Recent research has unveiled a concerning link between PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) and women's fertility, indicating a significant decrease in fertility among women with elevated PFAS levels in their blood. Despite these findings, the Danish Health Authority remains cautious about issuing new advice on the matter.
PFAS, often referred to as "eternal chemicals," pervade our environment, found in drinking water, rainfall, animals, soil, and plants. Unfortunately, these chemicals pose a threat to women attempting to conceive, as multiple studies have associated them with reduced fertility. The latest study, published in the international journal Science of the Total Environment, further supports this notion, demonstrating a substantial reduction in women's fertility due to PFAS exposure.
Researchers analyzed data from 382 women in Singapore of childbearing age who were trying to conceive, focusing on their likelihood of pregnancy, time taken to conceive, and likelihood of giving birth to a live child. The study revealed that women with elevated PFAS levels had a 40 percent lower chance of conceiving within a year on average.
Dania Valvi, an associate professor at the Icahn School of Medicine in New York involved in the research, emphasized the concerning implications of the study's findings, noting that PFAS exposure can diminish the fertility of otherwise healthy women attempting to conceive naturally. She highlighted the World Health Organization's recent acknowledgment of reduced fertility as a significant global issue and expressed worry over the widespread exposure to PFAS and other hormone-disrupting chemicals contributing to this problem.
Experts at the Institute of Public Health corroborated these findings, emphasizing that higher PFAS levels in women's blood correlated with lower fertility rates. They underscored PFAS's status as endocrine disruptors with various adverse health effects, expressing serious concerns about their impact on fertility.
Tina Kold Jensen, a professor of Environmental Medicine at the University of Southern Denmark, echoed these concerns, emphasizing the widespread PFAS exposure and its potential to significantly reduce women's fertility. She noted the alignment of these findings with previous research and highlighted her own studies linking elevated PFAS concentrations to a higher risk of spontaneous abortion in pregnant women.
The challenge lies in reducing PFAS exposure to enhance fertility. Jensen explained that PFAS concentrations in the blood reflect accumulated exposure over several years, making elimination challenging. However, individuals can take steps to minimize PFAS levels in their bodies.
Replacing PFAS-containing kitchenware with PFAS-free alternatives, scrutinizing personal care products for PFAS ingredients, avoiding stain-resistant clothing and furniture, reducing meat consumption from animals exposed to PFAS, and filtering drinking and irrigation water are among the measures individuals can take to minimize PFAS exposure.
While complete avoidance of PFAS exposure may be difficult, these actions can help reduce its presence in daily life, potentially mitigating its impact on fertility.
Source: TV2 Denmark Link to article: PFAS can significantly damage women's fertility