Perfluorinated Substances in Placenta within general population of women giving birth, Israel

Primary and co-primary Investigators: Novack L. (SUMC), Pariente G.(SUMC)

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) belong to a large group of manufactured chemicals that are widely used to make products including cookware, clothes and carpets, and widely used in construction, electronics, and the military. Exposure to PFAS has been associated with cancer, adverse effects on fertility, reduced fetal growth, and reduced ability of the immune system to fight infections. In this study we will estimate concentrations of PFAS chemicals in placenta of up to 100 women giving birth in Soroka Medical Center, enrolled in the biobank registry.  PFAS levels will be compared between women with birth complications and their healthy controls, matched by ethnicity and age at delivery. Although this is a small sample, the study will provide information on a proportion of women with exposure to PFAS chemicals.  The study will build on existing platform of a biobank in SUMC and will add evidence to the recently performed pilot testing for PFAS among blood donors in Israel.