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4 hours ago
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Early life exposure to toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” could impact economic success in adulthood, new first-of-its-kind research suggests.
The Iowa State University and US Census Bureau working paper compared the earnings, college graduation rates, and birth weights of two groups of children – those raised around military installations that had firefighting training areas, and those who lived near bases with no fire training site.
The military began using PFAS-laden firefighting foam in the early 1970s, which frequently contaminated the drinking water supplies in and around bases.
Those who lived in regions with firefighting training areas earned about 1.7% on average less later in life, and showed a graduation rate about 1% lower. Those born between 1981-1988 earned about $1bn less in today’s earnings, or about $1,000 a person on average, compared to those who did not live near the firefighting training sites.
The data also shows lower birth weights among the population – a factor linked to lower economic success later in life.
The findings “highlight the importance of careful scrutiny of novel chemicals”, said Irene Jacz, a study co-author and Iowa State economist.
“We think that there’s a causal effect from PFAS here but it’s really hard to say, ‘Oh it’s all brain chemistry, or health effects’ so there’s a need for more research” Jacz said. The paper is not yet peer-reviewed, but will soon go through the process.
Jacz also stressed that the paper does not reflect a position of the US Census or federal US government.
PFAS are a class of about 15,000 compounds typically used to make products that resist water, stains and heat. They are called “forever chemicals” because they do not naturally break down and accumulate, and are linked to cancer, kidney disease, liver problems, immune disorders, birth defects and other serious health problems.
The chemicals have been used as the primary ingredient in firefighting foam because the formulas are effective at putting out jet fuel fires, or other difficult to manage fires. The Department of Defense is still trying to get a handle on the scope of its pollution around bases.
The study looked at children who were born during a period between 1969 and 1989. It found a stronger correlation in lower earnings among those born later in that period, probably because the chemicals can take several years to pollute groundwater, and the level of pollution likely grew.
The data also showed declines in birth weight starting in the late 1970s, with an average birth weight decrease of nearly eight grams by the 1980s.
PFAS have been linked to a range of developmental disabilities, including lower birth weight. Many of the chemicals are thought to be neurotoxicants, while early exposure has also been associated with mental health issues later in life, like ADHD.
The study does not try to explain the findings or suggest why the chemicals are associated with economic success later in life, Jacz noted. But the authors wrote that it highlights a broader issue: health risks are unknown for the vast majority of chemicals approved for commercial use in the US.
“This study can be seen as a cautionary tale – using chemicals with unknown health risks can have reverberating impacts not fully observed for decades,” the authors wrote.
