Study Finds PFAS in Drinking Water Puts Pregnant People and Their Babies at Risk

"d3sign via Getty Images When pregnant women drink water that comes from wells downstream of sites contaminated with PFAS, known as "forever chemicals," the risks to their babies' health substantially increase, a new study found. These risks include the chance of low birth weight, preterm birth and infant mortality. Even more troubling, our team of economic researchers and hydrologists found that PFAS exposure increases the likelihood of extremely low-weight and extremely preterm births, which are strongly associated with lifelong health challenges."

"PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, have captured the attention of the public and regulators in recent years for good reason. These man-made compounds persist in the environment, accumulate in human bodies and may cause harm even at extremely low concentrations. Most current knowledge about the reproductive effects of PFAS comes from laboratory studies on animals such as rats, or from correlations between PFAS levels in human blood and health outcomes."

Pregnant women consuming well water downstream of PFAS-contaminated sites face substantially higher risks of low birth weight, preterm birth and infant mortality. PFAS are persistent, accumulate in human bodies, and can cause harm even at very low concentrations. Laboratory animal studies and blood-level correlations provide limited evidence for reproductive impacts. Comparing locations of wells and birth records enables near-random assessment of human exposure effects. Births occurring close to known contaminated sites show increased likelihoods of extremely low-weight and extremely preterm births, outcomes that are strongly linked to lifelong health challenges.

Read at Truthout