Population-based study finds links between PFAS in water and childhood cancers, suggesting necessary policy changes.
In our population-based study of childhood cancers in Orange and Los Angeles Counties, California, we observed increased risks of all cancers combined and some cancer subtypes (i.e., brain tumors, leukemia, neuroblastoma, and retinoblastoma) among children with birth addresses located in public water systems with PFOS/PFOA contamination. Our results suggest that prenatal PFOS/PFOA exposure may explain some of the cancer risk across the study area, and the effects of PFOS/PFOA adjustment on the spatial patterns of cancer risk were stronger among children of US-born mothers. This work can inform policies to reduce exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances and reduce possible health impacts.
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Binczewski et al. (2026) studied this question.
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