes the whole question. LaCroix is not the cleanest — Spindrift and San Pellegrino beat it by 4-6x — but it is nowhere near the worst carbonated water tested, some of which exceeded 9 ppt. For a legal-limit, mid-pack result, the level of internet panic around LaCroix specifically has always outrun the data.
The Bottom Line on LaCroix and PFAS
LaCroix contains approximately 1.16 ppt of total PFAS based on independent testing — a real but small amount that falls below the EPA’s 4 ppt legal limit for individual regulated compounds and under the bottled water industry’s 5 ppt voluntary standard for total PFAS. It exceeds the stricter 1 ppt threshold some scientists advocate, which is the single honest mark against it.
In context, that places LaCroix in the middle of the sparkling water field: cleaner than the worst carbonated samples but several times higher than the leaders, Spindrift and San Pellegrino. If you drink one or two cans a day, the level is not a meaningful contributor to your total PFAS exposure, which for most people is dominated by food packaging, cookware and tap water. If you drink several daily and want the number lower, switching to a sub-0.5 ppt brand or carbonating filtered water at home are the two moves that actually change it.
The realistic verdict: LaCroix is a sound zero-calorie, zero-sugar choice with a trace PFAS level that is legal, mid-pack, and far less alarming than its internet reputation — but not the cleanest option if PFAS is your single deciding factor.
Why Carbonated Waters Test Higher Than Still Waters
The pattern in the Consumer Reports data is consistent: 7 of 12 carbonated waters exceeded 1 ppt, versus only 2 of 35 still waters. Three factors explain most of the gap:
- More equipment contact. Carbonation adds pressurised lines, gaskets and seals to the production path — more contact points where fluoropolymer components could contribute trace migration that still-water bottling avoids.
- Source water, not treatment. Many seltzers start from municipal supplies carrying background PFAS. Unlike reverse-osmosis brands such as Essentia (0.2 ppt), most seltzer producers carbonate filtered water without an RO step that would strip PFAS out.
- Flavor essences. Natural flavor extracts move through their own supply chains. Unproven as a PFAS route, but one more input plain still water does not have.
This is why comparing La Croix to a spring water is not apples-to-apples. Against its actual category — carbonated water — 1.16 ppt was better than average.
What to Do If 1.16 ppt Still Bothers You
The figure is legal and mid-pack, but if you drink several cans daily and want it lower, three options ranked by how much they actually change:
- Switch brands (moderate effect). Spindrift at 0.19 ppt or San Pellegrino at 0.31 ppt cut the tested level to roughly a quarter of La Croix’s, with published numbers you can check.
- Carbonate filtered water (largest effect). A certified NSF 53 or NSF 58 filter removes 94-99% of PFAS; add a home carbonator for the fizz. The only route to a verifiable near-zero rather than a single-sample brand figure.
- Reduce cans per day (proportional effect). PFAS exposure is cumulative. Going from four cans to one cuts intake from this source by 75% without changing anything else.
Keep it in perspective: for most people, drinking water is a smaller PFAS source than food packaging, non-stick cookware and household dust.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does La Croix have PFAS in it?
Yes — La Croix tested at 1.16 ppt total PFAS in Consumer Reports’ 2020 independent analysis. That is below the EPA’s 4 ppt enforceable limit but slightly above the EWG’s 1 ppt precautionary guideline.
Is La Croix safe to drink?
By every enforceable standard, yes. Its 1.16 ppt result is well under the EPA’s 4 ppt limit and the industry’s 5 ppt standard, and the FDA’s 2025 survey found no bottled water exceeding federal limits.
Which sparkling water has less PFAS than La Croix?
Spindrift (0.19 ppt), San Pellegrino (0.31 ppt), Dasani sparkling (0.37 ppt) and Schweppes (0.58 ppt) all tested lower. Perrier tested essentially the same at 1.10 ppt.
Has La Croix been retested since 2020?
No newer independent, published retest exists. The 1.16 ppt figure remains the only third-party measurement, and PFAS levels can vary by batch — a limitation that applies to every brand ranking.
Should I stop drinking La Croix because of PFAS?
For most people, no. If you drink several cans daily and want minimum exposure, switching to Spindrift or San Pellegrino roughly quarters the tested level — or filter and carbonate your own water for a verifiable near-zero result.
Sources: Consumer Reports — Bottled Water PFAS Testing (September 2020, 47 products, 30 compounds); EPA — PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (April 2024); FDA — PFAS in Bottled Water Survey (April 2025, 197 products); Environmental Working Group — PFAS Guidelines; ATSDR/CDC — Health Effects of PFAS; International Bottled Water Association — Voluntary PFAS Standard. Last updated July 2026.
The Bottom Line
La Croix has PFAS — 1.16 ppt in the only independent test on record — and that number is safe by every regulation in force. It landed mid-pack among sparkling waters: four brands tested cleaner, several tested worse. If the 2020 headlines made you nervous, the honest reading is that the whole carbonated category runs slightly higher than still water, and La Croix was never the villain of that dataset. Want lower? Spindrift and San Pellegrino tested at a quarter of La Croix’s level. Want certainty? A certified home filter beats any brand switch.
