Low
birthweight (LBW) is a worldwide public health concern, while
the global burden of LBW attributable to endocrine-disrupting chemicals,
such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), has not yet been
evaluated. Here, we established a large dataset for the biomonitoring
of seven representative congeners of PFAS by examining data from 2325
publications. Global exposure to perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)
was the highest, followed by perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS)
and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). Spatiotemporal exposure to PFAS
varied considerably, with daily intake estimated in the range of 0.01–1.7
ng/kg/day. Moreover, decreasing trends in PFOS, PFHxS, and PFOA exposure
were noted in most regions of the world over the past two decades,
but such trends were not observed for other PFAS with long carbon
chains, especially in East Asia. Furthermore, we estimated that human
exposure to PFOA contributed to approximately 461,635 (95% confidence
interval: 57,418 to 854,645) cases per year of LBW during the past
two decades, predominantly from Asian regions. Although our estimation
may be constrained by uncertainties from the dose–response
curve and data availability, this study has unveiled that PFAS might
be a contributor to global LBW prevalence during 2000–2019,
supporting continuous actions to mitigate PFAS contamination.