A new study from the University of Padua has focused on a worrying effect of PFAS on human health: the reduction of the immune response to vaccines in children. The research, conducted by the team of professors Carlo Foresta and Francesco Cinetto together with Luca De Toni and Andrea Di Nisio, finally clarifies the cellular mechanisms through which these pollutants compromise the infantile immune system.
What are PFAS and why are they so dangerous
PFAS (perfluoroalkyl substances) are a family of chemical compounds used since the 1950s in numerous industrial and consumer products: from non-stick pans to waterproof fabrics, from food packaging to firefighting foams. Their main characteristic is their extraordinary resistance to degradation, which makes them practically indestructible in the environment and in the human organism. It is no coincidence that they are defined as “forever chemicals“, eternal substances.
This persistence has made them ubiquitous pollutants, with PFAS now found in water, soil, air and the food chain across the planet. Once absorbed by the body, they accumulate in the blood and organs for years, even decades. Their presence has been detected in human blood, including that of children from birth through the umbilical cord.
The health effects documented by the scientific community are multiple and serious: liver damage, alterations in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, effects on the endocrine system, increased risk of some tumors, and above all compromise of the immune system, particularly in children.
Of all the effects of PFAS on health, the one most consistently documented by the main international health agencies concerns the childhood immune system. Epidemiological studies conducted in recent years in Northern Europe and the United States have highlighted an alarming phenomenon: children exposed to higher levels of PFAS show significantly lower antibody concentrations after routine vaccinations.
Simply put, vaccines work less well in children contaminated with these substances. This is a health problem of primary importance, because it undermines the effectiveness of the main prevention strategy for infectious diseases in children.
Until now, however, there was a lack of understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. The Padua studio fills this gap.
The research
The team from the University of Padua conducted a laboratory study analyzing B lymphocytes, the cells of the immune system responsible for the production of antibodies. The cells came from seven healthy donors not previously exposed to PFAS and were treated under controlled conditions with PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid), one of the most common and widespread compounds of the PFAS family.
The research, which took place between June 2024 and October 2025, reproduced in the laboratory the exposure conditions that occur in human organisms, allowing the effects of PFOA on immune cells to be directly observed.
The data that emerged is clear and worrying. B lymphocytes exposed to PFOA show three fundamental alterations: they activate with greater difficulty, proliferate less and mature more slowly than unexposed cells. The end result is a significant reduction in antibody production.
In particular, research has documented a decline of between 30% and 45% in the production of immunoglobulin G (IgG), the antibodies essential for long-term immune memory induced by childhood vaccines. It is precisely these molecules that guarantee long-lasting protection against diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus, measles and many others.
The most significant data is that this reduction observed in the laboratory corresponds perfectly to that found in epidemiological studies on populations of children living in areas with high PFAS contamination, such as some areas of the Veneto.
This study finally clarifies the cellular mechanisms underlying reduced vaccine responses in children exposed to PFAS. – explains Professor Carlo Foresta – PFOA directly interferes with the maturation of B lymphocytes and reduces the production of antibodies, in particular IgG. The reduction observed is comparable to that found in population studies and confirms that this is a real risk for the health of children.
The research represents a fundamental contribution because it demonstrates that PFOA is not limited to being present in the body as a passive pollutant, but acts actively by interfering with essential biological processes. Understanding these mechanisms is the necessary first step to develop effective prevention and protection strategies.
The presentation to the Senate and future prospects
The results of the study were presented on December 16, 2025 during the round table “Exposure to PFAS and clinical manifestations: health intervention strategies“, at the Senate of the Republic with the participation of scientific experts and institutional representatives.
Understanding these mechanisms is fundamental to strengthening prevention and protection strategies for child health – concludes Foresta.
The Paduan research adds a decisive piece to the understanding of one of the most serious environmental and health emergencies of our time, reminding us that children, with their developing immune systems, are the most vulnerable subjects and that their protection must be an absolute priority.
