Toxic Exposure Linked to Disease Risk Over 20 Generations

WSU study finds single fungicide exposure during pregnancy can have lasting health impacts on offspring

Feb. 21, 2026 at 1:14am

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A new study from Washington State University has found that a single exposure to a toxic fungicide during pregnancy can increase the risk of disease for up to 20 subsequent generations. The research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows that the inherited health problems can worsen over many generations after the initial exposure. The findings have implications for understanding rising chronic disease rates in humans, as the effects are passed down through alterations in reproductive cells.

Why it matters

This study expands our understanding of how long the intergenerational effects of toxic exposure can last, suggesting that someone's health issues today may be rooted in an ancestor's exposure to chemicals decades earlier. The research highlights the need to move towards preventative medicine approaches that can mitigate the long-term impacts of environmental toxins.

The details

The study, led by WSU biologist Michael Skinner, exposed pregnant rats to a low dose of the fungicide vinclozolin. The effects were then tracked across 20 generations of offspring, with the researchers finding persistent disease in the kidneys, prostate, testes and ovaries. Starting in later generations, the researchers also observed high rates of mothers and offspring dying during the birth process.

  • The initial exposure of the pregnant rats occurred in the study.
  • The effects were tracked across 20 subsequent generations of offspring.

The players

Michael Skinner

A professor in the School of Biological Sciences at Washington State University and the founding director of the Center for Reproductive Biology. He has been studying the "epigenetic transgenerational inheritance" of disease for two decades.

Eric Nilsson

A research professor in the School of Biological Sciences at Washington State University and a co-author of the study.

Alexandra A. Korolenko

The lead author of the study, a previous graduate student at WSU and now a postdoctoral researcher at Texas Tech University.

Sarah De Santos

An undergraduate research assistant in the Skinner laboratory at Washington State University.

Vinclozolin

A fungicide used primarily in fruit crops to control blight, mold and rot. It was the toxin used in the study to expose the pregnant rats.

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What they’re saying

“This study really does say that this is not going to go away. We need to do something about it. We can use epigenetics to move us away from reactionary medicine and toward preventative medicine.”

— Michael Skinner, Professor, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University

“Essentially, when a gestating female is exposed, the fetus is exposed. And then the germline inside the fetus is also exposed. From that exposure, the offspring will have potential effects of the exposure, and the grand offspring, and it keeps going. Once it's programmed in the germline, it's as stable as a genetic mutation.”

— Michael Skinner, Professor, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University

What’s next

Researchers are working to develop the use of epigenetic biomarkers to predict disease susceptibility and drive preventative treatments in humans, which could help offset the long-term effects of toxic exposures.

The takeaway

This study highlights the alarming persistence of health impacts from environmental toxins, which can be passed down for generations. It underscores the urgent need to shift towards proactive, preventative approaches to public health in order to address the rising rates of chronic disease.