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While PFAS or “forever chemicals” exert widespread harmful effects, a new study points to PFNA and PFOSA as drivers of accelerated biological aging in men during middle age, an effect notably absent in women. It is estimated that drinking water contaminated with PFAS could have exposed over 200 million Americans. The slow breakdown in the human body means these chemicals build up insidiously, potentially for decades, before any harm becomes evident.
PFAS are durable, human-made compounds incorporated into products like nonstick cookware, grease-proof packaging, waterproof clothing, and fire-suppressing foams. Their resistance to degradation allows them to linger in ecosystems and human tissues, where they've been connected to issues such as raised cholesterol, liver damage, impaired immunity, and heightened cancer susceptibility.
The analysis included 326 individuals aged 50 and above, all with available PFAS measurements and comprehensive DNA methylation data. Twelve separate epigenetic aging metrics were computed for each participant, and relationships with PFAS were tested with statistical adjustments for smoking history, body weight, income, racial background, and inflammatory biomarkers.
They found detectable PFAS levels in blood were tied to quicker molecular aging, with men in the 50–64 age range showing the clearest and strongest connections. PFNA, or perfluorononanoic acid, displayed the most significant and consistent links to enhanced biological aging. This provided evidence that men with higher PFNA levels in their blood showed a tendency of faster biological aging, linked to a higher risk of early death and disease.
Why men seem to be more vulnerable than women is still not fully understood. One possible explanation is that the aging indicators being studied are strongly affected by lifestyle factors like smoking, which may intensify the harmful impact of these pollutants.
The study does not establish that PFAS directly cause accelerated aging, but it contributes to a growing body of evidence suggesting these chemicals may influence the body in ways that researchers are just starting to uncover.
To view the original scientific study click below:
Emerging PFAS contaminants PFNA and PFSA amplify epigenetic aging: sex- and age-stratified risks in an aging population
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