The adverse effects of "forever chemicals" on women fertility

“Our study strongly implies that women who are planning pregnancy should be aware of the harmful effects of PFAS and take precautions to avoid exposure to this class of chemicals,”

Dr Nathan Cohen. Lead author, Icahn school of medicine, Mount Sinai, New York

This research, published in Science of the Total Environment, surveyed over 1,000 women who were attempting to get pregnant in Singapore and found those with elevated levels of PFAS in their circulation had a 40% lower probability of conceiving over the course of as much as one year.

Women who possess a higher concentration of 'forever chemicals' in their bodies have a 40% reduction in likelihood of achieving pregnancy within the initial year after trying to conceive, according to the first ever study of PFAS's impact on female fertility.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances have been detected in almost all samples of human tissue, with a staggering 99% prevalence rate in the United States. Singapore was chosen as their study site because its population has lower levels of contamination compared to other regions; nevertheless, this research revealed an undeniable link between PFAS exposure and reduced fertility.

PFAS are a class of substances that are both resistant to water and oil, and which find use in myriad products including cookware, food containers, clothing pieces as well as decorative items. Due to their longevity in the environment they have become known as 'forever chemicals', with each generation finding it more difficult for them to break down. Controversy regarding their potential health impact has arisen over recent years with reports linking them to cancers such liver or kidney dysfunctions and even thyroid diseases.

Despite the efforts of scientists, 12,000 PFAS compounds remain in commercial use today despite their widespread presence as disruptors. Advocating for their total class-wide regulation has become a consensus among experts.

Dr Damaskini Valvi, an assistant professor at Icahn Mount Sinai School of Medicine believed the world is currently facing an unprecedented PFAS contamination problem. Despite our only option of eliminating their production entirely, individuals can take precautionary measures that include employing a specialized water filter and avoiding products that contain these hazardous substances.

This study assessed the level of PFAS compounds in the women's blood and evaluated their impact at each quarter between the lowest and highest exposure levels. Observing that those who had a one-quarter increment above average concentration experienced 40% lower likelihoods of conceiving within 12 months; likewise, they also experienced 34% fewer chances for having a live birth within this same period.

The impact of PFAS levels on fertility was more pronounced when they were considered a mixture rather than in isolation. This makes sense, as multiple chemicals may exert their deleterious effects simultaneously - much greater than any one individual compound could cause!

This particular study does not focus on the impact of PFAS in regards to fertility, but previous work has indicated that these compounds may disrupt hormone levels and reproductive capabilities. Furthermore, we have compelling evidence from laboratory studies indicating that PFAS could alter female fertility - Valvi noted.

The investigation took into consideration the womens age, educational attainment and smoking status as well as their current family size. PFAS are suspected of affecting male fertility with no data on levels in partners being available for this study; however, Professor Valvi concluded that further studies looking into both parents' exposure to these chemicals will be beneficial in coming years.

“Many PFAS have been detected in cord blood, the placenta, and breast milk. Preventing exposure to PFAS is therefore essential to protect women’s health as well as the health of their children,”

The link between PFAS exposure and diminished fertility in women has been extensively explored over the course of 13 published studies, over individual chemicals. This information could potentially provide partial explanation for the precipitous decline in female health observed over the past several decades.

Five EU countries have come up with a proposal to ban 10,000 PFAS chemicals in January. In the United States, President Joe Biden has initiated steps against forever chemicals while likewise in the UK authorities are considering halting use of some of these compounds altogether. Valvi stressed that restricting only a portion of the compounds was not sufficient, claiming there are thousands of PFAS available in circulation. In March, Canadian scientists unveiled a novel approach to collecting and eliminating these substances - one which may prove more cost-efficient than previous methods.

Source: The Guardian