Research progress on effect of prenatal exposure to emerging pollutants on fetal development

The potential health risks of emerging pollutants are increasingly gaining attention and have become a research hotspot in the fields of environmental and health sciences. Emerging pollutants mainly include persistent organic pollutants, environmental endocrine disruptors, antibiotics, and microplastics. Compared with traditional pollutants, emerging pollutants demonstrate greater environmental persistence, bioaccumulation potential, and biotoxicity. Their diversity is continuously expanding, while regulatory measures remain inadequate. Emerging pollutants can cross the placental barrier and enter the fetus, adversely affecting fetal development and increasing the risk of various adverse birth outcomes. This paper systematically summarizes the adverse effects of prenatal exposure to emerging pollutants on fetal development and provides an outlook on future research directions.