New research using New Hampshire well data shows that pregnant women who drink water from wells downstream of sites contaminated with PFAS – the so‑called “forever chemicals” – face substantially higher risks of low birth weight, preterm delivery and infant death.
What Wells Showed Us About PFAS Risks
Investigators compared births occurring within 3.1 miles of known PFAS‑contaminated sites to the location of the mothers’ public‑water wells. By distinguishing wells downstream (exposed) from those upstream (unexposed), they created a natural experiment that avoided the ethical problems of direct exposure.
PFAS Connections to the Riskiest Births
Women using downstream wells had, on average, a 43 % higher chance of delivering a baby under 5.5 lb, a 20 % higher chance of a birth before 37 weeks, and a 191 % higher chance that the infant would not survive the first year.
Scaled to 100,000 births, the study estimates an extra 2,639 low‑weight infants, 1,475 preterm births and 611 infant deaths.
For the most severe outcomes, downstream exposure was linked to a 180 % higher chance of a birth under 2.2 lb and a 168 % higher chance of delivery before 28 weeks, amounting to roughly 607 additional extremely low‑weight and 466 additional extremely preterm births per 100,000 deliveries.
Economic Impact of PFAS Contamination
When the birth‑outcome effects are valued in monetary terms, the researchers estimate annual lifetime costs of about US$7.8 billion for low‑weight births and US$5.6 billion for preterm births and infant mortality. The analysis also notes that meeting EPA PFAS limits would cost utilities roughly US$3.8 billion each year.
Treatment Options for PFAS‑Contaminated Water
The study focused on long‑chain PFAS such as PFOA and PFOS, which are no longer produced in the United States but remain in soils and groundwater. Activated‑carbon filtration can remove these compounds at both municipal and household levels.
Pregnant women who suspect PFAS exposure should consider installing such filters and maintaining them according to manufacturers’ schedules.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are PFAS and why are they called “forever chemicals”?
PFAS are synthetic per‑ and polyfluoroalkyl substances that persist in the environment, accumulate in human bodies and can cause health effects even at very low concentrations.
How did researchers determine which wells were exposed to PFAS?
They identified wells downstream of known PFAS‑contaminated sites and confirmed higher PFAS levels in those wells using external testing data, while upstream wells served as the unexposed comparison group.
Which birth outcomes were linked to PFAS exposure in the study?
Exposure was associated with increased odds of low birth weight (<5.5 lb), preterm birth (<37 weeks), extremely low birth weight (<2.2 lb), extremely preterm birth (<28 weeks) and higher infant mortality within the first year.
How might communities protect pregnant residents from PFAS contamination?
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