PFAS Exposure Negatively Affects the Placenta During Early Pregnancy
Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health
Briana Mercola
4.6 • 1.6K Ratings
🗓️ 29 January 2026
⏱️ 8 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
- Birth defects affect one in 33 babies, making them the top cause of infant death
- A study published in Environmental Research found that real-world PFAS mixtures can disrupt placental functions during the first trimester of pregnancy
- Other studies have also associated PFAS exposure with preeclampsia, changes in placental DNA, and nervous system defects during pregnancy
- Sources of PFAS at home include cosmetics, non-stick pans, infant clothing, and certain clothing
- Reducing PFAS exposure is challenging, but filtering water properly, making smart swaps in the kitchen, and opting for natural fabrics is a good start
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Could something you touch every day quietly change how your pregnancy unfolds? |
| 0:04.0 | Welcome to Dr. Mercola's Cellular Wisdom. Stay informed with quick, easy-to-listen |
| 0:09.4 | summaries of our latest articles, perfect for when you're on the go. No reading required. |
| 0:13.8 | Subscribe for free at Mercola.com for the latest health insights. |
| 0:17.5 | Hello and welcome to Dr. Mercola Cellular Wisdom. |
| 0:21.1 | I'm Ethan Foster. |
| 0:22.6 | And today we're looking at how exposure to PFAS, so-called forever chemicals, can disrupt |
| 0:28.3 | your placenta in the first trimester when most miscarriages occur and when birth defects, |
| 0:33.6 | which affect 1 and 33 babies and are the leading cause of infant death, take root. |
| 0:38.6 | I'm Ethan, and I'll guide the questions so you can apply the findings to your daily life right away. |
| 0:44.4 | I'm Alara Sky. |
| 0:46.1 | PFAS are in thousands of consumer products, and they persist in your body for years. |
| 0:52.5 | Researchers in Germany recently analyzed 31 placentas from 7 to 11 weeks |
| 0:57.5 | of pregnancy, then recreated a real-world mix of PFAS to test on placental cells. That approach matters |
| 1:05.5 | because we aren't exposed to single chemicals. We live with mixtures. A key part of their method was using LCMS-slash-MS to measure chemicals and then exposing |
| 1:16.4 | both flat 2D cultures and 3-D-sferoid models that mimic early placental structure. |
| 1:22.0 | The mixture included P-F-N-A, P-F-N-A, P-F, PFXS, and PFDA, in ratios matching what was found in tissue. |
| 1:34.3 | Even legacy compounds like PFOS phased out years ago were still present, underscoring how persistent these substances are. |
| 1:42.3 | The findings were direct. |
| 1:44.6 | In 3D models, placental cells showed abnormal invasion patterns. |
| 1:49.3 | Some over-invated the uterine lining. |
| 1:51.9 | Others became less invasive. |
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