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Borghese MM, Ward A, MacPherson S, Manz KE, Atlas E, Fisher M, Arbuckle TE, Braun JM, Bouchard MF, Ashley-Martin J. Serum concentrations of legacy, alternative, and precursor per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances: a descriptive analysis of adult female participants in the MIREC-ENDO study. Environ Health 2024; 23:55. [PMID: 38858670 PMCID: PMC11163811 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-024-01085-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Several legacy and emerging per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been regulated around the world. There is growing concern over the proliferation of alternative PFAS, as well as PFAS precursors. Biomonitoring data for PFAS are critical for assessing exposure and human health risk. METHODS We collected serum samples from 289 adult female participants in a 2018-2021 follow-up study of the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) Canadian pregnancy cohort. Samples were analyzed for 40 PFAS using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. For those compounds with > 50% detection, as well as the sum of these compounds, we describe serum concentrations and patterns of exposure according to sociodemographic and obstetrical history characteristics. RESULTS 17 out of 40 PFAS were detected in > 50% of samples with 7 of these detected in > 97% of samples. Median [95th percentile] concentrations (µg/L) were highest for PFOS (1.62 [4.56]), PFOA (0.69 [1.52]), PFNA (0.38 [0.81]), and PFHxS (0.33 [0.92]). Geometric mean concentrations of PFOA and PFHxS were approximately 2-fold lower among those with more children (≥ 3 vs. 1), greater number of children breastfed (≥ 3 vs. ≤ 1), longer lifetime duration of breastfeeding (> 4 years vs. ≤ 9 months), and shorter time since last pregnancy (≤ 4 years vs. > 8 years). We observed similar patterns for PFOS, PFHpS, and the sum of 17 PFAS, though the differences between groups were smaller. Concentrations of PFOA were higher among "White" participants, while concentrations of N-MeFOSE, N-EtFOSE, 7:3 FTCA, and 4:2 FTS were slightly higher among participants reporting a race or ethnicity other than "White". Concentrations of legacy, alternative, and precursor PFAS were generally similar across levels of age, education, household income, body mass index, and menopausal status. CONCLUSIONS We report the first Canadian biomonitoring data for several alternative and precursor PFAS. Our findings suggest that exposure to PFAS, including several emerging alternatives, may be widespread. Our results are consistent with previous studies showing that pregnancy and breastfeeding are excretion pathways for PFAS.
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Affiliation(s)
- M M Borghese
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
| | - A Ward
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - S MacPherson
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - K E Manz
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - E Atlas
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - M Fisher
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - T E Arbuckle
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - J M Braun
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - M F Bouchard
- Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Laval, QC, Canada
| | - J Ashley-Martin
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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Ashley-Martin J, Hammond J, Velez MP. Assessing preconception exposure to environmental chemicals and fecundity: Strategies, challenges, and research priorities. Reprod Toxicol 2024; 125:108578. [PMID: 38522558 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2024.108578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
In 2022, approximately one out of six people globally experienced infertility at some point in their life. Environmental chemicals, particularly those with endocrine disrupting activity, may contribute to impaired fecundity and infertility. We review existing prospective cohort studies of environmental chemicals and fecundity, identify methodological challenges and biases, and outline future research priorities. Studies of preconception environmental chemical exposures and fecundity have occurred in US, Singapore, China and Denmark with recruitment as early as 1982-1986, as recent as 2015-2017 and sample sizes ranging from 99 to 936. Higher exposure to certain chemicals (e.g. heavy metals, perfluoroalkyl substances) was associated with longer time to pregnancy; yet the literature is scarce or nonexistent for many chemicals. Furthermore, prospective studies face challenges and potential biases related to recruiting participants prior to conception, measuring environmental chemicals during critical windows of exposure, and ascertaining when pregnancy occurred. Research priorities include expanding the scope of biomonitoring data collected during the preconception period, continuing to develop and validate analytic methods for self-sampled biospecimens in traditional and novel matrices, collecting data in male partners and investigating etiologic associations according to indicators of marginalization.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jacob Hammond
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Canada
| | - Maria P Velez
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Queens University, Canada
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Yan W, Bai R, Zheng Q, Yang X, Shi Y, Yang R, Jiang C, Wang X, Li X. Concentrations and association between exposure to mixed perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances and glycometabolism among adolescents. Ann Med 2023; 55:2227844. [PMID: 37354023 PMCID: PMC10291925 DOI: 10.1080/07853890.2023.2227844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are widely used for industrial and commercial purposes and have received increasing attention due to their adverse effects on health. OBJECTIVE To examine the relationship of serum PFAS and glycometabolism among adolescents based on the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. METHODS General linear regression models were applied to estimate the relationship between exposure to single PFAS and glycometabolism. Weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression models and Bayesian kernel machine regressions (BKMR) were used to assess the associations between multiple PFASs mixture exposure and glycometabolism. RESULTS A total of 757 adolescents were enrolled. Multivariable regression model showed that Me-PFOSA-AcOH exposure was negatively associated with fasting blood glucose. WQS index showed that there was marginal negative correlation between multiple PFASs joint exposure and the homeostasis model of assessment for insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) (β = -0.26, p < .068), and PFHxS had the largest weight. BKMR models showed that PFASs mixture exposure were associated with decreased INS and HOMA-IR, and the exposure-response relationship had curvilinear shape. CONCLUSIONS The increase in serum PFASs were associated with a decrease in HOMA-IR among adolescents. Mixed exposure models could more accurately and effectively reveal true exposure.Key MessagesThe detection rates of different PFAS contents in adolescent serum remained diverse.Adolescent serum PFASs had negative curvilinear correlation with INS and HOMA-IR levels.PFHxS had the highest weight in the associations between multiple PFASs and adolescent glycometabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wu Yan
- Department of Children Health Care, Children’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ruhai Bai
- School of Public Affairs, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, China
| | - Qingqing Zheng
- Department of Children Health Care, Children’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaona Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yanan Shi
- Department of Children Health Care, Children’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ruizhe Yang
- Department of Prevention and Health Care, Children’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Chenjun Jiang
- Department of Physics, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Xu Wang
- Department of Endocrinology, Children’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaonan Li
- Department of Children Health Care, Children’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- Institute of Pediatric Research, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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4
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Wang YF, Xie B, Zou YX. Association between PFAS congeners exposure and asthma among US children in a nationally representative sample. ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH 2023; 45:5981-5990. [PMID: 37195568 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-023-01614-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Over the past few decades, contamination with perfluorinated and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has gradually become a worldwide problem. Now that common PFAS such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) are being phased out and replaced, people may be exposed to other PFAS congeners, and their potential hazards should be fully studied. We assessed the association of serum PFAS levels (as biomarkers of exposure) with asthma, including 2-(N-methyl-perfluorooctane sulfonamido) acetic acid (Me-PFOSA-AcOH), pefluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), and perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA), using data from participants aged 3-11 from the 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (n = 525), where PFAS was modeled as a binary variable.Me-PFOSA-AcOH (1.36; 95% CI 0.77, 2.38), PFDA (1.33; 95% CI 0.76, 2.33), and PFUnDA (1.89; 95% CI 0.83, 4.35) were nonsignificantly associated with increased odds of asthma. Age, sex, and race/ethnicity modified associations between serum PFUnDA, not other serum PFAS congeners exposure, and odds of asthma. Specifically, for male participants, the OR = 3.06 and 95% CI 1.23-7.62 for serum PFUnDA exposure; for participants aged 3-7 years old, the OR = 3.55 and 95% CI 1.04-12.10 for serum PFUnDA exposure; for non-Hispanic White participants, the OR = 3.44 and 95% CI 1.14-10.36 for serum PFUnDA exposure, all of which exhibited a significantly positive relationship. This cross-sectional study provides some evidence for associations between exposure to PFAS congeners and asthma in children. We believe this relationship deserves further exploration. More large-scale epidemiologic studies are needed to evaluate the association of serum PFAS congeners, especially for PFUnDA exposure, with asthma among children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Fan Wang
- Clinical School of Paediatrics, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Department of Pulmonology, Tianjin Children's Hospital (Children's Hospital of Tianjin University), Machang compus, 225 Machang Road, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300074, China
| | - Bin Xie
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Ying-Xue Zou
- Department of Pulmonology, Tianjin Children's Hospital (Children's Hospital of Tianjin University), Machang compus, 225 Machang Road, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300074, China.
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5
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Holder C, DeLuca N, Luh J, Alexander P, Minucci JM, Vallero DA, Thomas K, Cohen Hubal EA. Systematic Evidence Mapping of Potential Exposure Pathways for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Based on Measured Occurrence in Multiple Media. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:5107-5116. [PMID: 36940151 PMCID: PMC11131971 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c07185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Given that human biomonitoring surveys show per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to be ubiquitous, humans can be exposed to PFAS through various sources, including drinking water, food, and indoor environmental media. Data on the nature and level of PFAS in residential environments are required to identify important pathways for human exposure. This work investigated important pathways of exposure to PFAS by reviewing, curating, and mapping evidence for the measured occurrence of PFAS in exposure media. Real-world occurrence for 20 PFAS was targeted primarily in media commonly related to human exposure (outdoor and indoor air, indoor dust, drinking water, food, food packaging, articles, and products, and soil). A systematic-mapping process was implemented to conduct title-abstract and full-text screening and to extract PECO-relevant primary data into comprehensive evidence databases. Parameters of interest included the following: sampling dates and locations, numbers of collection sites and participants, detection frequencies, and occurrence statistics. Detailed data were extracted on PFAS occurrence in indoor and environmental media from 229 references and on PFAS occurrence in human matrices where available from those references. Studies of PFAS occurrence became numerous after 2005. Studies were most abundant for PFOA (80% of the references) and PFOS (77%). Many studies analyzed additional PFAS, particularly, PFNA and PFHxS (60% of references each). Food (38%) and drinking water (23%) were the commonly studied media. Most studies found detectable levels of PFAS, and detectable levels were reported in a majority of states in the United States. Half or more of the limited studies for indoor air and products detected PFAS in 50% or more of the collected samples. The resulting databases can inform problem formulation for systematic reviews to address specific PFAS exposure queries and questions, support prioritization of PFAS sampling, and inform PFAS exposure measurement studies. The search strategy should be extended and implemented to support living evidence review in this rapidly advancing area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Holder
- ICF, Durham, North Carolina 27713, United States
| | - Nicole DeLuca
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, U.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, United States
| | - Jeanne Luh
- ICF, Durham, North Carolina 27713, United States
| | | | - Jeffrey M Minucci
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, U.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, United States
| | - Daniel A Vallero
- Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, U.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, United States
| | - Kent Thomas
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, U.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, United States
| | - Elaine A Cohen Hubal
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, U.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, United States
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6
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Ahuja JKC, Casavale KO, Li Y, Hopperton KE, Chakrabarti S, Hines EP, Brooks SPJ, Bondy GS, MacFarlane AJ, Weiler HA, Wu X, Borghese MM, Ahluwalia N, Cheung W, Vargas AJ, Arteaga S, Lombo T, Fisher MM, Hayward D, Pehrsson PR. Perspective: Human Milk Composition and Related Data for National Health and Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research. Adv Nutr 2022; 13:2098-2114. [PMID: 36084013 PMCID: PMC9776678 DOI: 10.1093/advances/nmac099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
National health and nutrition monitoring is an important federal effort in the United States and Canada, and the basis for many of their nutrition and health policies. Understanding of child exposures through human milk (HM) remains out of reach due to lack of current and representative data on HM's composition and intake volume. This article provides an overview of the current national health and nutrition monitoring activities for HM-fed children, HM composition (HMC) and volume data used for exposure assessment, categories of potential measures in HM, and associated variability factors. In this Perspective, we advocate for a framework for collection and reporting of HMC data for national health and nutrition monitoring and programmatic needs, including a shared vision for a publicly available Human Milk Composition Data Repository (HMCD-R) to include essential metadata associated with HMC. HMCD-R can provide a central, integrated platform for researchers and public health officials for compiling, evaluating, and sharing HMC data. The compiled compositional and metadata in HMCD-R would provide pertinent measures of central tendency and variability and allow use of modeling techniques to approximate compositional profiles for subgroups, providing more accurate exposure assessments for purposes of monitoring and surveillance. HMC and related metadata could facilitate understanding the complexity and variability of HM composition, provide crucial data for assessment of infant and maternal nutritional needs, and inform public health policies, food and nutrition programs, and clinical practice guidelines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaspreet K C Ahuja
- Methods and Application of Food Composition Laboratory, Beltsville Human
Nutrition Research Center, Agricultural Research Services, US Department
of Agriculture, Beltsville, Maryland, USA
| | - Kellie O Casavale
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug
Administration, US Department of Health and Human Services, College
Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Ying Li
- Methods and Application of Food Composition Laboratory, Beltsville Human
Nutrition Research Center, Agricultural Research Services, US Department
of Agriculture, Beltsville, Maryland, USA
| | - Kathryn E Hopperton
- Nutrition Premarket Assessment Division, Bureau of Nutritional Sciences,
Food Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch, Health Canada,
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Subhadeep Chakrabarti
- Nutrition Premarket Assessment Division, Bureau of Nutritional Sciences,
Food Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch, Health Canada,
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Erin P Hines
- Reproductive and Developmental Toxicology Branch, Public Health and
Integrated Toxicology Division, US Environmental Protection Agency,
Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Stephen P J Brooks
- Nutrition Research Division, Bureau of Nutritional Sciences, Food
Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch, Health Canada, Ottawa,
Ontario, Canada
| | - Genevieve S Bondy
- Bureau of Chemical Safety, Food Directorate, Health Products and Food
Branch, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Amanda J MacFarlane
- Nutrition Research Division, Bureau of Nutritional Sciences, Food
Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch, Health Canada, Ottawa,
Ontario, Canada
| | - Hope A Weiler
- Nutrition Research Division, Bureau of Nutritional Sciences, Food
Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch, Health Canada, Ottawa,
Ontario, Canada
| | - Xianli Wu
- Methods and Application of Food Composition Laboratory, Beltsville Human
Nutrition Research Center, Agricultural Research Services, US Department
of Agriculture, Beltsville, Maryland, USA
| | - Michael M Borghese
- Environmental Health Sciences and Research Bureau, Health
Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Namanjeet Ahluwalia
- National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services, Hyattsville,
Maryland, USA
| | - Winnie Cheung
- Nutrition Premarket Assessment Division, Bureau of Nutritional Sciences,
Food Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch, Health Canada,
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ashley J Vargas
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Sonia Arteaga
- Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program, Office of
the Director, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland,
USA
| | - Tania Lombo
- Maternal Adolescent Pediatric Research Branch, Prevention Science Program,
Division of AIDS, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
(NIAID), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Mandy M Fisher
- Environmental Health Sciences and Research Bureau, Health
Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Deborah Hayward
- Nutrition Premarket Assessment Division, Bureau of Nutritional Sciences,
Food Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch, Health Canada,
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Pamela R Pehrsson
- Methods and Application of Food Composition Laboratory, Beltsville Human
Nutrition Research Center, Agricultural Research Services, US Department
of Agriculture, Beltsville, Maryland, USA
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Fenton SE, Ducatman A, Boobis A, DeWitt JC, Lau C, Ng C, Smith JS, Roberts SM. Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance Toxicity and Human Health Review: Current State of Knowledge and Strategies for Informing Future Research. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2021; 40:606-630. [PMID: 33017053 PMCID: PMC7906952 DOI: 10.1002/etc.4890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 691] [Impact Index Per Article: 230.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 08/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Reports of environmental and human health impacts of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have greatly increased in the peer-reviewed literature. The goals of the present review are to assess the state of the science regarding toxicological effects of PFAS and to develop strategies for advancing knowledge on the health effects of this large family of chemicals. Currently, much of the toxicity data available for PFAS are for a handful of chemicals, primarily legacy PFAS such as perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonate. Epidemiological studies have revealed associations between exposure to specific PFAS and a variety of health effects, including altered immune and thyroid function, liver disease, lipid and insulin dysregulation, kidney disease, adverse reproductive and developmental outcomes, and cancer. Concordance with experimental animal data exists for many of these effects. However, information on modes of action and adverse outcome pathways must be expanded, and profound differences in PFAS toxicokinetic properties must be considered in understanding differences in responses between the sexes and among species and life stages. With many health effects noted for a relatively few example compounds and hundreds of other PFAS in commerce lacking toxicity data, more contemporary and high-throughput approaches such as read-across, molecular dynamics, and protein modeling are proposed to accelerate the development of toxicity information on emerging and legacy PFAS, individually and as mixtures. In addition, an appropriate degree of precaution, given what is already known from the PFAS examples noted, may be needed to protect human health. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:606-630. © 2020 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne E. Fenton
- National Toxicology Program Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Alan Ducatman
- West Virginia University School of Public Health, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
| | - Alan Boobis
- Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jamie C. DeWitt
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Christopher Lau
- Public Health and Integrated Toxicology Division, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Carla Ng
- Departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - James S. Smith
- Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA
| | - Stephen M. Roberts
- Center for Environmental & Human Toxicology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
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DeLuca NM, Angrish M, Wilkins A, Thayer K, Cohen Hubal EA. Human exposure pathways to poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from indoor media: A systematic review protocol. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2021; 146:106308. [PMID: 33395950 PMCID: PMC8118191 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.106308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has been primarily attributed to contaminated food and drinking water. However, additional PFAS exposure pathways have been raised by a limited number of studies reporting correlations between commercial and industrial products and PFAS levels in human media and biomonitoring. Systematic review (SR) methodologies have been widely used to evaluate similar questions using an unbiased approach in the fields of clinical medicine, epidemiology, and toxicology, but the deployment in exposure science is ongoing. Here we present a systematic review protocol that adapts existing systematic review methodologies and study evaluation tools to exposure science studies in order to investigate evidence for important PFAS exposure pathways from indoor media including consumer products, household articles, cleaning products, personal care products, plus indoor air and dust. OBJECTIVES We will systematically review exposure science studies that present both PFAS concentrations from indoor exposure media and PFAS concentrations in blood serum or plasma. Exposure estimates will be synthesized from the evidence to answer the question, "For the general population, what effect does exposure from PFAS chemicals via indoor media have on blood, serum or plasma concentrations of PFAS?" We adapt existing systematic review methodologies and study evaluation tools from the U.S. EPA's Systematic Review Protocol for the PFBA, PFHxA, PFHxS, PFNA, and PFDA IRIS Assessments and the Navigation Guide for exposure science studies, as well as present innovative developments of exposure pathway-specific search strings for use in artificial intelligence screening software. DATA SOURCES We will search electronic databases for potentially relevant literature, including Web of Science, PubMed, and ProQuest. Literature search results will be stored in EPA's Health and Environmental Research Online (HERO) database. STUDY ELIGIBILITY AND CRITERIA Included studies will present exposure measures from indoor media including consumer products, household articles, cleaning products, personal care products, plus indoor air and dust, paired with PFAS concentrations in blood, serum or plasma from adults and/or children in the general population. We focus on a subset of PFAS chemicals including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS), perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA), perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS), perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), perfluorohexanesulfonate (PFHxS), and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA). STUDY APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS METHODS Studies will be prefiltered at the title and abstract level using computationally intelligent search strings to expedite the screening process for reviewers. Two independent reviewers will screen the prefiltered studies against inclusion criteria at the title/abstract level and then full-text level, after which the reviewers will assess the studies' risk of bias using an approach modified from established systematic review tools for exposure studies. Exposure estimates will be calculated to investigate the proportion of blood, serum or plasma) PFAS concentrations that can be explained by exposure to PFAS in indoor media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M DeLuca
- US EPA, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States.
| | - Michelle Angrish
- US EPA, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | - Amina Wilkins
- US EPA, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | - Kris Thayer
- US EPA, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | - Elaine A Cohen Hubal
- US EPA, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
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9
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Liu Y, Li A, Buchanan S, Liu W. Exposure characteristics for congeners, isomers, and enantiomers of perfluoroalkyl substances in mothers and infants. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2020; 144:106012. [PMID: 32771830 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.106012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Revised: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are ubiquitous in the environment, making it inevitable for humans to be exposed to these pollutants. The exposure begins while in utero and continues in infancy, during the potentially most sensitive early stages of life. This review summarizes the current knowledge on pre- and neo-natal exposures based on more than 200 articles published from 2000 to date. All relevant biological matrices used in the cited studies were included, such as maternal blood, umbilical cord blood, breast milk, placenta, amniotic fluid, fetal organs, newborns' dried blood spots, and infant serum. We show that such exposures are geographically global with significant discrepancies among countries and continents, and that while the levels of major legacy PFASs (PFOS and PFOA) have declined since 2000, those of others may have not. We also show that levels of PFOS and PFOA exceed those of some major environmental toxins, such as p,p'-DDE, BDE-47, PCB-153, PBB-153, and OH-PBDEs in maternal blood. Given that the behavior and potential effects have an origin in molecular structure, biomonitoring and research at the levels of isomers and enantiomers are critically important. Through critical analysis of these works, we summarize the major achievements, consensus, and the deficiencies of existing research. To our knowledge, this is the first review on the overall internal exposure status of mothers and infants to PFASs during pregnancy and lactation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingxue Liu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Ecosystem Health, Institution of Environmental Health, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - An Li
- School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Susan Buchanan
- School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Weiping Liu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Ecosystem Health, Institution of Environmental Health, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
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Cohen Hubal EA, Frank JJ, Nachman R, Angrish M, Deziel NC, Fry M, Tornero-Velez R, Kraft A, Lavoie E. Advancing systematic-review methodology in exposure science for environmental health decision making. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2020; 30:906-916. [PMID: 32467626 PMCID: PMC8215717 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-020-0236-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Systematic review (SR) is a rigorous methodology applied to synthesize and evaluate a body of scientific evidence to answer a research or policy question. Effective use of systematic-review methodology enables use of research evidence by decision makers. In addition, as reliance on systematic reviews increases, the required standards for quality of evidence enhances the policy relevance of research. Authoritative guidance has been developed for use of SR to evaluate evidence in the fields of medicine, social science, environmental epidemiology, toxicology, as well as ecology and evolutionary biology. In these fields, SR is typically used to evaluate a cause-effect relationship, such as the effect of an intervention, procedure, therapy, or exposure on an outcome. However, SR is emerging to be a useful methodology to transparently review and integrate evidence for a wider range of scientifically informed decisions and actions across disciplines. As SR is being used more broadly, there is growing consensus for developing resources, guidelines, ontologies, and technology to make SR more efficient and transparent, especially for handling large amounts of diverse data being generated across multiple scientific disciplines. In this article, we advocate for advancing SR methodology as a best practice in the field of exposure science to synthesize exposure evidence and enhance the value of exposure studies. We discuss available standards and tools that can be applied and extended by exposure scientists and highlight early examples of SRs being developed to address exposure research questions. Finally, we invite the exposure science community to engage in further development of standards and guidance to grow application of SR in this field and expand the opportunities for exposure science to inform environment and public health decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaine A Cohen Hubal
- Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Durham, NC, USA.
| | | | - Rebecca Nachman
- Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Michelle Angrish
- Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Nicole C Deziel
- Environmental Health Sciences, Yale University School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Meridith Fry
- Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Rogelio Tornero-Velez
- Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Andrew Kraft
- Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Emma Lavoie
- Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Durham, NC, USA
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Viada B, Cámara CI, Yudi LM. Destabilizing effect of perfluorodecanoic acid on simple membrane models. SOFT MATTER 2019; 15:2447-2462. [PMID: 30801603 DOI: 10.1039/c8sm02301h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFA) are amphiphilic surfactants widely used in industry with several commercial applications. An important feature of these compounds is their non-biodegradability and their tendency to bio-accumulate in the environment, which has led to these compounds being considered among the most persistent pollutants worldwide. Many studies have provided evidence of their toxic effect on humans and wildlife. For this reason, more and more efforts have been made to better understand the effect of these compounds on living organisms. The aim of the present study is to understand how the electrostatic interactions and film compactness of biological membrane models modulate their interaction with PFA, more specifically with perfluorodecanoic acid (PFD). Langmuir isotherms and Brewster angle microscopy (BAM) are used to evaluate the effect of PFD on lipid membrane models (air/water monolayers and vesicles), analyzing the behavior of PFD : lipid mixtures. The lipids used in this study are distearoyl phosphatidic acid (DSPA), dilauroyl phosphatidic acid (DLPA) and distearoyl phosphatidylethanolamine (DSPE). PFD induces an increase in the mean molecular area per lipid in monolayers, mainly at lower surface pressures. BAM images demonstrate that PFD mixes with DLPA, inducing a decrease in gray level, while it forms a non-miscible mixture with DSPA, segregating PFD domains. Insertion studies of PFD within monolayers and dynamic light scattering experiments demonstrate that PFD can penetrate into monolayers and bilayers above 30 mN m-1, which is the lateral pressure value accepted for a cellular bilayer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Viada
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Departamento de Fisicoquímica, Córdoba, Argentina.
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Dynamics of associations between perfluoroalkyl substances and uric acid across the various stages of glomerular function. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2019; 26:12425-12434. [PMID: 30847808 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-04666-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2014 data (N = 6844) for adults aged ≥ 20 years were analyzed to estimate associations of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), namely, PFOA, PFOS, PFDA, PFHxS, and PFNA with uric acid across stages of declining glomerular function. The population was stratified by the estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFR) stages accompanying kidney disease: GF-1 with eGFR > 90 mL/min/1.73 m2; GF-2 with eGFR 60-89 mL/min/1.73 m2; GF-3A with eGFR 45-59 mL/min/1.73 m2; and GF-3B/4 with eGFR 15-44 mL/min/1.73 m2. Adjusted and unadjusted geometric means of uric acid increased from GF-1 to GF-3B/4 for males and females. Adjusted geometric means for uric acid were higher for males by 1.38, 1.03, and 0.62 mg/dL for GF-1, GF2, and GF-3 respectively but for GF-3B/4, females had higher adjusted geometric means than males by 0.16 mg/dL, revealing narrowing of sex differences in uric acid as glomerular function declines. The direction of association between PFAS and uric acid was positive for GF-1 and GF-2 for males and for every PFAS except PFDA for females. For males for GF-3B/4, association between every PFAS except PFHxS and uric acid was found to be negative (p < 0.01). For females, only PFHxS actually reverses its relationship with increasing stages of renal disease. Uric acid associations with PFAS reverse in males with advanced renal failure. An implication is that previously reported association of PFAS exposure with uric acid is not due to renal failure. Understanding of other biomarkers associated with both PFAS exposure and renal failure may benefit from similar evaluation.
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Goeden HM, Greene CW, Jacobus JA. A transgenerational toxicokinetic model and its use in derivation of Minnesota PFOA water guidance. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2019; 29:183-195. [PMID: 30631142 PMCID: PMC6760606 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-018-0110-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2018] [Revised: 11/01/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Minnesota has been grappling with extensive per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) groundwater contamination since 2002, in a major metropolitan setting. As toxicological information has accumulated for these substances, the public health community has become increasingly aware of critically sensitive populations. The accumulation of some PFAS in women of childbearing age, and the placental and breastmilk transfer to their offspring, require new risk assessment methods to protect public health. The traditional water guidance paradigm is inadequate to address maternal-to-infant transfer of accumulated levels of perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), in particular. Even short exposures during infancy have dramatic impacts on serum levels for many years. In addition, developmental effects are the critical effects anchoring recent risk assessments. In response, the Minnesota Department of Health created an Excel-based model that incorporates chemical-specific properties and exposure parameters for early life stages. Serum levels were assessed in both formula-fed and breastfed infants, with placental transfer in both scenarios. Peak breastfed infant serum levels were 4.4-fold higher than in formula-fed infants, with both of these scenarios producing serum levels in excess of the adult steady-state level. The development and application of this model to PFOA are described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen M Goeden
- Minnesota Department of Health, 625 Robert St. N, P.O. Box 64975, St. Paul, MN, 55164-0975, USA.
| | - Christopher W Greene
- Minnesota Department of Health, 625 Robert St. N, P.O. Box 64975, St. Paul, MN, 55164-0975, USA
| | - James A Jacobus
- Minnesota Department of Health, 625 Robert St. N, P.O. Box 64975, St. Paul, MN, 55164-0975, USA
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Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) Exposure in Early Life Increases Risk of Childhood Adiposity: A Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2018; 15:ijerph15102070. [PMID: 30241417 PMCID: PMC6209901 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15102070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Revised: 09/18/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Some articles have examined perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) exposure in early life in relation to risk of childhood adiposity. Nevertheless, the results from epidemiological studies exploring the associations remain inconsistent and contradictory. We thus conducted an analysis of data currently available to examine the association between PFOA exposure in early life and risk of childhood adiposity. The PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases were searched to identify studies that examined the impact of PFOA exposure in early life on childhood adiposity. A random-effects meta-analysis model was used to pool the statistical estimates. We identified ten prospective cohort studies comprising 6076 participants with PFOA exposure. The overall effect size (relative risk or odds ratio) for childhood overweight was 1.25 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.04, 1.50; I² = 40.5%). In addition, exposure to PFOA in early life increased the z-score of childhood body mass index (β = 0.10, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.17; I² = 27.9%). Accordingly, exposure to PFOA in early life is associated with an increased risk for childhood adiposity. Further research is needed to verify these findings and to shed light on the molecular mechanism of PFOA in adiposity.
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