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Zhang S, Ma M, Zhang Y, Luo J, Ouyang F, Tian Y, Gao Y. Maternal psychological distress modifies the association between prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and infants' neurodevelopment. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2025; 977:179351. [PMID: 40215636 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179351] [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: 12/19/2024] [Revised: 04/03/2025] [Accepted: 04/03/2025] [Indexed: 04/25/2025]
Abstract
Prenatal PFAS exposure and maternal psychological distress may adversely affect child neurodevelopment through shared biological pathways, such as hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis disruption and pro-inflammatory responses. However, whether psychological distress modifies PFAS-related neurodevelopmental risks remains unclear. Using data from the Shanghai Birth Cohort including 1779 mother-child pairs, we measured maternal PFAS levels during the first trimester and assessed maternal psychological distress (perceived stress, depression, and anxiety) during the second trimester. Child neurodevelopment was evaluated at 6 months of age using the Ages & Stages Questionnaires-Third Edition (ASQ-3). Multivariable regression models and quantile g-computation were conducted to evaluate the associations of ASQ-3 scores with individual and mixture PFAS. Stratified analyses were conducted between the psychological distress positive group (experienced any one type of stressor) and negative group (experienced no stressors). We found that 41 % of pregnant women experienced at least one type of psychological distress. Among the overall participants, maternal PFAS exposure was associated with reduced gross motor scores in children. Maternal psychological distress status modified the association between PFAS and gross motor scores. Specifically, the adverse associations of PFAS with gross motor development were only observed in the psychological distress positive group, while no association was found in the negative group. Significant interaction effects were observed between maternal psychological distress and most PFAS compounds (all P for interaction <0.1). Furthermore, the adverse associations of prenatal PFAS exposure with gross motor development intensified in women experiencing multiple types of psychological stressors. This study indicates that maternal psychological distress may increase the risk of PFAS-related adverse gross motor development in six-month-old children. Investigating maternal psychological distress could be crucial for identifying vulnerable populations and guiding intervention measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanyu Zhang
- MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xin Hua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 200092 Shanghai, China; Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 230601 Hefei, China
| | - Mingyue Ma
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Shenyang Medical College, 110034 Shenyang, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 200025, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiajun Luo
- Institute for Population and Precision Health, the University of Chicago, 60637, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Fengxiu Ouyang
- MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xin Hua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 200092 Shanghai, China
| | - Ying Tian
- MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xin Hua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 200092 Shanghai, China.
| | - Yu Gao
- MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xin Hua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 200092 Shanghai, China; Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 200025, Shanghai, China.
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Itoh M, Kobayashi S, Iwata H, Ait Bamai Y, Ketema RM, Yamaguchi T, Yamazaki K, Tamura N, Tojo M, Suyama S, Itoh S, Miyashita C, Saijo Y, Ito Y, Nakayama SF, Kamijima M, Kishi R. Impact of prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances on developmental delays in 4-year-old children: The Japan Environment and Children's study. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2025; 198:109434. [PMID: 40222121 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2025.109434] [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: 06/12/2024] [Revised: 01/30/2025] [Accepted: 04/02/2025] [Indexed: 04/15/2025]
Abstract
Although per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have raised global concern due to their adverse effects on children's development, the association between prenatal exposure to PFAS and the achievement of developmental milestones in preschool children remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the individual and cumulative associations between prenatal PFAS and developmental delay in 4-year-old children. We used data from 15,131 mothers (15,175 children) in the Japan Environment and Children Study (JECS), an ongoing nationwide prospective birth cohort. Among 28 PFAS measured in maternal plasma, eight with detection frequencies ≥ 60 % were analyzed. Developmental delays were assessed using the Japanese version of the Ages and Stages Questionnaires third edition (JASQ-3), a self-administered screening tool, with suspicion of developmental delay indicated by total scores falling below the Japanese version cutoffs for the five JASQ-3 domains (communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem solving, and personal-social). Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis and quantile g-computation were applied. Findings revealed that these eight PFAS were not significantly associated with higher odds of developmental delay across any JASQ-3 domain, nor did their combined effects. However, the effects of PFAS substances not measured in this study and the impact of continued postnatal exposure to PFAS on developmental delays remain a concern. Continuous investigation of the effects of PFAS on development throughout the lifespan is necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariko Itoh
- Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, North-12, West-7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
| | - Sumitaka Kobayashi
- Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, North-12, West-7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan; Division of Epidemiological Research for Chemical Disorders, Research Center for Chemical Information and Management, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Japan, 6-21-1 Nagao, Tama-ku, Kawasaki 214-8585, Japan
| | - Hiroyoshi Iwata
- Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, North-12, West-7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
| | - Yu Ait Bamai
- Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, North-12, West-7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
| | - Rahel Mesfin Ketema
- Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, North-12, West-7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan; Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, North-12, West-5, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
| | - Takeshi Yamaguchi
- Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, North-12, West-7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan; Department of Pediatrics, Hokkaido University Hospital, North-15, West-7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan
| | - Keiko Yamazaki
- Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, North-12, West-7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
| | - Naomi Tamura
- Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, North-12, West-7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
| | - Maki Tojo
- Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, North-12, West-7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
| | - Satoshi Suyama
- Center for Child Mental Health and Development, Hokkaido University Hospital, North-14, West-5, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8648, Japan
| | - Sachiko Itoh
- Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, North-12, West-7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
| | - Chihiro Miyashita
- Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, North-12, West-7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
| | - Yasuaki Saijo
- Department of Social Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, 1-1-1 Midorigaoka-higashi-2-jo, Asahikawa 078-8510, Japan
| | - Yoshiya Ito
- Faculty of Nursing, Japanese Red Cross Hokkaido College of Nursing, 664-1 Akebono-cho, Kitami 090-0011, Japan
| | - Shoji F Nakayama
- Japan Environment and Children's Study Programme Office, National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8506, Japan
| | - Michihiro Kamijima
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 467-8601, Japan
| | - Reiko Kishi
- Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, North-12, West-7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan.
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England-Mason G, Reardon AJF, Reynolds JE, Grohs MN, MacDonald AM, Kinniburgh DW, Martin JW, Lebel C, Dewey D. Maternal concentrations of perfluoroalkyl sulfonates and alterations in white matter microstructure in the developing brains of young children. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2025; 267:120638. [PMID: 39681179 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.120638] [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: 09/17/2024] [Revised: 12/12/2024] [Accepted: 12/13/2024] [Indexed: 12/18/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has been linked to child neurodevelopmental difficulties. Neuroimaging research has linked these neurodevelopmental difficulties to white matter microstructure alterations, but the effects of PFAS on children's white matter microstructure remains unclear. We investigated associations between maternal blood concentrations of six common perfluoroalkyl sulfonates and white matter alterations in young children using longitudinal neuroimaging data. METHODS This study included 84 maternal-child pairs from a Canadian pregnancy cohort. Maternal second trimester blood concentrations of perfluorohexanesulfonate (PFHxS) and five perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) isomers were quantified. Children underwent magnetic resonance imaging scans between ages two and six (279 scans total). Adjusted linear mixed models investigated associations between each exposure and white matter fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD). RESULTS Higher maternal concentrations of perfluoroalkyl sulfonates were associated with higher MD and lower FA in the body and splenium of the corpus callosum of young children. Multiple sex-specific associations were found. In males, PFHxS was negatively associated with FA in the superior longitudinal fasciculus, while PFOS isomers were positively associated with MD in the inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF). In females, PFOS isomers were positively associated with FA in the pyramidal fibers and MD in the fornix, but negatively associated with MD in the ILF. CONCLUSION Maternal exposure to perfluoroalkyl sulfonates may alter sex-specific white matter development in young children, potentially contributing to neurodevelopmental difficulties. Larger studies are needed to replicate these findings and examine the neurotoxicity of these chemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gillian England-Mason
- Department of Pediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Owerko Centre, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Anthony J F Reardon
- Division of Analytical and Environmental Toxicology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jess E Reynolds
- Owerko Centre, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Melody N Grohs
- Owerko Centre, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Amy M MacDonald
- Alberta Centre for Toxicology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - David W Kinniburgh
- Alberta Centre for Toxicology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jonathan W Martin
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Catherine Lebel
- Owerko Centre, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Deborah Dewey
- Department of Pediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Owerko Centre, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
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Ames JL, Sharma V, Lyall K. Effects of Early-life PFAS Exposure on Child Neurodevelopment: A Review of the Evidence and Research gaps. Curr Environ Health Rep 2025; 12:9. [PMID: 39888511 PMCID: PMC11785707 DOI: 10.1007/s40572-024-00464-5] [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] [Accepted: 11/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2025]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent chemicals with many modern applications, leading to widespread contamination and universal human exposure. PFAS exposure during early life is of particular concern, given susceptibility of the developing fetal and infant brain to toxic exposures. This review aims to synthesize current evidence, discuss methodological challenges, and highlight research gaps to guide future studies on the impact of PFAS on neurodevelopment. RECENT FINDINGS Sixty-one studies in total were published from 2008 to March 2024, with 35 in the last five years. Findings primarily link early life PFAS exposure to reduced cognitive, motor, and language development in infancy and increased behavioral issues like hyperactivity in childhood. Large studies have shown mixed results concerning child cognition, executive function, autism, and ADHD, with some indicating no association or unexpected protective findings. Sex-specific associations have been observed, but not consistently. Most research has addressed low-level exposure, suggesting subtle but potentially significant population-wide neurodevelopmental effects. Recent research also highlights concerns about newer, alternative PFAS, suggesting they too might affect neurodevelopment. The effects of early-life PFAS exposure on neurodevelopment merit further study, particularly the cumulative effects of prenatal and postnatal exposures. Research has not fully explored sensitive subgroups or potential mitigating factors such as breastfeeding and nutrient intake, which will require larger, more diverse samples. Future directions include deeper study of PFAS mixtures, interactions with other neurotoxic environmental chemicals, and effects of newer PFAS types. There is also a need to focus on neuropsychological functioning in later childhood, using direct assessments for more reliable evaluations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Ames
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente, Pleasanton, CA, USA.
| | - Vanshika Sharma
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente, Pleasanton, CA, USA
- University of California, Berkeley, USA, CA
| | - Kristen Lyall
- AJ Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University, Philadelphia, USA, PA
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Li S, Qin S, Zeng H, Chou W, Oudin A, Kanninen KM, Jalava P, Dong G, Zeng X. Adverse outcome pathway for the neurotoxicity of Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances: A systematic review. ECO-ENVIRONMENT & HEALTH 2024; 3:476-493. [PMID: 39605965 PMCID: PMC11599988 DOI: 10.1016/j.eehl.2024.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2024] [Revised: 08/08/2024] [Accepted: 08/21/2024] [Indexed: 11/29/2024]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are endocrine disruptors with unambiguous neurotoxic effects. However, due to variability in experimental models, population characteristics, and molecular endpoints, the elucidation of mechanisms underlying PFAS-induced neurotoxicity remains incomplete. In this review, we utilized the adverse outcome pathway (AOP) framework, a comprehensive tool for evaluating toxicity across multiple biological levels (molecular, cellular, tissue and organ, individual, and population), to elucidate the mechanisms of neurotoxicity induced by PFAS. Based on 271 studies, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation emerged as the molecular initiating event 1 (MIE1). Subsequent key events (KEs) at the cellular level include oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, apoptosis, altered Ca2+ signal transduction, glutamate and dopamine signaling dyshomeostasis, and reduction of cholinergic and serotonin. These KEs culminate in synaptic dysfunction at organ and tissue levels. Further insights were offered into MIE2 and upstream KEs associated with altered thyroid hormone levels, contributing to synaptic dysfunction and hypomyelination at the organ and tissue levels. The inhibition of Na+/I- symporter (NIS) was identified as the MIE2, initiating a cascade of KEs at the cellular level, including altered thyroid hormone synthesis, thyroid hormone transporters, thyroid hormone metabolism, and binding with thyroid hormone receptors. All KEs ultimately result in adverse outcomes (AOs), including cognition and memory impairment, autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorders, and neuromotor development impairment. To our knowledge, this review represents the first comprehensive and systematic AOP analysis delineating the intricate mechanisms responsible for PFAS-induced neurotoxic effects, providing valuable insights for risk assessments and mitigation strategies against PFAS-related health hazards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shenpan Li
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Shuangjian Qin
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Huixian Zeng
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Weichun Chou
- Department of Environmental Sciences, College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Anna Oudin
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Katja M. Kanninen
- A.I.Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Pasi Jalava
- Department of Environmental and Biological Science, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Guanghui Dong
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Xiaowen Zeng
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
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Ning J, Ding C, Xu H, Liu Z, Guan Q, Xia Y, Xu Q. Effect of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances on neurodevelopment: Evidence-based risk assessment in the TRAEC strategy context. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2024; 191:109003. [PMID: 39276591 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.109003] [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: 07/18/2024] [Revised: 08/28/2024] [Accepted: 09/06/2024] [Indexed: 09/17/2024]
Abstract
Although emerging evidence on the association between per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and neurodevelopment have been investigated, there is no consensus on the effect of maternal PFASs on neurodevelopment in offspring. Here, we assessed the risk of maternal PFASs exposure on the neurodevelopment of offspring using a novel Targeted Risk Assessment of Environmental Chemicals (TRAEC) strategy based on multiple evidence. The evidence from five online databases were analyzed the effect of PFASs on neurodevelopment. The potential neurodevelopment risk of PFASs was evaluated by the TRAEC strategy, which was conducted on a comprehensive scoring system with reliability, correlation, outcome fitness and integrity. The studies from five databases and additional researchers' experiments were included the present study to proceed following risk assessment. Based on the framework with TRAEC strategy, the comprehensive evaluation of health risks was classified as low (absolute value 0-4), medium (absolute value 4-8), high (absolute value 8-10). In the present study, the effect of PFASs exposure on neurodevelopment was a medium-risk level with 5.61 overall risk-score. The population-attributable risk (PAR) was 8.26 % for maternal PFASs exposure. The study identified a low-risk effect of prenatal PFASs exposure on ASD and behavioral disabilities. The chain length, type of PFASs and neurodevelopmental trajectories contributed to the risk of maternal PFASs on the neurodevelopment of offspring. Consistent with results of four criteria-based tools (ToxRTool, SciRAP, OHAT and IRIS), health risk assessment based on the TRAEC strategy demonstrated robustness and reliability in the present study. These results illustrated a medium-risk effect of maternal PFASs exposure on neurodevelopmental disorders of offspring. In addition, the TRAEC strategy provided a scientific and structured method for effect evaluation between prenatal PFASs and neurodevelopmental disorders, promoting the consistency and validation in risk assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Ning
- The Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi People's Hospital, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China; State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chaoshun Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Haoyi Xu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Women and Children's Healthcare Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhaofeng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Quanquan Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yankai Xia
- The Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi People's Hospital, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China; State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Qing Xu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Women and Children's Healthcare Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
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Barrea C, Dufour P, Catherine P, Charlier C, Brevers F, Rousselle L, Parent AS. Impact of antenatal exposure to a mixture of persistent organic pollutants on intellectual development. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2024; 261:114422. [PMID: 38981323 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2024.114422] [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: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Strong experimental evidence exists that several endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have neurobehavioral toxicity. However, evidence of associations between prenatal exposure and child's cognitive development is inconsistent. Moreover, toxicants are generally analyzed one by one without considering aggregate effects. We examined here the impact of a prenatal exposure to a mixture of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) on intellectual abilities in preschool children, and compared their effects to those described in the literature. METHODS Sixty-two children were included in a longitudinal cohort. Four organochlorine pesticides, four polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and seven perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) were measured in cord blood. Intellectual abilities were assessed at 6 years of age using the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence 4th ed. (WPPSI-IV). We examined the associations between a mixture of POPs and cognitive performances using principal components approach (PCA) and weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression taking sex difference into account. RESULTS No negative correlation was found when analyses were performed on boys and girls together. In sex-stratified analyses, lower scores in full scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ) and fluid reasoning index (FRI) were observed in boys most exposed to a mixture of POPs. Increase of the WQS index was also associated with lower verbal comprehension index (VCI) scores in girls only. No other negative correlation was found using both WQS and PCA models. CONCLUSION Our study suggests deleterious associations between antenatal exposure to a mixture of POPs and sex-specific cognitive level, clarifying some trends described in the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Barrea
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Liege (ULg), CHU, 4000, Liege, Belgium; GIGA Neurosciences, Neuroendocrinology Unit, University of Liege (ULg), CHU, 4000, Liege, Belgium.
| | - Patrice Dufour
- Laboratory of Clinical, Forensic and Environmental Toxicology, University of Liege (ULg), CHU, 4000, Liege, Belgium
| | - Pirard Catherine
- Laboratory of Clinical, Forensic and Environmental Toxicology, University of Liege (ULg), CHU, 4000, Liege, Belgium
| | - Corinne Charlier
- Laboratory of Clinical, Forensic and Environmental Toxicology, University of Liege (ULg), CHU, 4000, Liege, Belgium
| | - Fanny Brevers
- Research Unit for a life-Course perspective on Health and Education, University of Liege (ULg), CHU, 4000, Liege, Belgium
| | - Laurence Rousselle
- Research Unit for a life-Course perspective on Health and Education, University of Liege (ULg), CHU, 4000, Liege, Belgium
| | - Anne-Simone Parent
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Liege (ULg), CHU, 4000, Liege, Belgium; GIGA Neurosciences, Neuroendocrinology Unit, University of Liege (ULg), CHU, 4000, Liege, Belgium
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Morales-Grahl E, Hilz EN, Gore AC. Regrettable Substitutes and the Brain: What Animal Models and Human Studies Tell Us about the Neurodevelopmental Effects of Bisphenol, Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, and Phthalate Replacements. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6887. [PMID: 38999997 PMCID: PMC11241431 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25136887] [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: 04/26/2024] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
In recent decades, emerging evidence has identified endocrine and neurologic health concerns related to exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), including bisphenol A (BPA), certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl compounds (PFASs), and phthalates. This has resulted in consumer pressure to remove these chemicals from the market, especially in food-contact materials and personal care products, driving their replacement with structurally or functionally similar substitutes. However, these "new-generation" chemicals may be just as or more harmful than their predecessors and some have not received adequate testing. This review discusses the research on early-life exposures to new-generation bisphenols, PFASs, and phthalates and their links to neurodevelopmental and behavioral alterations in zebrafish, rodents, and humans. As a whole, the evidence suggests that BPA alternatives, especially BPAF, and newer PFASs, such as GenX, can have significant effects on neurodevelopment. The need for further research, especially regarding phthalate replacements and bio-based alternatives, is briefly discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Andrea C. Gore
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; (E.M.-G.); (E.N.H.)
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Liu D, Yan S, Liu Y, Chen Q, Ren S. Association of prenatal exposure to perfluorinated and polyfluoroalkyl substances with childhood neurodevelopment: A systematic review and meta-analysis. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2024; 271:115939. [PMID: 38211513 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.115939] [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: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although previous studies have shown an association between prenatal exposure to perfluorinated and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and neurodevelopmental disorders in children, the results have been inconsistent. We summarize studies on the association between prenatal PFAS exposure and neurodevelopment in children in order to better understand the relationship. OBJECTIVE We conducted a meta-analysis of prenatal PFAS exposure and developmental outcomes associated with intellectual, executive function and behavioral difficulty in children to explore the relationship between prenatal exposure to perfluorinated and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and neurodevelopmental disorders in children. METHODS We searched for articles published up to August 3, 2023, included and quantified original studies on PFAS and child Intelligence Quotient (IQ), executive function and behavioral difficulty during pregnancy, and systematically summarized articles that could not be quantified. CONCLUSION There is evidence of sex-specific relationship between PFAS exposure and children's PIQ. We found that PFOS [β = -1.56, 95% CI = -2.96, - 0.07; exposure = per 1 ln (ng/ml) increase], PFOA [β = -1.87, 95% CI = -3.29, - 0.46; exposure = per 1 ln (ng/ml) increase], PFHxS [β = -2.02, 95% CI = -3.23, - 0.81; exposure = per 1 ln (ng/ml) increase] decreased performance IQ in boys, but PFOS [β = 1.56, 95% CI = 0.06, 3.06; exposure = per 1 ln (ng/ml) increase] increased performance IQ in girls. PFAS are associated with executive function impairments in children, but not related to behavioral difficulty in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongge Liu
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Shuqi Yan
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yanping Liu
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Qianqian Chen
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Shuping Ren
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
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Stübner C, Nielsen C, Jakobsson K, Gillberg C, Miniscalco C. Early-Life Exposure to Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and Child Language and Communication Development: A Systematic Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:7170. [PMID: 38131721 PMCID: PMC10742458 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20247170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Language development starts during the fetal period when the brain is sensitive to endocrine disruptions from environmental contaminants. This systematic review aims to systematically summarize the existing literature on early-life exposure to PFAS and children's language and communication development, which is an indicator of neurocognitive development. A structured literature search was conducted using three databases, PubMed, Scopus, and CINAHL, last updated in April 2023. The population was defined as children and young adults. PFAS exposure was assessed pre- or postnatally. The outcome was defined as a language and communication ability assessed with validated instruments, parental self-reports, or clinical language disorder diagnoses. In total, 15 studies were identified for subsequent analyses. Thirteen were performed in background-exposed populations and two in highly exposed populations. There were some indications of potential adverse effects; however, these were not consistent across child sex, age of assessment, or PFAS exposure levels. No systematic effect of early-life PFAS exposure on language and communication development was found. These inconclusive findings may partly be explained by the use of general test instruments with limited validity as to children's language and communication development. Further studies over a wider exposure range using specific language test instruments are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Stübner
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 413 90 Gothenburg, Sweden; (C.G.); (C.M.)
- Department of Pediatric Speech and Language Pathology, Queen Silvia Children’s Hospital, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 416 50 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Christel Nielsen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, 223 81 Lund, Sweden;
- Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, 5000 Odense, Denmark
| | - Kristina Jakobsson
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 413 90 Gothenburg, Sweden;
- Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 413 90 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Christopher Gillberg
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 413 90 Gothenburg, Sweden; (C.G.); (C.M.)
- Department of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Queen Silvia Children’s Hospital, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 416 50 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Carmela Miniscalco
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 413 90 Gothenburg, Sweden; (C.G.); (C.M.)
- Department of Pediatric Speech and Language Pathology, Queen Silvia Children’s Hospital, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 416 50 Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Queen Silvia Children’s Hospital, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 416 50 Gothenburg, Sweden
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11
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Beck IH, Bilenberg N, Andersen HR, Trecca F, Bleses D, Jensen TK. Association between prenatal or early postnatal exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances and language development in 18 to 36-month-old children from the Odense Child Cohort. Environ Health 2023; 22:46. [PMID: 37254153 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-023-00993-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent chemicals used in everyday consumer products leading to ubiquitous human exposure. Findings of impaired neurodevelopment after prenatal exposure to PFAS are contradictory and few studies have assessed the impact of postnatal PFAS exposure. Language development is a good early marker of neurodevelopment but only few studies have investigated this outcome separately. We therefore investigated the association between prenatal and early postnatal PFAS exposure and delayed language development in 18 to 36-month-old Danish children. METHODS The Odense Child Cohort is a large prospective cohort. From 2010 to 2012 all newly pregnant women residing in the Municipality of Odense, Denmark was invited to participate. Concentration of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) were assessed in maternal serum collected in the 1st trimester of pregnancy and in child serum at 18 months. Parents responded to the Danish adaption of the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories (MB-CDI) when their child was between 18 and 36 months. Language scores were converted into sex and age specific percentile scores and dichotomized to represent language scores above or below the 15th percentile. We applied Multiple Imputation by Chained Equation and conducted logistic regressions investigating the association between prenatal and early postnatal PFAS exposure and language development adjusting for maternal age, pre-pregnancy BMI, education and respectively fish intake in pregnancy or childhood and duration of breastfeeding in early postnatal PFAS exposure models. RESULTS We found no significant associations between neither prenatal nor early postnatal PFAS exposure and language development among 999 mother-child pairs. CONCLUSION In this low-exposed cohort the finding of no association between early postnatal PFAS exposure and language development should be interpreted with caution as we were unable to separate the potential adverse effect of PFAS exposure from the well documented positive effect of breastfeeding on neurodevelopment. We, therefore, recommend assessment of child serum PFAS at an older age as development of the brain proceeds through childhood and even a small impact of PFAS on neurodevelopment would be of public health concern at population level due to the ubiquitous human exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iben Have Beck
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, J.B. Winsløwsvej 17A, 2, Odense, 5000, Denmark.
| | - Niels Bilenberg
- Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Odense, Mental Health Services in the Region of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Helle Raun Andersen
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, J.B. Winsløwsvej 17A, 2, Odense, 5000, Denmark
| | - Fabio Trecca
- TrygFonden's Centre for Child Research and School of Communication and Culture, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Dorthe Bleses
- TrygFonden's Centre for Child Research and School of Communication and Culture, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Tina Kold Jensen
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, J.B. Winsløwsvej 17A, 2, Odense, 5000, Denmark
- Odense Patient data Explorative Network (OPEN), Odense, Denmark
- Hans Christian Andersen Children's Hospital, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
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12
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Ames JL, Burjak M, Avalos LA, Braun JM, Bulka CM, Croen LA, Dunlop AL, Ferrara A, Fry RC, Hedderson MM, Karagas MR, Liang D, Lin PID, Lyall K, Moore B, Morello-Frosch R, O’Connor TG, Oh J, Padula AM, Woodruff TJ, Zhu Y, Hamra GB. Prenatal Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and Childhood Autism-related Outcomes. Epidemiology 2023; 34:450-459. [PMID: 36630444 PMCID: PMC10074577 DOI: 10.1097/ede.0000000000001587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epidemiologic evidence linking prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) with altered neurodevelopment is inconclusive, and few large studies have focused on autism-related outcomes. We investigated whether blood concentrations of PFAS in pregnancy are associated with child autism-related outcomes. METHODS We included 10 cohorts from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program (n = 1,429). We measured 14 PFAS analytes in maternal blood collected during pregnancy; eight analytes met detection criteria for analysis. We assessed quantitative autism-related traits in children via parent report on the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS). In multivariable linear models, we examined relationships of each PFAS (natural log-transformed) with SRS scores. We further modeled PFAS as a complex mixture using Bayesian methods and examined modification of these relationships by child sex. RESULTS Most PFAS in maternal blood were not associated with child SRS T-scores. Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) showed the strongest and most consistent association: each 1-unit increase in ln-transformed PFNA was associated with greater autism-related traits (adjusted β [95% confidence interval (CI)] = 1.5 [-0.1, 3.0]). The summed mixture, which included six PFAS detected in >70% of participants, was not associated with SRS T-scores (adjusted β [95% highest posterior density interval] = 0.7 [-1.4, 3.0]). We did not observe consistent evidence of sex differences. CONCLUSIONS Prenatal blood concentrations of PFNA may be associated with modest increases in child autism-related traits. Future work should continue to examine the relationship between exposures to both legacy and emerging PFAS and additional dimensional, quantitative measures of childhood autism-related outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L. Ames
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, CA USA
| | | | - Lyndsay A. Avalos
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, CA USA
| | - Joseph M. Braun
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University, Providence, RI USA
| | | | - Lisa A. Croen
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, CA USA
| | - Anne L. Dunlop
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Assiamira Ferrara
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, CA USA
| | - Rebecca C. Fry
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC USA
| | | | | | - Donghai Liang
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Pi-I D. Lin
- Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse (CoRAL), Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA USA
| | - Kristen Lyall
- A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA USA
| | - Brianna Moore
- Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | | | | | - Jiwon Oh
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis CA, USA
| | - Amy M. Padula
- Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Tracey J. Woodruff
- Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Yeyi Zhu
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, CA USA
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Criswell RL, Wang Y, Christensen B, Botelho JC, Calafat AM, Peterson LA, Huset CA, Karagas MR, Romano ME. Concentrations of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Paired Maternal Plasma and Human Milk in the New Hampshire Birth Cohort. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:463-472. [PMID: 36574487 PMCID: PMC9837617 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c05555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are environmentally persistent endocrine-disrupting chemicals associated with long-term health outcomes. PFAS are transferred from maternal blood to human milk, an important exposure source for infants, and understanding of this transfer is evolving. We characterized concentrations of 10 PFAS in human milk (n = 426) and compared milk-to-plasma concentrations of 9 PFAS among a subset of women with paired samples (n = 294) from the New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study using liquid chromatography-isotope dilution tandem mass spectrometry. We examined the relationship between perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in plasma versus milk and fit linear regression models to assess relationships between milk PFOA and PFOS and participant characteristics. The median plasma PFOA concentration was 0.94 ng/mL (interquartile range, IQR, 0.59-1.34) and that of PFOS was 2.60 ng/mL (IQR 1.80-3.90); the median milk PFOA concentration was 0.017 ng/mL (IQR 0.012-0.027) and that of PFOS was 0.024 ng/mL (IQR 0.016-0.036). PFOA and PFOS plasma and milk concentrations showed correlations of ρ = 0.83 and 0.77, respectively (p < 0.001). Parity, previous lactation, week of milk collection, and body mass index were inversely associated with milk PFAS. We estimate that even among our general population cohort, some infants (∼6.5%) are exposed to amounts of PFAS via milk that may have long-term health impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yuting Wang
- Department of Epidemiology, The Geisel
School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire 03755,
United States
| | - Brock Christensen
- Department of Epidemiology, The Geisel
School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire 03755,
United States
| | - Julianne C. Botelho
- Division of Laboratory Sciences, Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333,
United States
| | - Antonia M. Calafat
- Division of Laboratory Sciences, Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333,
United States
| | - Lisa A. Peterson
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences,
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455,
United States
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of
Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United
States
| | - Carin A. Huset
- Minnesota Department of Health,
St. Paul, Minnesota 55101, United States
| | - Margaret R. Karagas
- Department of Epidemiology, The Geisel
School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire 03755,
United States
| | - Megan E. Romano
- Department of Epidemiology, The Geisel
School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire 03755,
United States
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14
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Developmental language disorders in preschool children after high exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances from contaminated drinking water in Ronneby, Sweden. ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY (PHILADELPHIA, PA.) 2022; 7:e233. [PMID: 36777530 PMCID: PMC9916036 DOI: 10.1097/ee9.0000000000000233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
There are indications that early-life exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) can impact neurodevelopment, but results are inconclusive. The objective was to investigate if high early-life exposure to primarily perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) increases the risk of developmental language disorder in children up to seven years of age. Methods A register-based cohort of all children born 1998-2013 in Blekinge county, Sweden, was studied. Maternal residential history, that is, with or without highly PFAS-contaminated drinking water, during the 5-year period before childbirth was used as a proxy for early-life exposure. Exposure was categorized as high (n = 646), intermediate (n = 1,650), or background (n = 9,599). We used Cox proportional hazards regression to estimate hazard ratios (HR) for (1) referral to a speech- and language pathologist after routine screening at Child Health Services, and (2) subsequent language disorder diagnosis after clinical assessment. Models were adjusted for parity, maternal age, education level, and smoking, and explored effect modification by sex. Results In children from the high-exposed area, the adjusted HR for referral was 1.23 (95% CI = 1.03, 1.47) and 1.13 (95% CI = 0.97, 1.56) for subsequent diagnosis. There was no increased risk in the intermediate exposure category. Conclusion Children, particularly girls, with high exposure had an increased risk of both referral and confirmed developmental language disorder. Further research is needed on PFAS in the context of general neurodevelopment, for which language development is a proxy.
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15
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Choi J, Kim JY, Lee HJ. Human Evidence of Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) Exposure on Hepatic Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph191811318. [PMID: 36141595 PMCID: PMC9517074 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191811318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is widely used throughout different industries, including the food industry, because it is resistant to heat and prevents water or oil from easily permeating into or contaminating materials coated by PFOA. Although many studies have reported an association between PFOA exposure and the risk of developing hepatic diseases, it is still in debate because they have shown conflicting results. Therefore, this study conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on the relationship between PFOA exposure and hepatic diseases. METHODS This study searched studies related to hepatic diseases due to PFOA exposure until 31 December 2021, using PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science. This study performed a systematic review and meta-analysis through research question development, literature screening, data extraction, and risk of bias evaluation. This study found 8280 studies after excluding duplicate literature and selected 5 studies in the final stage. Among them, two studies were included in the meta-analysis. RESULTS The results of the meta-analysis showed that the ALT of people exposed to PFOA was 117% higher than the ALT of those not exposed to PFOA, and it was significantly different (OR = 1.167; 95% CI, 1.086-1.254). CONCLUSION However, since the number of studies included in the analysis was not large enough to conclude that PFOA exposure was associated with the development of hepatic diseases, more observational studies are needed to confirm its long-term effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jihee Choi
- Department of Food and Nutrition, College of Bionanotechnology, Gachon University, Seongnam-si 13120, Gyeonggi-do, Korea
- Institute for Aging and Clinical Nutrition Research, Gachon University, Seongnam-si 13120, Gyeonggi-do, Korea
| | - Jong-Yeon Kim
- Institute for Aging and Clinical Nutrition Research, Gachon University, Seongnam-si 13120, Gyeonggi-do, Korea
- Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Gachon University, Seongnam-si 13120, Gyeonggi-do, Korea
| | - Hae-Jeung Lee
- Department of Food and Nutrition, College of Bionanotechnology, Gachon University, Seongnam-si 13120, Gyeonggi-do, Korea
- Institute for Aging and Clinical Nutrition Research, Gachon University, Seongnam-si 13120, Gyeonggi-do, Korea
- Correspondence: or ; Tel.: +82-31-750-5968; Fax: +82-31-724-4411
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16
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Oh J, Bennett DH, Calafat AM, Tancredi D, Roa DL, Schmidt RJ, Hertz-Picciotto I, Shin HM. Prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in association with autism spectrum disorder in the MARBLES study. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2021; 147:106328. [PMID: 33387879 PMCID: PMC7856021 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.106328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Revised: 10/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has shown potential to adversely affect child brain development, but epidemiologic evidence remains inconsistent. We examined whether prenatal exposure to PFAS was associated with increased risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHODS Participants were 173 mother-child pairs from MARBLES (Markers of Autism Risk in Babies - Learning Early Signs), a high-risk ASD cohort. At 3 years old, children were clinically confirmed for ASD and classified into ASD (n = 57) and typical development (TD, n = 116). We quantified nine PFAS in maternal serum collected during pregnancy. We examined associations of ASD with individual PFAS as well as the combined effect of PFAS on ASD using scores of the first principal component (PC-1) accounting for the largest variance. RESULTS Prenatal perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and perfluorononanoate (PFNA) showed positive associations (per 2 nanogram per milliliter increase: relative risk (RR) = 1.20, 95% CI: 0.90, 1.61 [PFOA]; RR = 1.24, 95% CI: 0.91, 1.69 [PFNA]), while perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) showed a negative association (RR = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.77, 1.01) with ASD risk. When examining associations of ASD with untransformed PFAS concentrations, PFOA, PFNA, and PC-1 were associated with increased ASD risk (per nanogram per milliliter increase: RR = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.65; RR = 1.79, 95% CI: 1.13, 2.85; RR = 1.10, 95% CI: 0.97, 1.25, respectively), while the RR of PFHxS moved toward the null. CONCLUSIONS From this high-risk ASD cohort, we observed increased risk of ASD in children exposed to PFOA and PFNA. Further studies should be conducted in the general population because this population may have a larger fraction of cases resulting from genetic sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiwon Oh
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Texas, Arlington, TX, USA
| | - Deborah H Bennett
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | | | - Daniel Tancredi
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Dorcas L Roa
- UC Davis MIND (Medical Investigations of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) Institute, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Rebecca J Schmidt
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; UC Davis MIND (Medical Investigations of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) Institute, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Irva Hertz-Picciotto
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; UC Davis MIND (Medical Investigations of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) Institute, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Hyeong-Moo Shin
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Texas, Arlington, TX, USA.
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Steenland K, Fletcher T, Stein CR, Bartell SM, Darrow L, Lopez-Espinosa MJ, Barry Ryan P, Savitz DA. Review: Evolution of evidence on PFOA and health following the assessments of the C8 Science Panel. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2020; 145:106125. [PMID: 32950793 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.106125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The C8 Science Panel was composed of three epidemiologists charged with studying the possible health effects of PFOA in a highly exposed population in the mid-Ohio Valley. The Panel determined in 2012 there was a 'probable link' (i.e., more probable than not based on the weight of the available scientific evidence) between PFOA and high cholesterol, thyroid disease, kidney and testicular cancer, pregnancy-induced hypertension, and ulcerative colitis. OBJECTIVE Here, former C8 Science Panel members and collaborators comment on the PFOA literature regarding thyroid disorders, cancer, immune and auto-immune disorders, liver disease, hypercholesterolemia, reproductive outcomes, neurotoxicity, and kidney disease. We also discuss developments regarding fate and transport, and pharmacokinetic models, and discuss causality assessment in cross-sectional associations among low-exposed populations. DISCUSSION For cancer, the epidemiologic evidence remains supportive but not definitive for kidney and testicular cancers. There is consistent evidence of a positive association between PFOA and cholesterol, but no evidence of an association with heart disease. There is evidence for an association with ulcerative colitis, but not for other auto-immune diseases. There is good evidence that PFOA is associated with immune response, but uneven evidence for an association with infectious disease. The evidence for an association between PFOA and thyroid and kidney disease is suggestive but uneven. There is evidence of an association with liver enzymes, but not with liver disease. There is little evidence of an association with neurotoxicity. Suggested reductions in birthweight may be due to reverse causality and/or confounding. Fate and transport models and pharmacokinetic models remain central to estimating past exposure for new cohorts, but are difficult to develop without good historical data on emissions of PFOA into the environment. CONCLUSION Overall, the epidemiologic evidence remains limited. For a few outcomes there has been some replication of our earlier findings. More longitudinal research is needed in large populations with large exposure contrasts. Additional cross-sectional studies of low exposed populations may be less informative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle Steenland
- 1518 Clifton Rd, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory U., Atlanta, GA 30324, United States.
| | - Tony Fletcher
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Cheryl R Stein
- Hassenfeld Children's Hospital at NYU Langone, NY, NY, United States
| | - Scott M Bartell
- Program in Public Health, University of California Irvine, Irvine, Cal, United States
| | | | - Maria-Jose Lopez-Espinosa
- Epidemiology and Environmental Health Joint Research Unit, FISABIO, Universitat Jaume I-Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - P Barry Ryan
- 1518 Clifton Rd, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory U., Atlanta, GA 30324, United States
| | - David A Savitz
- Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
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World Trade Center Health Program: First Decade of Research. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17197290. [PMID: 33036199 PMCID: PMC7579473 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17197290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001 placed nearly a half million people at increased risk of adverse health. Health effects research began shortly after and continues today, now mostly as a coordinated effort under the federally mandated World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program (WTCHP). Established in 2011, the WTCHP provides medical monitoring and treatment of covered health conditions for responders and survivors and maintains a research program aimed to improve the care and well-being of the affected population. By 2020, funds in excess of USD 127 M had been awarded for health effects research. This review describes research findings and provides an overview of the WTCHP and its future directions. The literature was systematically searched for relevant articles published from 11 September 2001 through 30 June 2020. Synthesis was limited to broad categories of mental health, cancer, respiratory disease, vulnerable populations, and emerging conditions. In total, 944 WTC articles were published, including peer-reviewed articles funded by the WTCHP (n = 291) and other sources. Research has focused on characterizing the burden and etiology of WTC-related health conditions. As the program moves forward, translational research that directly enhances the care of individuals with chronic mental and physical health conditions is needed.
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Kumar M, Sarma DK, Shubham S, Kumawat M, Verma V, Prakash A, Tiwari R. Environmental Endocrine-Disrupting Chemical Exposure: Role in Non-Communicable Diseases. Front Public Health 2020; 8:553850. [PMID: 33072697 PMCID: PMC7541969 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.553850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 162] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The exponential growth of pollutant discharges into the environment due to increasing industrial and agricultural activities is a rising threat for human health and a biggest concern for environmental health globally. Several synthetic chemicals, categorized as potential environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), are evident to affect the health of not only livestock and wildlife but also humankind. In recent years, human exposure to environmental EDCs has received increased awareness due to their association with altered human health as documented by several epidemiological and experimental studies. EDCs are associated with deleterious effects on male and female reproductive health; causes diabetes, obesity, metabolic disorders, thyroid homeostasis and increase the risk of hormone-sensitive cancers. Sewage effluents are a major source of several EDCs, which eventually reach large water bodies and potentially contaminate the drinking water supply. Similarly, water storage material such as different types of plastics also leaches out EDCs in drinking Water. Domestic wastewater containing pharmaceutical ingredients, metals, pesticides and personal care product additives also influences endocrine activity. These EDCs act via various receptors through a variety of known and unknown mechanisms including epigenetic modification. They differ from classic toxins in several ways such as low-dose effect, non-monotonic dose and trans-generational effects. This review aims to highlight the hidden burden of EDCs on human health and discusses the non-classical toxic properties of EDCs in an attempt to understand the magnitude of the exposome on human health. Present data on the environmental EDCs advocate that there may be associations between human exposure to EDCs and several undesirable health outcomes that warrants further human bio-monitoring of EDCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manoj Kumar
- National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Indian Council of Medical Research, Bhopal, India
| | - Devojit Kumar Sarma
- National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Indian Council of Medical Research, Bhopal, India
| | - Swasti Shubham
- National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Indian Council of Medical Research, Bhopal, India
| | - Manoj Kumawat
- National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Indian Council of Medical Research, Bhopal, India
| | - Vinod Verma
- Department of Stem Cell Research Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India
| | - Anil Prakash
- National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Indian Council of Medical Research, Bhopal, India
| | - Rajnarayan Tiwari
- National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Indian Council of Medical Research, Bhopal, India
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Spratlen MJ, Perera FP, Lederman SA, Rauh VA, Robinson M, Kannan K, Trasande L, Herbstman J. The association between prenatal exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances and childhood neurodevelopment. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 263:114444. [PMID: 32272335 PMCID: PMC7362877 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Revised: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were among various persistent organic pollutants suspected to have been released during the collapse of the World Trade Center (WTC) on 9/11. Evidence on the association between prenatal PFAS exposure and child neurodevelopment is limited and inconsistent. This study evaluated the association between prenatal PFAS exposure and child cognitive outcomes measured at 5 different time points in a population prenatally exposed to the WTC disaster. The study population included 302 pregnant women in the Columbia University WTC birth cohort enrolled between December 13, 2001 and June 26, 2002 at three hospitals located near the WTC site: Beth Israel, St. Vincent's, and New York University Downtown. We evaluated the association between prenatal exposure to four PFAS (perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA)) and child neurodevelopment measured using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID-II) at approximately 1, 2 and 3 years of age and using The Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI) at approximately 4 and 6 years of age. Geometric mean (range) concentrations of PFAS were 6.03 (1.05, 33.7), 2.31 (0.18, 8.14), 0.43 (<LOQ, 10.3) and 0.67 (<LOQ, 15.8) ng/mL for PFOS, PFOA, PFNA and PFHxS, respectively. Several PFAS were associated with increases in cognitive outcomes in females and overall (males and females combined). Child sex modified the association between PFOS and the mental development index measured using BSID-II, with the observed relationship being positive for females and negative for males. Through principal component analyses, we observed a negative relationship between PFNA and the psychomotor development index measured using BSID-II and the verbal IQ measured using WPPSI. Our results suggest a sex- and compound-specific relationship between prenatal PFAS exposures and childhood neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miranda J Spratlen
- Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Frederica P Perera
- Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sally Ann Lederman
- Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Virginia A Rauh
- Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Morgan Robinson
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Kurunthachalam Kannan
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, USA; Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Leonardo Trasande
- Department of Pediatrics, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Julie Herbstman
- Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA
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Skogheim TS, Villanger GD, Weyde KVF, Engel SM, Surén P, Øie MG, Skogan AH, Biele G, Zeiner P, Øvergaard KR, Haug LS, Sabaredzovic A, Aase H. Prenatal exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances and associations with symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and cognitive functions in preschool children. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2020; 223:80-92. [PMID: 31653559 PMCID: PMC6922090 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2019.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2019] [Revised: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are persistent organic pollutants that are suspected to be neurodevelopmental toxicants, but epidemiological evidence on neurodevelopmental effects of PFAS exposure is inconsistent. We investigated the associations between prenatal exposure to PFASs and symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and cognitive functioning (language skills, estimated IQ and working memory) in preschool children, as well as effect modification by child sex. MATERIAL AND METHODS This study included 944 mother-child pairs enrolled in a longitudinal prospective study of ADHD symptoms (the ADHD Study), with participants recruited from The Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). Boys and girls aged three and a half years, participated in extensive clinical assessments using well-validated tools; The Preschool Age Psychiatric Assessment interview, Child Development Inventory and Stanford-Binet (5th revision). Prenatal levels of 19 PFASs were measured in maternal blood at week 17 of gestation. Multivariable adjusted regression models were used to examine exposure-outcome associations with two principal components extracted from the seven detected PFASs. Based on these results, we performed regression analyses of individual PFASs categorized into quintiles. RESULTS PFAS component 1 was mainly explained by perfluoroheptane sulfonate (PFHpS), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). PFAS component 2 was mainly explained by perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA) and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA). Regression models showed a negative association between PFAS component 1 and nonverbal working memory [β = -0.08 (CI: -0.12, -0.03)] and a positive association between PFAS component 2 and verbal working memory [β = 0.07 (CI: 0.01, 0.12)]. There were no associations with ADHD symptoms, language skills or IQ. For verbal working memory and PFAS component 2, we found evidence for effect modification by child sex, with associations only for boys. The results of quintile models with individual PFASs, showed the same pattern for working memory as the results in the component regression analyses. There were negative associations between nonverbal working memory and quintiles of PFOA, PFNA, PFHxS, PFHpS and PFOS and positive associations between verbal working memory and quintiles of PFOA, PFNA, PFDA and PFUnDA, with significant relationships mainly in the highest concentration groups. CONCLUSIONS Based on our results, we did not find consistent evidence to conclude that prenatal exposure to PFASs are associated with ADHD symptoms or cognitive dysfunctions in preschool children aged three and a half years, which is in line with the majority of studies in this area. Our results showed some associations between PFASs and working memory, particularly negative relationships with nonverbal working memory, but also positive relationships with verbal working memory. The relationships were weak, as well as both positive and negative, which suggest no clear association - and need for replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thea S Skogheim
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health, PO Box 222, Skøyen, N-0213, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Gro D Villanger
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health, PO Box 222, Skøyen, N-0213, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Stephanie M Engel
- Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2104C McGavran-Greenberg Hall CB 7435, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Pål Surén
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health, PO Box 222, Skøyen, N-0213, Oslo, Norway
| | - Merete G Øie
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, PO Box 1094, Blindern, N-0317, Oslo, Norway; Research Department, Innlandet Hospital Trust, PO Box 104, N-2381, Brumunddal, Norway
| | - Annette H Skogan
- The National Centre for Epilepsy, PO Box 4956, Nydalen, N-0424, Oslo, Norway
| | - Guido Biele
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health, PO Box 222, Skøyen, N-0213, Oslo, Norway
| | - Pål Zeiner
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, PO Box 4956, Nydalen, N-0424, Oslo, Norway; Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, PO Box 1171, N-0318, Oslo, Norway
| | - Kristin R Øvergaard
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, PO Box 4956, Nydalen, N-0424, Oslo, Norway
| | - Line S Haug
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health, PO Box 222, Skøyen, N-0213, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Heidi Aase
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health, PO Box 222, Skøyen, N-0213, Oslo, Norway
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Nelson W, Wang YX, Sakwari G, Ding YB. Review of the Effects of Perinatal Exposure to Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals in Animals and Humans. REVIEWS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2020; 251:131-184. [PMID: 31129734 DOI: 10.1007/398_2019_30] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Maternal exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) is associated with long-term hormone-dependent effects that are sometimes not revealed until maturity, middle age, or adulthood. The aim of this study was to conduct descriptive reviews on animal experimental and human epidemiological evidence of the adverse health effects of in utero and lactational exposure to selected EDCs on the first generation and subsequent generation of the exposed offspring. PubMed, Web of Science, and Toxline databases were searched for relevant human and experimental animal studies on 29 October 29 2018. Search results were screened for relevance, and studies that met the inclusion criteria were evaluated and qualitative data extracted for analysis. The search yielded 73 relevant human and 113 animal studies. Results from studies show that in utero and lactational exposure to EDCs is associated with impairment of reproductive, immunologic, metabolic, neurobehavioral, and growth physiology of the exposed offspring up to the fourth generation without additional exposure. Little convergence is seen between animal experiments and human studies in terms of the reported adverse health effects which might be associated with methodologic challenges across the studies. Based on the available animal and human evidence, in utero and lactational exposure to EDCs is detrimental to the offspring. However, more human studies are necessary to clarify the toxicological and pathophysiological mechanisms underlying these effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Nelson
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Reproductive and Development, Department of Reproductive Biology, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Ying-Xiong Wang
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Reproductive and Development, Department of Reproductive Biology, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Gloria Sakwari
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health and Social Sciences, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es salaam, Tanzania
| | - Yu-Bin Ding
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Reproductive and Development, Department of Reproductive Biology, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China.
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Niu J, Liang H, Tian Y, Yuan W, Xiao H, Hu H, Sun X, Song X, Wen S, Yang L, Ren Y, Miao M. Prenatal plasma concentrations of Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances and neuropsychological development in children at four years of age. Environ Health 2019; 18:53. [PMID: 31196101 PMCID: PMC6567504 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-019-0493-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are persistent pollutants and have endocrine disruptive and neurotoxic effects. The association between maternal PFAS concentrations and neuropsychological development in children is inconclusive. The present study aimed to examine the effect of maternal PFAS concentrations on neuropsychological development in 4-years-old children. METHODS We used data from Shanghai-Minhang Birth Cohort, which recruited pregnant women at 12-16 gestational weeks. Among 981 women having PFAS measurement, 533 mother-child pairs were included in the study. A total of eight PFASs were measured, including perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUdA), perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA), and perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA). When infants turned 4 years old, mothers were asked to complete the Ages and Stages Questionnaires® (ASQ) to assess neuropsychological development of their children. Poisson regression model with robust variance estimates was used to examine the association between maternal PFAS concentrations and each developmental subscale of the ASQ. RESULTS Prenatal plasma concentrations of most PFASs tended to be associated with increased risk of development problem in personal-social skills, including PFHxS, PFOS, PFOA, PFNA, PFDA, and PDUdA, and the associations for PFNA and PFDA were significant (per natural log unit increase: RRPFNA = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.21, 3.05; RR PFDA = 1.66, 95% CI: 1.17, 2.37). In stratified analyses by child' sex, the consistent pattern of higher risk of developmental problems in personal-social skills associated with most PFASs was mainly observed among girls (RRPFOS = 2.56, 95% CI: 1.20, 5.45; RRPFOA = 9.00, 95% CI: 3.82, 21.21; RRPFNA = 3.11, 95% CI: 1.36, 7.13; RRPFDA = 2.20, 95% CI: 1.21, 4.00; RRPFUdA = 2.44, 95% CI: 1.14, 5.20; RRPFDoA = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.04, 2.54). Boys with higher maternal PFOA concentrations had a decreased risk of developmental problems in gross motor skills (RR = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.25, 0.89). CONCLUSION Prenatal plasma PFAS concentrations were associated with neuropsychological development in girls at 4 years of age, mainly in the subset of personal-social skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinbo Niu
- The First People's Hospital of Jianshan, Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Hong Liang
- NHC Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Youping Tian
- NHC Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Yuan
- NHC Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hong Xiao
- Department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes & Policy, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, 1225 Center Drive, HPNP 3338, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Hui Hu
- Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health and Health Professions and College of Medicine, University of Florida, 2004 Mowry Road, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Xiaowei Sun
- NHC Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiuxia Song
- NHC Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Sheng Wen
- National Reference Laboratory of Dioxin, Institute of Health Inspection and Detection, Hubei Provincial Academy of Preventive Medicine, Hubei Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Li Yang
- Department of Public Educaion, Weifang Medical University, 7166 Baotong west Road, Weifang, 261053, Shandong Province, China
| | - Yanfeng Ren
- Department of Health Statistics, School of Public Health and Management, Weifang Medical University, 7166 Baotong west Road, Weifang, 261053, Shandong Province, China.
| | - Maohua Miao
- NHC Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Vuong AM, Yolton K, Xie C, Dietrich KN, Braun JM, Webster GM, Calafat AM, Lanphear BP, Chen A. Prenatal and childhood exposure to poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and cognitive development in children at age 8 years. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2019; 172:242-248. [PMID: 30818233 PMCID: PMC6511326 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2019.02.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Revised: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/16/2019] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Toxicological studies indicate that poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) may be neurotoxic, but human studies have yet to provide compelling evidence for PFAS' impact on cognitive abilities. OBJECTIVE To test whether prenatal and childhood PFAS are associated with cognitive abilities at 8 years and whether sex modifies these associations. METHODS We included 221 mother-child pairs from the Health Outcomes and Measures of the Environment (HOME) Study, a birth cohort in Cincinnati, OH (USA). We quantified PFAS in maternal serum at 16 ± 3 weeks gestation and in child serum at 3 and 8 years. We used the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) at age 8 years, assessing Full Scale IQ (FSIQ), verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning, working memory, and processing speed. We used multiple informant models to estimate covariate-adjusted differences in WISC-IV scores by repeated ln-transformed PFAS. RESULTS Prenatal and childhood perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) were not associated with WISC-IV measures. We observed an increase of 4.1-points (95% CI 0.3, 8.0) and 5.7-points (95% CI 1.2, 10.2) in working memory with 1-ln unit increase in prenatal perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and perfluorononanoate (PFNA), respectively. In addition, PFNA at 3 years was associated with better FSIQ and perceptual reasoning. Child sex modified the relationship between prenatal PFOA and FSIQ; the association was positive in females only. Sex also modified the association between concurrent PFOS and FSIQ, with males having higher scores. CONCLUSION We did not observe adverse associations between prenatal and childhood PFAS and cognitive function at age 8 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann M Vuong
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, P.O. Box 670056, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA.
| | - Kimberly Yolton
- Division of General and Community Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 3333 Burnet Avenue, MLC 7035, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Changchun Xie
- Division of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 160 Panzeca Way, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Kim N Dietrich
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, P.O. Box 670056, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Joseph M Braun
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, 121 South Main St, Box G-S121-2, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Glenys M Webster
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute and Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, Canada V5A 1S6
| | - Antonia M Calafat
- Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA
| | - Bruce P Lanphear
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute and Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, Canada V5A 1S6
| | - Aimin Chen
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, P.O. Box 670056, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
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Qin X, Xie G, Wu X, Xu X, Su M, Yang B. Prenatal exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid induces nerve growth factor expression in cerebral cortex cells of mouse offspring. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2018; 25:18914-18920. [PMID: 29717428 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-018-2117-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2017] [Accepted: 04/24/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have showed perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) inducing cytotoxicity in an organ. In addition, epidemiological data show that high level of PFOA in cord blood of a pregnant woman is detected. Therefore, we extrapolate that circulating PFOA may affect organogenesis in offspring, such as the brain. In this study, intrauterine exposure to PFOA in mice was used to characterize the potential impacts of prenatal PFOA exposure on cerebral cortex cells of postnatal 21 (PND21) offspring. In an ex vivo cell model, PND21-based cortex cells were exposed to PFOA or/and nerve growth factor (NGF)-specific inhibitor before further biochemical assays. As results, biochemical data showed increased trends of liver metabolic enzymes in sera of PFOA-treated PND21 mice. Interestingly, PFOA-treated PND21 mice resulted in increased levels of NGF in sera and cortex cells. In addition, PFOA-exposed cerebral cortex cells induced NGF and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expressions, while exposure to PFOA/NGF-specific inhibitor downregulated expressions of NGF and PCNA. In addition, Nissl-labeled, NGF-positive cells, and NGF protein expression in cortex cells of PFOA-treated PND21 mice were upregulated, respectively. Further, immunoblotting assays showed that intracephalic poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and p42/44 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) proliferation-regulated protein levels were elevated in PFOA-treated cortex cells. Taken together, our current findings indicate that the prenatal PFOA exposure may induce proliferation of cerebral cortex cells in PND21 mice through promoting intracephalic NGF expression in the cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingyue Qin
- Department of Neurology (Area Two), Guigang City People's Hospital, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Guigang, 537100, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Guojie Xie
- Department of Gynecology, Guigang City People's Hospital, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Guigang, Guangxi, 537100, People's Republic of China
| | - Xinmou Wu
- College of Pharmacy, Guangxi Medical University, 22 Shuangyong Road, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Xu
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Microenvironmental Regulation, Guilin Medical University, Huan Cheng North 2nd Road 109, Guilin, 541004, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Min Su
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Microenvironmental Regulation, Guilin Medical University, Huan Cheng North 2nd Road 109, Guilin, 541004, Guangxi, People's Republic of China.
| | - Bin Yang
- College of Pharmacy, Guangxi Medical University, 22 Shuangyong Road, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi, China.
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