How One Pakistani Doctor’s Research Sent Shockwaves in France

The civil society’s message was clear:

“We call on the EU to end this sabotage of our future. The time has come for decisive action.”

The call to protect public health and the environment resonated. In February 2025, France took a stand against what has been called one of the largest public health and environmental threats of our time: PFAS.

The French National Assembly passed one of the world’s most comprehensive environmental reforms, outlawing PFAS in textiles, chemicals, and consumer goods. The evidence presented in the National Assembly highlighted the extensive harm these chemicals have caused to public health and the environment, endangering both current and future generations.

Dr. Sadia Khan, a Pakistani physician and research scientist based in France, published a study in Environment International. Her study focused on Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), and their impact on the placenta. Using placental histological parameters, she found that PFAS exposure impairs the exchange of nutrients and oxygen between mother and fetus—a discovery that positioned the PFAS crisis in a new light: a critical factor affecting placental health, with potential implications for human development.

“The placenta plays a crucial role in pregnancy, mediating the exchange of nutrients, oxygen, and waste between the maternal and fetal systems. This is the first epidemiological study to explore the impact of PFAS exposure on human placental histological parameters. Our findings indicate that PFAS exposure may disrupt the exchange mechanisms between the mother and fetus, potentially contributing to adverse pregnancy outcomes and fetal developmental impairments. These results underscore the need to reduce exposure to these persistent environmental contaminants.” — Dr. Khan says.

INSERM, France’s leading medical research institute, issued a press release highlighting the significance of these findings. The French newspaper Le Monde further amplified the study’s impact, featuring it in a widely circulated report on the alarming effects of PFAS exposure on placental health.

PFAS are synthetic chemicals that do not break down in nature, hence they are termed “forever chemicals” and have been shown to be bioaccumulative in the human body. These pollutants contaminate water, air, soil, and sediment. Some accumulate in plants and animals, entering the food chain, while others travel long distances through water and air, reaching even remote oceans.

The health risks linked to PFAS exposure are severe, including higher risks of kidney, prostate, and testicular cancer, hormonal disruptions, immune system suppression, increased infertility, neurodevelopmental delays, and pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia and low birth weight. An EU study identified pollution at over 17,000 sites across Europe, with cleanup costs exceeding €100 billion annually.

In 2025, a coalition of over 100 environmental groups intensified pressure on policymakers by sending a letter to EU Commission President von der Leyen, demanding immediate regulatory action.

France’s legislation became a landmark victory, a critical first step in the global fight against PFAS. The momentum is building, with even Canada recently placing PFAS on its list of toxic chemicals, signaling growing global recognition of the threat posed by these persistent pollutants. But the battle has only just begun.

PFAS pollution is not just a Western crisis—it is a global public health issue. In Pakistan, there are currently no legal restrictions on PFAS use in textiles, plastics, or packaging. Without immediate intervention, the country faces the risk of an invisible yet escalating health crisis.