Research by Liping Feng, MD, published in Nature Communications, describes how three-dimensional diffractive acoustic tomography (3D-DAT) is being utilized to demonstrate how per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, affect embryo development in mice models. Also known as "forever chemicals," PFAS are found in numerous industrial and consumer products, and they are known to accumulate in living organisms and cause adverse health effects. Using a mouse model that had similar levels of PFAS exposure as a human, they saw that oxygen levels increased during early embryo development, slowing down the growth of blood vessels and negatively affecting embryonic growth and development, especially brain development.
"Our lab found that perinatal exposure to a PFAS mixture comparable to levels found in drinking water in Pittsboro, NC, can adversely affect neurobehavioral development in offspring," said Dr. Feng. "By linking blood oxygen levels and vessel development to PFAS exposure, we offer a concrete, measurable pathway to understanding how these chemicals disrupt normal development.”