As a result, PFAS have spread widely. They are now routinely detected in water, soil, wildlife, and human tissue. Some of these compounds have been linked to serious health problems, including certain cancers, obesity, infertility, and hormone disruption.

Several older, so-called ‘legacy’ PFAS, including perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHS), have been targeted for global phaseout under the 2001 Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. However, newer PFAS have since entered the market, including uses tied to emerging technologies such as AI data centers.

Study Links Specific PFAS to Faster Biological Aging

“Here we show that specific forever chemicals, namely perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorooctanesulfonamide (PFOSA), appear to accelerate biological aging, with middle-aged men being the most vulnerable group,” said Dr. Xiangwei Li, a professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine in China and the corresponding author of a new study in Frontiers in Aging.

“These findings suggest that some newer PFAS alternatives are not necessarily low-risk replacements and warrant serious attention regarding their environmental impact.”

To investigate, Li and colleagues analyzed publicly available data from 326 older adults who participated in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1999 and 2000. The group was nationally representative and randomly selected. Blood samples from each participant were tested for 11 different PFAS. Researchers also examined the DNA ‘methylome’ — an epigenetic marker regulating gene expression — in blood cells. Participants completed questionnaires detailing their demographics, socioeconomic status, and lifestyle habits.

Using these methylation patterns, the team applied 12 established and newer ‘epigenetic clocks’ to estimate each person’s biological age. Biological age reflects how old the body appears at a cellular level, which may differ from chronological age. Earlier NHANES research has suggested that higher PFAS levels in the blood are associated with faster biological aging, possibly due to inflammation.

Speeding Up the Aging Clock

PFNA and PFOSA were detected in 95% of participants. Higher levels of these two chemicals were strongly linked to accelerated epigenetic aging in men between 50 and 64 years old. This association was not observed in women.

PFNA and PFOSA were first developed in the 1950s and 1960s. Today, they are still used in consumer and industrial products because they repel water, grease, and stains and can tolerate heat and corrosion. Like other PFAS, they are highly persistent, build up in the body over time, and have been associated with toxic health effects.

Other PFAS detected in at least 85% of participants included 2-(N-ethyl-perfluorooctane sulfonamido) acetic acid (EPAH), 2-(N-methyl-perfluorooctane sulfonamido) acetic acid (MPAH), PFOS, PFOA, and PFHS. Overall PFAS levels did not differ between men and women or across age groups. In addition, EPAH, MPAH, PFHS, PFOA, and PFOS were not linked to changes in biological age.

The researchers concluded that not all PFAS affect the body in the same way. The impact on epigenetic and biological aging appears to depend on the specific compound. They argue that regulations should expand beyond older legacy PFAS to also consider PFNA and PFOSA.

Why Middle Age May Be a Sensitive Window

But why were middle-aged men most affected?

“Midlife is a sensitive biological window where the body becomes more susceptible to age-related stressors, which may explain why this group responds more strongly to chemical exposure,” explained Dr. Ya-Qian Xu from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, the first author of the study.

Li added: “We suspect that men may be at higher risk because the aging markers we analyzed are heavily influenced by lifestyle factors such as smoking, which can compound the damaging effects of these pollutants.”

Policy responses are beginning to shift. France has recently banned PFAS in clothing and cosmetics, and the European Union is considering similar restrictions for certain uses.

“Meanwhile, to reduce risk, individuals can try to limit their consumption of packaged foods and avoid microwaving fast-food containers. Looking ahead, we are actively modeling how PFAS interacts with other common pollutants, as we need to understand the cumulative health risks of these chemical mixtures,” said Li.