Adding to the mounting body of evidence pointing to the health harms of exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a new study published in Lancet Planetary Health by researchers at Aberdeen and Örebro Universities indicates that the “forever chemicals” affect humans as early as in the fetal stage of development.
PFAS have been used in consumer goods like nonstick cookware and food packaging since the 1950s, and in the present day, the chemicals are found increasingly in water, soil, food, and the human body due to their inability to break down. Their use has come under scrutiny in recent years as the body of scientific literature evidencing the chemicals’ association with cancer, diabetes, and a number of other diseases begins to grow.