In the Swedish town of Ronneby in Blekinge, the drinking water was contaminated with PFAS for more than 30 years before it was discovered in 2013, according to forskning.se.
The contamination originates, among other sources, from firefighting foam used during training exercises.
PFAS are chemicals that are difficult to break down, as they can accumulate in the body and are found in many everyday products and foods.
Therefore, most people are exposed to them to some extent.
PFAS exposure
A new study published in PLOS Medicine from Lund University examined more than 11,000 children born in Blekinge between 2006 and 2013.
Researchers examined where the mothers lived before pregnancy and linked this with information about water quality in the area.
In this way, the researchers were able to divide the children into groups with different levels of PFAS exposure.
Some had been exposed to very high levels, while others had low or no exposure.
The researchers also attempted to account for other factors that may have an impact, but emphasize that the results do not provide a definitive answer about the cause.
What did the results show?
Previous studies have not shown clear results at low exposure levels. Therefore, it is important to investigate what happens at higher levels.
The children were followed until the age of 12, when differences between the groups became apparent.
Children whose mothers had been exposed to very high levels of PFAS during pregnancy had a clearly higher incidence of asthma than children with low exposure, according to the study from Lund University.
Sources: Forskning.se and PLOS Medicine.
