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Portrait,Of,The,Elderly,Woman.,A,Photo,On,Outdoors

Wrinkles don’t just appear because you’re growing older. Beneath every line and fold lies a mechanical truth. As your skin ages, its ability to manage physical stress weakens, leading to creases and crumples. But how exactly does that happen?



Scientists have long speculated on why older skin forms wrinkles. Many blamed genetics, sun damage, or gradual loss of proteins like collagen and elastin. But no one had tested these ideas on actual human skin until now. 



Researchers at <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Binghamton University</a>, State University of New York (<a href="https://www.suny.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SUNY</a>), decided to find out what really happens when skin ages.



Their work goes beyond theory. They brought solid experimental evidence to show how wrinkles form through physical buckling when <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/summer-skin-care-dermatologists-reveal-the-ingredients-they-trust/">skin</a> stretches and contracts over time. The results confirm what many suspected but couldn’t prove.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-skin-shrinks-more-with-age">Skin shrinks more with age</h2>



Guy German, an associate professor of biomedical engineering, and his team closely examined strips of human skin from people aged 16 to 91. They used a low-force tensometer to stretch these samples in one direction. 



What they found was simple but powerful: when <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stem-cells-can-shift-from-hair-growth-to-skin-healing/">skin</a> stretches one way, it contracts the other way. This shrinking movement increases with age. When it becomes too strong, the skin buckles and forms wrinkles. 



“This is no longer just a theory,” said Professor German. “We now have hard experimental evidence showing the physical mechanism behind aging.”



Imagine your oldest hoodie. Over time, it stretches in random spots and loses its shape. Skin, though far more complex, behaves in a surprisingly similar way.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-milestone-for-skin-science">A milestone for skin science</h2>



For Professor German, this breakthrough isn’t just another study. It’s personal. Understanding how and why <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/our-skins-bacteria-could-be-a-natural-sunscreen/">skin</a> wrinkles was one of his life goals.



Professor German questioned the endless advice from media and marketers about anti-aging. Instead of relying on vague claims, he wanted scientific clarity.



“When I got into this field, that was one of my goals - can I figure out aging? Because if I look at the TV, the radio, online, at shops, I'm being told 1,000 different things about how to improve my skin health, and I want to know what's right and what isn't. And so I thought I'd skip to the end and try and figure it out myself.“



Abraham Ittycheri and Alejandro Wiltshire, both students of Professor German, played key roles in this research. Together, they applied gentle tension to the skin samples and carefully recorded how the tissue responded. 



The setup mimicked everyday pressures your skin feels while smiling, frowning, or even sleeping.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wrinkles-form-when-skin-gets-wonky">Wrinkles form when skin gets "wonky"</h2>



As skin ages, it doesn’t stretch and contract evenly. German explained that youthful <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/vitamin-c-promotes-skin-renewal-and-anti-aging-at-the-genetic-level-dna-demethylation/">skin</a> has predictable mechanical properties. But over time, these properties begin to shift.



“Your skin has one set of mechanical properties when you're young, but as you get older, things begin to change and get a bit ‘wonky,’” said Professor German.



He noted that aging skin stretches more sideways. This uneven tension causes folds to appear. 



Interestingly, the skin doesn’t rest naturally. Even when you’re relaxed, internal forces are still pulling it in various directions. These built-in tensions increase the likelihood of wrinkling.



“Things degrade a bit, and it turns out the skin stretches laterally more, which causes the actual wrinkles that form," explained Professor German.



"And the reason why that exists in the first place is that your skin is not in a stress-free state. It's actually stretched a little bit. So there are inherent forces within your skin itself, and those are the driving force towards wrinkles.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-silly-putty-skin-and-sun">Silly putty, skin, and sun</h2>



To explain further, German used a simple analogy. “If you stretch Silly Putty for instance, it stretches horizontally, but it also shrinks in the other direction - it gets thinner. That's what skin does as well."



“As you get older, that contraction gets bigger. And if your skin is contracted too much, it buckles. That's how wrinkles form.”



This shrinking effect mirrors what happens to the dermal layer of your skin. Over time, it loses strength and elasticity, which changes how it handles movement and pressure.



Sun exposure can make this process worse. According to Professor German, long-term time in the sun can cause your skin to age faster even if you’re still young.



“If you spend your life working outside, you’re more likely to have more aged and wrinkled skin than those who are office workers, for example,” he said. 



“Chronological aging and photoaging give you similar results. So go and have a fab summer, but don't forget the suntan lotion - your future self will appreciate it.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-how-wrinkles-form">Understanding how wrinkles form</h2>



The new research finally puts years of assumptions to the test. Past models speculated about the weakening of the dermal structure. But this is the first time scientists used real samples to demonstrate exactly how wrinkles form.



By identifying this contraction behavior in skin, the study offers a new path for future cosmetic and clinical strategies. Treatments may now aim to adjust how skin responds to tension, instead of simply adding hydration or boosting collagen.



For now, the study acts as a solid foundation, clearing the noise in a crowded industry full of unverified claims. It marks a new chapter in our understanding of what really happens as skin ages.



The study is published in the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1751616125001961?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials</a>. 



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Scientists finally know how wrinkles form when skin ages

Wrinkles don’t just appear because you’re growing older. Beneath every...

Wildlife crime scenes rarely feature fingerprints or cameras. Instead, investigators are turning to bits of tissue, feathers, and soil-stained knives that hide genetic clues linking poachers, poisoned bait, and endangered animals.



A study from the <a href="https://en.huji.ac.il/">Hebrew University of Jerusalem</a> detailed a toolkit that pulls those clues together and makes them stick in court.



Dr. Gila Kahila Bar-Gal of the Koret School of Veterinary Medicine is leading the work, and her team’s methods are already changing how rangers collect evidence.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wildlife-crimes-are-often-overlooked">Wildlife crimes are often overlooked</h2>



Wildlife trafficking ranks among the five largest illicit trades worldwide, generating up to $23 billion each year. Its profits rival narcotics and arms, yet detection rates remain low.



Biodiversity loss accelerates when poachers target endangered species already stressed by habitat loss or climate change. The endangered mountain <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/urgent-call-to-save-mongolian-gazelles-from-habitat-loss/">gazelle</a>, for example, has fallen to roughly 5,000 animals in its last habitat in Israel.



Poisons add a second, silent threat. Forty-five percent of griffon vulture injuries or deaths documented in Israel from 2010 to 2021 were linked to carbamate or organophosphate toxins. 



Population surveys now count only about 230 wild birds, down from several hundred just two decades ago. 



Because a single carcass can kill a flock of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scavengers-clean-up-wetlands-and-boost-their-health/">scavengers</a>, every unsolved poisoning undermines years of conservation work.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-genetic-clues-at-the-crime-scene">Genetic clues at the crime scene</h2>



Traditional autopsies stop at cause of death. Wildlife forensics asks a tougher question: Who is responsible? The first layer uses mitochondrial DNA markers to name the endangered species even when the sample is degraded or mixed. 



Kahila Bar-Gal’s team relies on two short gene fragments, 16S and CytB, to cross-check results and avoid false matches.



After species comes identity. The lab amplifies Short Tandem Repeats, tiny, highly variable stretches of nuclear DNA, to build an individual genetic profile. 



A five-dye, 22-STR panel has shown it can spot just 10 percent of a target species in a mixed sample.



“Our protocols are designed to be accurate and practical, because saving a species often comes down to solving forensic cases,” said Kahila Bar-Gal. 



Researchers run each profile against a local DNA library built from both wild and domestic animals.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wildlife-poachers-caught-through-dna">Wildlife poachers caught through DNA</h2>



Case records released with the study read like a detective novel. Rangers once raided a desert camp after spotting fresh ibex horns. 



Twenty-one blood-stained knives and shirts all pointed to Nubian ibex, not goats, ending the hunters’ main defense.



A second file describes gazelle poachers who let trained dogs do the killing. Swabs from each dog’s muzzle carried mountain-gazelle <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hidden-chapter-in-human-evolution-revealed-through-genetics/">DNA</a>, while dog hairs in the suspect’s pickup matched the animals seized onsite. 



That chain of evidence supported criminal charges even though the carcass itself was never recovered.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-solving-a-vulture-poisoning-mystery">Solving a vulture poisoning mystery</h2>



The most dramatic case involved seven griffon vultures that collapsed after feeding on a goat laced with pesticide. STR analysis proved the meat in a vulture’s crop came from the same goat carcass found nearby.



Although the herd owner escaped indictment - since the goat’s profile differed from his animals - the link let prosecutors treat the poisoning as an intentional wildlife crime rather than an accidental spill.



“When a vulture is found poisoned or a gazelle is killed out of season, you’re not just looking for a suspect, you’re often dealing with mixed evidence that may include multiple species, some protected, some not,” explained Kahila Bar-Gal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-local-dna-libraries-matter">Why local DNA libraries matter</h2>



Global databases such as <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genbank/">GenBank</a> hold millions of sequences, but many lack precise location data or quality control. Using the wrong reference, researchers can mistake a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/vanishing-vultures-may-threaten-public-health/">vulture</a> feather from Galilee for one from Spain



Israel’s wildlife lab avoids that pitfall by curating voucher specimens from every region and by adding common livestock breeds. 



The approach means rangers can tell a wild Nubian ibex from a feral hybrid and can rule out claims that confiscated meat came from someone’s goat.



Other countries have begun to copy the model, especially in Africa’s bushmeat hotspots and in Southeast Asian ports where reptile skins move through freezers by the ton.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-saving-endangered-species-with-science">Saving endangered species with science</h2>



Kahila Bar-Gal wants faster turnarounds. Portable sequencers that read long DNA fragments in the field could shave weeks off an investigation and let rangers link samples before suspects disappear.



Policy work matters too. INTERPOL estimates that wildlife crime funds organized networks that also traffic weapons and people. Convictions backed by genetic proof raise the risks for traffickers and can shift the cost-benefit calculus.



The study recommends expansion of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/livestock-grazing-is-changing-soil-plants-and-insect-populations/">livestock</a> genetic surveys in poisoning hotspots, tighter controls on agricultural pesticides, and forensic training for customs agents. 



Those steps will not restore every lost vulture, but they can keep future carcasses from becoming lethal bait.



Wildlife crimes once hinged on eyewitnesses willing to testify. Today, molecules tell the story. Each cell recovered from a knife blade or scavenged bone now speaks for endangered species that cannot.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ecology-and-evolution/articles/10.3389/fevo.2025.1525957/full">Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution</a>.



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Wildlife crime cases can be solved with genetic forensics

Wildlife crime scenes rarely feature fingerprints or cameras. Instead, investigators...

Deep underground, far from any ray of sunlight, microbes stay alive thanks to energy released when rocks crack. A new study traces that energy to hydrogen and oxidants created during fault movements, challenging the persistent view that “all life depends on sunlight.”



Lead investigators Professor He Hongping and Professor Zhu Jianxi at the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (<a href="http://english.gig.cas.cn/">GIGCAS</a>), used high-pressure experiments to mimic earthquakes. 



The researchers watched free radicals tear water apart, producing hydrogen gas and hydrogen peroxide.



“Hydrogen production driven by earthquake-related faulting was up to 100,000 times greater than that from other known pathways,” said study first author Xiao Wu.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cracks-in-rocks-beat-sunshine">Cracks in rocks beat sunshine</h2>



Sunlight fades within a few yards of bedrock, yet the deep biosphere hosts roughly 15 percent of Earth's biomass, mainly <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/when-bacteria-get-hungry-they-turn-on-each-other/">bacteria</a> and archaea. 



Two billion years of plate movements and daily microquakes keep that hidden ecosystem supplied with freshly fractured surfaces.



When quartz or basalt breaks, it creates reactive radicals that split water into hydrogen gas and peroxide - an energy source microbes can use.



Because the deep crust is full of silicate grains with hidden peroxy bonds, each seismic slip has a big effect. It’s like flipping millions of nanoscale switches at once.



Breaking those bonds converts about 0.005 percent of the mechanical energy into chemical energy. The authors argue that’s enough to keep underground microbes active between major quakes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-microbes-thrive-on-rock-cracks">Microbes thrive on rock cracks</h2>



The team’s laboratory faults generated up to 160 micromoles of hydrogen in just four hours, dwarfing the yield from <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/serpentinization">serpentinization</a> or natural radiolysis under similar volumes. 



Production hit 33.1 moles per square yard yearly - enough to sustain dense microbial biofilms, the authors say.



Such bursts matter because many subsurface cells scrape by on barely 10⁻¹² watts apiece, near the threshold estimated by astrobiologist <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1472-4677.2004.00033.x">Tori Hoehler</a> for metabolic maintenance. 



A single quake therefore provides millions of times the power one microbe needs, turning fresh rock cracks into temporary oases.



Seismologists have recorded hydrogen spikes in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hot-springs-may-have-played-a-key-role-in-the-emergence-of-life/">hot spring</a> gas just hours before moderate quakes on the Tibetan Plateau. This highlights the strong connection between tectonic activity and underground chemistry.



Field evidence supports the lab results, showing tiny amounts of oxygen forming as hydrogen peroxide breaks down - even in the dark.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rust-fuels-life-below">Rust fuels life below</h2>



Hydrogen alone is not enough; life also needs an electron acceptor. The experiments showed that reactive hydrogen atoms easily convert ferric iron (Fe³⁺) back into ferrous iron (Fe²⁺). 



At the same time, hydrogen peroxide turns Fe²⁺ back into Fe³⁺ in nearby pores, creating a self-sustaining iron cycle. In nature, some bacteria use this iron exchange to get energy and support the carbon cycle. 



Lab tests on granite showed that some microbes can grow by pulling electrons from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-coating-makes-iron-almost-completely-rust-resistant/">iron</a> in the rock. They turn the iron into rust, revealing how vital this process is for underground life.



Once established, the gradient persists as slow weathering and diffusive mixing blur the initial burst, giving communities time to stabilize and spread. 



The study indicates that these self-renewing redox interfaces may dot fault networks worldwide, vastly enlarging habitable volume. Field samples from deep Canadian Shield boreholes show iron shifting between forms over several years. 



This suggests underground microbes stay active by using hydrogen from fractured rock. Such evidence backs the lab findings that iron redox shuttles act as long-term batteries.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hidden-energy-below-ground">Hidden energy below ground</h2>



Global <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25519136/">estimates</a> say processes like radiolysis and serpentinization produce up to 18 billion moles of hydrogen each year. 



Though earthquakes are rare, they release intense energy in small areas - enough to rival other sources and power surface-dwelling microbes.



Glaciers provide a similar example. As they grind up basalt rock beneath the ice, they release hydrogen that can support microbial life in the water below. 



Together, these findings recast mechanical energy as a prime mover in parts of the biosphere once thought inert.



With countless <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microbes-found-alive-sealed-inside-rock-after-2-billion-years/">microbes</a> living underground, even rare quakes can recharge their energy and reshuffle communities until power runs out again.



When chemistry slows, some microbes go dormant and survive on tiny energy for thousands of years. This has been seen in deep South African gold mines, showing how adaptable underground life is.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hints-for-life-on-other-worlds">Hints for life on other worlds</h2>



Rocky planets with brittle crusts experience fracturing from impacts, tides, and cooling, so similar chemistry could run beneath Mars, Europa, or Enceladus. 



Mars orbiters have already mapped rock cracks in the surface that stretch for hundreds of miles, and rovers have found types of iron that can switch between two different forms. 



Studies reviewing rock-hosted life on Earth argue that such interfaces, not surface oases, may offer the best hope of past or present Martian life.



Tools that detect hydrogen, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/massive-new-source-of-methane-emissions-discovered-glacial-fracking-arctic/">methane</a>, or changes in iron might spot signs of life - even in dry, barren landscapes. The new data give mission planners quantitative targets, narrowing the search to cracks in rocks where chemistry and biology intersect.



Back on Earth, the work broadens our picture of the deep biosphere, showing that tectonic stirrings, glacier creep, and landslide-grinding all seed underground food chains. Once again, life proves it can run its circuits wherever electrons find a path.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adx5372">Science Advances</a>.



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Cracked rocks power life deep on Earth - and possibly other planets

Deep underground, far from any ray of sunlight, microbes stay...

Most of us assume attention keeps a constant watch on the scene in front of us. New work shows that the gaze of the mind actually flickers in bursts, about eight times every second.



“Our environment bombards us with visual information, but our brain can’t process everything at once,” explained Professor Ayelet N. Landau of the <a href="https://en.huji.ac.il/">Hebrew University</a> of Jerusalem.



Her team calls this rhythmic stop-start style of focus attentional sampling, and sees it as the brain’s way of staying on top of overload.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-attention-can-t-stay-still">Why attention can’t stay still</h2>



Classic studies revealed that neurons representing different objects fight for limited processing capacity, a principle known as biased competition. Sampling reframes that duel as a time-share instead of a knockout.



Landau and her co-authors showed that when people keep their eyes on one target, their detection accuracy oscillates at 8 Hz, in sync with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-discover-a-brain-region-that-connects-all-the-senses/">cortical rhythms</a> recorded by brain scanners. Peaks mark moments of heightened sensitivity, valleys mark brief lapses.



These lapses last only a tenth of a second, so awareness feels continuous. Under the surface, though, the cortex is alternately excitable and quiet, allowing each snapshot to settle before the next one arrives.



Legacy reaction-time studies hinted at this pulsing decades ago, yet their coarse sampling disguised the regular pattern. Modern high-speed methods finally caught what earlier chronometry could not.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-brain-s-rhythm-of-attention">The brain’s rhythm of attention</h2>



Electroencephalography (EEG) confirms that the flicker rides on a low-frequency <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/classical-music-orchestrates-a-mood-lifting-dance-in-the-brain/">theta rhythm</a> that sways neural firing across wide areas. The rhythm acts like a metronome for perception, motor plans, and even memory formation.



In the visual cortex, low points in the cycle dampen irrelevant input, while high points enhance signals that match current goals. That alternating gate may be why attention can pivot so quickly without losing the thread.



Importantly, the beat is intrinsic; it shows up even when volunteers merely stare at a blank screen. Task demands then bend the phase toward whatever matters at the moment.



Parallel psychophysics work finds that attention also binds an object’s separate features into a single percept in the same 4-8 Hz window, linking the timing of sampling to the act of integrating color, shape, and motion. That overlap suggests a common master clock rather than multiple isolated timers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sharing-the-rhythm-between-targets">Sharing the rhythm between targets</h2>



When two objects appear in view, the brain still operates with the same eight-beat budget. Instead of speeding up, it splits the beat, granting each item four looks per second.



That division keeps important features alive on the neural stage, yet prevents either stream from hogging resources. It also explains why multitasking always costs a little time.



Researchers see the same halved tempo when the competing items overlap in space and differ only by color or motion. The brain prioritizes information channels over physical locations.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-splitting-focus-slows-the-clock">Splitting focus slows the clock</h2>



In one experiment, two colored dot clouds sat on top of each other while participants watched for a flicker in either <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/clouds-are-shrinking-and-making-the-earth-hotter/">cloud.</a> Detection accuracy for each cloud rose and fell at 4 Hz, showing clean alternation between the color channels.



When only one cloud remained, the rhythm doubled back to 8 Hz, proving that the slower pace was not fatigue but a deliberate split of a fixed clock. Sampling behaves like a budget, not a throttle.



Mathematical models now predict further slowdowns, to about 2.6 Hz, when three objects compete. Laboratory evidence for that prediction is starting to emerge.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-your-brain-switches-without-you-knowing">Your brain switches without you knowing</h2>



Sampling goes on even when we have no clue that two images differ. When researchers delivered different inputs to each eye, detection still swung at 4 Hz, proving that the rhythm begins inside monocular channels long before conscious vision.



That covert alternation shows the system is always juggling alternatives, even if the conscious mind thinks it sees only one scene. Awareness is what emerges after the rhythm resolves the contest.



The finding rules out eye movements or deliberate strategies, because participants never realized the trick.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-real-world-impact-of-brain-rhythm">The real-world impact of brain rhythm</h2>



Interface engineers are exploring whether synchronizing warning flashes with the natural peaks could shave milliseconds off reaction times. 



Early cockpit simulations show modest gains, hinting that the brain’s own timing may become a design parameter.



In medicine, clinicians studying attention-deficit disorders report that the 8 Hz rhythm appears intact in most children but weakens when <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/autism-and-adhd-disorders-directly-linked-amount-of-time-kids-spend-on-screens/">ADHD</a> co-occurs with autism, suggesting a therapeutic target.



Such applications depend on a better map of which brain circuits drive the cycle and how disease reshapes it. For now, the rhythm is a fingerprint of healthy processing, and its disruption is a promising biomarker.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-search-for-rhythm-s-source">The search for rhythm’s source</h2>



Some laboratories trace sampling to control hubs in the frontal cortex that send eight-beat bias signals to sensory areas. Others observe the rhythm emerging locally from inhibitory loops inside the primary visual cortex, a pattern that could arise even without top-down input.



Both stories might be true, because the human brain often builds the same behavior with redundant layers. Global conductors can steer local circuits that already possess their own pulse.



Resolving the argument will need laminar recordings that capture signals from every level of the hierarchy at once, something now being tried in patients preparing for epilepsy surgery.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-of-brain-rhythm-research">Future of brain rhythm research</h2>



Future projects aim to test whether sampling operates in audition, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-touch-molecular-basis-elkin1-discovery/">touch</a>, and smell, suggesting a domain-general scheduler.



Early audiovisual work already hints at cross-modal alignment of the 4 Hz alternation when two objects compete.



Meanwhile, computational neuroscientists are building digital models that replicate the switching behavior and predict how many streams the cortex can handle before bottlenecks appear.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/trends/cognitive-sciences/fulltext/S1364-6613(25)00150-0">Trends in Cognitive Sciences</a>.



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Multitasking messes with your brain’s natural rhythm

Most of us assume attention keeps a constant watch on...

Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is almost unavoidable in the United States. A new study finds that people with more of these PFAS chemicals in their blood are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes later on.



Researchers working with Mount Sinai’s BioMe biobank examined 180 adults who recently received a diabetes diagnosis and compared them with 180 matched participants who remained diabetes free. Each step up the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bacteria-that-eat-forever-chemicals-discovered-in-contaminated-soil/">exposure</a> ladder carried a 31 percent jump in future diabetes risk, the team reports.



The project was led by Dr. Vishal Midya in the Icahn School of Medicine at <a href="https://www.mountsinai.org/">Mount Sinai</a> and Dr. Damaskini Valvi, who studies environmental drivers of metabolic diseases.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-pfas-comes-from">Where PFAS comes from</h2>



<a href="https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/pfas/data-research/facts-stats/index.html">PFAS</a> make fabrics stain resistant, food wrappers grease proof, and pans easy to clean. Nearly every American carries trace amounts of these "forever chemicals" in their blood.



The molecules linger for years because their carbon fluorine bonds do not break down under normal environmental conditions. 



Production of older long chain PFAS is declining, yet replacement compounds are showing up in water, soil, and consumer goods.



“PFAS are synthetic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gut-bacteria-offer-new-hope-against-forever-chemicals/">chemicals</a> that resist heat, oil, water, and stains, and are found in countless everyday consumer products,” said Midya. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-pfas-links-to-diabetes">How PFAS links to diabetes</h2>



The study used a nested case control study <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7845919/">design</a>, pulling incident cases and matched controls from a wider cohort of more than 70,000 New York City patients. 



Blood samples that were collected about six years before diagnosis provided a snapshot of chemical load.



The scientists tested for seven common PFAS chemicals using an extremely precise technique. Next, they used a method called metabolomics to scan about 650 tiny molecules. 



To understand the results, the experts used a type of analysis that combined all the PFAS data into one overall score, while also taking into account how the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/safe-forever-chemicals-may-impair-brain-development/">chemicals</a> might be connected.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pfas-raises-diabetes-risk">PFAS raises diabetes risk </h2>



Earlier reviews already hinted at a link between PFAS and poor glucose control, but most relied on European or Asian cohorts. A 2024 narrative <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11836584/">review</a> concluded that several PFAS classes “show potential associations” with diabetes and other metabolic problems.



The new work strengthens the evidence by adding a multiethnic U.S. sample and by measuring exposures well before disease onset. Its 31 percent odds ratio sits within the range reported by previous prospective studies that tracked single PFAS compounds.



Diabetes remains a major public health burden, affecting 38.1 million U.S. adults according to the latest National Diabetes Statistics <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/php/data-research/index.html">Report</a>. Any exposure that nudges risk upward is therefore relevant at the population level.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-pfas-may-cause-diabetes">How PFAS may cause diabetes</h2>



Metabolomic signals pointed to disrupted amino acid pathways, especially glutamate, arginine, and proline metabolism. The same pathways surfaced when the team compared metabolite profiles between future diabetes cases and controls.



One molecule, sulfolithocholylglycine, linked both to higher PFAS burdens and to later diabetes, surviving stringent statistical correction. Bile acid conjugates like this one help regulate lipid and glucose homeostasis, supporting the idea of a mechanistic bridge.



PFAS can also bind peroxisome proliferator activated receptors, which fine tune fat storage and insulin sensitivity. Laboratory studies show that long chain PFAS alter <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10412865/">cytochrome P450</a> enzymes in mouse liver, a key hub for drug and hormone metabolism.



The Mount Sinai data showed signs that PFAS may affect the way the body processes drugs, possibly by interfering with detox enzymes. This could also impact how the body handles blood sugar. 



While the researchers did not confirm that the chemicals directly caused the metabolic changes, the findings provide important clues for future research.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-public-health-implications">Public health implications</h2>



According to Dr. Valvi, the results of the study can help experts design more effective interventions for the early prevention of type 2 diabetes. She emphasized the need to account for environmental chemicals alongside diet, activity, and genetics.



Several states have begun to set drinking water limits for PFAS, and the Environmental Protection Agency (<a href="https://www.epa.gov/sdwa/and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas">EPA</a>) proposed national standards earlier this year. Reducing industrial releases and monitoring municipal water could lower population exposures over time.



Health agencies may also consider biomonitoring high risk communities, particularly where water contamination or occupational use is documented. Such surveillance can flag hotspots and guide remediation before disease patterns emerge.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-to-reduce-personal-exposure">How to reduce personal exposure</h2>



Consumers can swap aging nonstick pans for stainless steel or cast iron and choose untreated textiles when possible. Checking local water reports and using certified filters that remove PFAS adds another layer of protection.



Microwave popcorn bags, fast food wrappers, and some waterproof cosmetics still contain fluorinated coatings. Limiting these products can chip away at cumulative intake, even though no single action eliminates risk entirely.



Pregnant women and children, whose metabolic systems are still developing, may benefit most from exposure cuts. Public advisories already warn against eating fish from heavily polluted waters, and similar guidance could apply to other food sources.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-research-and-global-policies">Future research and global policies</h2>



The Mount Sinai team plans larger exposome projects that integrate genes, lifestyle, and a wider range of chemicals. Replication in bigger samples will refine risk estimates and test whether certain PFAS mixtures hit harder than others.



International cooperation will be crucial because manufacturing shifts often move production to regions with looser regulations. Global treaties that phase out persistent chemicals have worked before, as seen with leaded gasoline and certain pesticides.



Scientists also call for better labeling so consumers can recognize fluorinated ingredients. Transparency can drive market demand for safer alternatives, nudging industries toward less persistent chemistry.



For now, the potential link between PFAS and diabetes reminds clinicians to keep an eye on environmental exposures when counseling patients at elevated metabolic risk. 



Policymakers, scientists, and families all have a part to play in cutting the chemical clutter that may push blood sugar in the wrong direction.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/EBIOM/article/PIIS2352-3964(25)00282-8/fulltext">eBioMedicine</a>.



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Common cookware chemicals linked to greater diabetes risk

Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is almost unavoidable...

News coming your way