Can PFAS from nonstick cookware damage your liver during pregnancy?

What's actually in it

PFAS accumulate in the liver, which is responsible for filtering them from blood. The liver also plays a central role in pregnancy metabolism, handling increased demands for lipid processing and detoxification. PFAS interfere with the liver enzymes and cellular pathways that manage both tasks.

Pregnancy itself stresses the liver. Adding PFAS chemical load on top of the normal metabolic demands of pregnancy creates additional strain. Elevated liver enzymes during pregnancy are a warning sign: they indicate liver cells are being damaged or struggling to keep up with their workload.

What the research says

The 2026 Wuxi Birth Cohort study in Environ Int measured PFAS levels in blood during pregnancy and tracked liver function markers including ALT and AST (enzymes released when liver cells are stressed or damaged). Women with higher gestational PFAS exposure had higher ALT and AST levels, indicating greater liver stress.

The study tested both individual PFAS compounds and their combined effect as a mixture. Both analyses showed associations. The mixture analysis matters because pregnant people are exposed to multiple PFAS simultaneously, and their combined load on the liver exceeds what any single compound would predict alone.

Animal studies and toxicogenomic analysis in the same research confirmed the mechanism: PFAS disrupts lipid metabolism pathways in liver cells and increases oxidative stress, which translates directly to the enzyme elevations seen in the human cohort.

For pregnant people, the main PFAS sources to reduce are nonstick cookware, stain-resistant textiles in the home, microwave popcorn bags, and fast food containers. Switching to cast iron or stainless steel cooking and using a PFAS-certified water filter are the highest-impact steps.