Matrix-Resolved Profiling of the Prenatal Chemical Exposome Reveals Selective Placental Retention and Fetal Transfer

Matrix-resolved profiling revealed distinct compartmentalization patterns, with lipophilicity (logP) emerging as the primary physicochemical determinant of placental retention and transplacental transfer, while active transport mechanisms governed the fetal transfer of selected compounds despite properties inconsistent with passive diffusion. We report, for the first time, the transplacental passage of multiple emerging contaminants, including organophosphate esters, food-related compounds and personal care product ingredients.

In contrast, several other contaminantssuch as selected biomarkers of plastics, smoke, and personal care productsshowed no evidence of transplacental transfer. These findings highlight the value of comprehensive, multi-matrix exposome profiling for assessing prenatal chemical exposures and provide a scalable framework for exposome-wide association studies in pregnancy cohorts and beyond.