Chemicals found in everyday products is linked to fertility

Exposure to chemicals commonly found in drinking water and everyday household products may result in reduced fertility in women of as much as 40 percent, according to a study by Mount Sinai researchers. In a paper published in Science of the Total Environment, the team reported that higher blood concentrations of perfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, were associated with a significant reduction in the likelihood of pregnancy and live birth among a reproductive-age cohort of women in Singapore who were trying to conceive.

PFAS are water- and grease-resistant chemicals found in drinking water as well as in a wide range of consumer products such as nonstick cookware, waterproof clothing, food packaging, stain-resistant coatings on carpets and upholstery, paints, and personal care products. Numerous studies have found that virtually every American has PFAS in their blood. While other studies have demonstrated that PFAS impair reproductive functioning in female mice, the Mount Sinai investigation is one of the first to show its impact in humans.

The study considered 1,032 women of child-bearing age (18 to 45 years) who were trying to conceive and who were enrolled in the Singapore Preconception Study of Long-Term Material and Child Outcomes (S-PRESTO), a population-based prospective cohort. The researchers measured PFAS in plasma collected from the women between 2015 and 2017. They learned that higher exposure to PFAS chemicals, individually and as a mixture, was associated with reduced probability for clinical pregnancy and live birth.

More specifically, the team found 30 percent to 40 percent lower odds of attaining a clinical pregnancy within one year of follow-up and delivering a live birth when the combined effects of seven PFAS as a mixture were considered. The biggest contributor to the PFAS mixture was perfluorodecanoic acid, which was individually linked to reduced fertility. Associations with infertility outcomes were also observed for perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, perfluorooctanoic acid, and perfluoroheptanoic acid.

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