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Lahne H, Gerstner D, Völkel W, Schober W, Aschenbrenner B, Herr C, Heinze S, Quartucci C. Human biomonitoring follow-up study on PFOA contamination and investigation of possible influencing factors on PFOA exposure in a German population originally exposed to emissions from a fluoropolymer production plant. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2024; 259:114387. [PMID: 38703464 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2024.114387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the past, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was produced and applied as an emulsifier in a fluoropolymer production plant in the Altötting district, southern Bavaria (Germany). This chemical was released directly into the environment, resulting in the contamination of the local drinking water. During a human biomonitoring (HBM) survey in 2018, increased median PFOA blood serum levels, compared to a normally exposed control group with no known source of PFOA exposure from Munich, Germany, were detected in the resident population (23.18 μg/l in the general population, 20.71 μg/l in the children's group). The follow-up study aimed to investigate whether purification of the drinking water as the main PFOA exposure source has been successful in reducing internal PFOA exposure and to estimate the association of internal PFOA exposure with possible influencing factors. METHODS Only individuals who had already participated in the HBM study in 2018 were included. For the determination of the PFOA serum concentration, 5 ml of blood was drawn from each participating person. Blood samples were collected in the period from June to August 2022. Furthermore, information on sociodemographic characteristics, health status, dietary behaviour and other lifestyle factors were collected by means of a self-administered questionnaire. To examine the association of PFOA blood serum levels with possible influencing factors, such as age, gender and consumption of fish and game meat, a logistic regression model with a PFOA value > 10 μg/l as outcome was used. RESULTS A total of 764 individuals participated in the follow-up study in 2022. Analyses were performed separately for the general population (n = 559), women of reproductive age (15-49 years old) (n = 120), and children under 12 years old (n = 30). Median PFOA blood levels have decreased by 56.9% in the general population, by 59.8% in the group of women of reproductive age and by 73.4% in the group of children under 12 years old. In the general population, a higher probability of a PFOA value > 10 μg/l was found for those aged 40-59 years (Odds ratio (OR) = 2.33 (95%CI: 1.23 to 4.43, p = 0.01) and those aged 60 years and older (OR = 5.32, 95%CI: 2.78 to 10.19, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS In all study groups, the median PFOA serum levels decreased as expected after a half-life of four years, which confirms that contamination via drinking water has ceased. Furthermore, our study identified age as a significant predictor of internal PFOA exposure, while no influence was found for the consumption of fish and game meat. Further investigations are needed to quantify in a more detailed way the influence of dietary habits on PFOA exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi Lahne
- Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Institute for Occupational Health and Product Safety, Environmental Health, Munich, Germany.
| | - Doris Gerstner
- Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Institute for Occupational Health and Product Safety, Environmental Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Völkel
- Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Institute for Occupational Health and Product Safety, Environmental Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Schober
- Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Institute for Occupational Health and Product Safety, Environmental Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Bettina Aschenbrenner
- Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Institute for Occupational Health and Product Safety, Environmental Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Caroline Herr
- Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Institute for Occupational Health and Product Safety, Environmental Health, Munich, Germany; Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Ziemssenstr. 5, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Stefanie Heinze
- Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Institute for Occupational Health and Product Safety, Environmental Health, Munich, Germany; Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Ziemssenstr. 5, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Caroline Quartucci
- Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Institute for Occupational Health and Product Safety, Environmental Health, Munich, Germany; Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Ziemssenstr. 5, 80336, Munich, Germany
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Liu Y, Zhang H, Xu F, Zhang X, Zhao N, Ding L. Associations between serum per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances as mixtures and lipid levels: A cross-sectional study in Jinan. Sci Total Environ 2024; 923:171305. [PMID: 38423340 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 02/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are known to be linked with dyslipidemia. Between March and June 2022, we collected 575 fasting serum samples from individuals without occupational exposure in Jinan, China. Eighteen PFASs were analyzed using UHPLC-Orbitrap MS. Multiple linear regression (MLR), Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR), and Quantile g-computation (QGC) models were utilized to assess the effects of both individual PFAS and PFAS mixtures on serum lipid levels, including triglycerides (TG), cholesterol (CHO), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). The PFAS mixture, composed of perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA), perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoDA), perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), perfluoroheptane sulfonic acid (PFHpS), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), and 6:2 chlorinated polyfluoroalkyl ether sulfonate (6:2 Cl-PFESA), showed a positive association with CHO and LDL levels, while no distinct trend was noted in HDL and TG levels about changes in PFAS mixtures levels in BKMR and QGC models, adjusted for gender, age, BMI, occupation, and educational level. The effects of individual PFASs on lipid levels were in general consistent across MLR, BKMR and QGC models. PFUnDA and PFTrDA demonstrated greater impacts on blood lipid levels compared to other PFAS, albeit with varied directional effects. Age-stratified analysis revealed PFAS mixture effect was more pronounced in participants aged higher than 40. No obvious trend in lipid levels with changes in PFAS mixture levels in participants with age ranged from 18 to 40, while positive association between PFAS mixture and CHO and LDL was detected in participants aged higher than 40.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Liu
- School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Haoyu Zhang
- Environmental Research Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Fei Xu
- Environmental Research Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Xiaozhen Zhang
- School of environmental science and engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Nan Zhao
- School of environmental science and engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Lei Ding
- Environmental Research Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China.
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3
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Pesonen M, Vähäkangas K. Involvement of per- and polyfluoroalkyl compounds in tumor development. Arch Toxicol 2024; 98:1241-1252. [PMID: 38478087 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-024-03685-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large group of synthetic persistent chemicals, which are used in many industrial and commercial applications. Hundreds of different PFAS have been identified in the environment and they are commonly found also in human blood. Due to the chemical stability and extensive use, PFAS pose a risk for human health and wildlife. Mounting evidence indicates that PFAS-exposure adversely affects many organs including liver, kidney, and reproductive tissues and induces tumors in laboratory rodents. Epidemiological studies show association between PFAS-exposure and some tumors also in humans. Effects of PFAS-exposure are complex and obviously do not depend only on the concentration and the structure of PFAS, but also on age and sex of the exposed individuals. It has been difficult to show a causal link between PFAS-exposure and tumors. Moreover, molecular mechanisms of the PFAS effects in different tissues are poorly understood. PFAS are not directly mutagenic and they do not induce formation of DNA binding metabolites, and thus are assumed to act more through non-genotoxic mechanisms. In this review, we discuss the involvement of PFAS-compounds in tumor development in tissues where PFAS exposure has been associated with cancer in epidemiological and animal studies (liver, kidney, testicle and breast). We will focus on molecular pathways and mechanisms related to tumor formation following PFAS-exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maija Pesonen
- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Pharmacy/Toxicology, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, 70211, Kuopio, Finland.
| | - Kirsi Vähäkangas
- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Pharmacy/Toxicology, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, 70211, Kuopio, Finland
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Schlezinger JJ, Gokce N. Perfluoroalkyl/Polyfluoroalkyl Substances: Links to Cardiovascular Disease Risk. Circ Res 2024; 134:1136-1159. [PMID: 38662859 PMCID: PMC11047059 DOI: 10.1161/circresaha.124.323697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Conservative estimates by the World Health Organization suggest that at least a quarter of global cardiovascular diseases are attributable to environmental exposures. Associations between air pollution and cardiovascular risk have garnered the most headlines and are strong, but less attention has been paid to other omnipresent toxicants in our ecosystem. Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are man-made chemicals that are extensively used in industrial and consumer products worldwide and in aqueous film-forming foam utilized in firefighting. As such, our exposure to PFAS is essentially ubiquitous. Given the long half-lives of these degradation-resistant chemicals, virtually, all people are carrying a body burden of PFAS. Health concerns related to PFAS are growing such that the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine has recommended standards for clinical follow-up of individuals with high PFAS blood levels, including prioritizing screening for dyslipidemia. The link between PFAS and dyslipidemia has been extensively investigated, and evidence for associations is compelling. However, dyslipidemia is not the only cardiovascular risk factor with which PFAS is associated. Here, we review the epidemiological evidence for links between PFAS of concern identified by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine and risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including overweight/obesity, glucose intolerance, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and hyperuricemia. Moreover, we review the potential connections of PFAS with vascular disease and atherosclerosis. While observational data support associations between the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine PFAS and selected cardiac risk factors, additional research is needed to establish causation and better understand how exposure to PFAS leads to the development of these conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Noyan Gokce
- Evans Department of Medicine and Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
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Mao X, Liu Y, Wei Y, Li X, Liu Y, Su G, Wang X, Jia J, Yan B. Threats of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl pollutants to susceptible populations. Sci Total Environ 2024; 921:171188. [PMID: 38395163 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Environmental exposure to per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has raised significant global health concerns due to potential hazards in healthy adults. However, the impact of PFAS on susceptible populations, including pregnant individuals, newborns, the older people, and those with underlying health conditions, has been overlooked. These susceptible groups often have physiological changes that make them less resilient to the same exposures. Consequently, there is an urgent need for a comprehensive understanding of the health risks posed by PFAS exposure to these populations. In this review, we delve into the potential health risks of PFAS exposure in these susceptible populations. Equally important, we also examine and discuss the molecular mechanisms that underlie this susceptibility. These mechanisms include the induction of oxidative stress, disruption of the immune system, impairment of cellular metabolism, and alterations in gut microbiota, all of which contribute to the enhanced toxicity of PFAS in susceptible populations. Finally, we address the primary research challenges and unresolved issues that require further investigation. This discussion aims to foster research for a better understanding of how PFAS affect susceptible populations and to pave the way for strategies to minimize their adverse effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Mao
- Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area, Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yujiao Liu
- Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area, Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yongyi Wei
- Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area, Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Xiaodi Li
- Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area, Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yin Liu
- School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Gaoxing Su
- School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong 226019, China
| | - Xiaohong Wang
- Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area, Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - Jianbo Jia
- Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area, Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - Bing Yan
- Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area, Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
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Mokra K, Kaczmarska I, Bukowska B. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and its selected analogs induce various cell death types in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Chemosphere 2024; 354:141664. [PMID: 38485001 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
The perfluoalkyl substance (PFASs) perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) has been widely used in industry. However, PFOS is a persistent organic pollutant and has been gradually replaced by its short-chain analogs, perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) and perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS). PFASs are extremely persistent and are very frequently detected among the general population. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of selected PFASs on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and the mechanisms of their action. PBMCs were exposed to PFOS, PFBS and PFHxS at concentrations ranging from 0.02 to 400 μM for 24 h, they were then tested for viability, apoptosis (changes in cytosolic calcium ions level and caspase-3, -8 and -9 activation), ferroptosis (changes in chelatable iron ions level and lipid peroxidation), and autophagy (LC3-II and Raptor level assay). PFOS exposure decreased cell viability, increased calcium ion level and caspase-8 activation; it also enhanced lipid peroxidation and increased the intracellular pool of chelatable iron ions as well as LC3-II protein content. In contrast, short-chain PFBS and PFHxS induced significant changes in the markers of apoptosis but had no substantial impact on ferroptosis or autophagy markers over a wide range of concentrations. Our results indicate that only PFOS demonstrated pro-ferroptotic and pro-autophagic potential but observed changes occurred at relatively high exposure. A short-chain substitute (PFBS) exhibited strong pro-apoptotic potential at concentrations related to occupational exposure. While the short-chain PFASs strongly affected the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis, apoptosis itself was only induced by PFBS via the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways. It seems that the length of the carbon chain in PFASs appears to determine the cell death mechanisms activated in human PBMCs following exposure. Our findings provide a new insight into the immune toxicity mechanism induced by these compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Mokra
- University of Lodz, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, Department of Biophysics of Environmental Pollution, 141/143 Pomorska St., 90-236, Lodz, Poland.
| | - Izabela Kaczmarska
- University of Lodz, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, Department of Biophysics of Environmental Pollution, 141/143 Pomorska St., 90-236, Lodz, Poland
| | - Bożena Bukowska
- University of Lodz, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, Department of Biophysics of Environmental Pollution, 141/143 Pomorska St., 90-236, Lodz, Poland
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Zhang X, Zhou X, Chen H, Gao X, Zhou Y, Lee HK, Huang Z. Changes in Concentrations of Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Human Milk Over Lactation Time and Effects of Maternal Exposure via Analysis of Matched Samples. Environ Sci Technol 2024; 58:4115-4126. [PMID: 38390687 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c09896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are potentially related to many adverse health outcomes and could be transferred from maternal blood to human milk, which is an important exposure source for infants during a long-term period. In this study, the maternal blood of 76 women after delivery and their matched human milk samples obtained at 0.5, 1, and 3 months were analyzed by solid-phase extraction method with metal-organic framework/polymer hybrid nanofibers as the sorbents and ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-negative electrospray ionization mass spectrometric for quantitative analysis of 31 PFAS. The perfluorooctanoic acid, perfluorooctane sulfonate, and N-methyl perfluorooctane sulfonamido acetic acid (N-MeFOSAA) contributed to more than approximately 50% of the total PFAS concentrations in blood and human milk, while N-MeFOSAA (median: 0.274 ng/mL) was the highest PFAS in human milk at 3 months. The transfer efficiencies for PFAS from maternal blood to human milk at 0.5 months were generally lower, with medians ranging from 0.20% to 16.9%. The number of PFAS species detected in human milk increased as the lactation time went on from 0.5 to 3 months, and the concentrations of 10 PFAS displayed an increasing trend as the prolongation of lactation time (p < 0.05).
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Zhang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, PR China
| | - Xingyan Zhou
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, PR China
| | - Huijun Chen
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, PR China
| | - Xinyi Gao
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, PR China
| | - Yan Zhou
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, PR China
| | - Hian Kee Lee
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 3, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Zhenzhen Huang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, PR China
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Song X, Ye T, Jing D, Wei K, Ge Y, Bei X, Qi Y, Wang H, Li J, Zhang Y. Association between exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and levels of lipid profile based on human studies. Rev Environ Health 2024; 0:reveh-2023-0146. [PMID: 38408126 DOI: 10.1515/reveh-2023-0146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Epidemiological evidence suggests that exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is associated with lipid profile levels, but with inconsistent conclusions from different studies. The aim of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis of the relationship between PFAS exposure and lipid profile levels based on population-based epidemiological studies. Embase, PubMed, Ovid database, The Cochrane Library and Web of Science database were used to search appropriate studies (before September 6, 2022) on the correlation between PFAS exposure and lipid profile levels. β value, odd ratio (OR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were extracted from studies. In this study, we found that higher low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels were associated with exposure to perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA) (β value=0.13, 95 % CIs: 0.02, 0.24) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) (β value=0.13, 95 % CIs: 0.04, 0.21). PFOA, PFOS and PFNA exposure were significantly related to the higher levels of total cholesterol (TC) with the pooled effect estimates of 0.08 (95 % CI: 0.02, 0.14), 0.13 (95 % CI: 0.05, 0.21) and 0.14 (95 % CI: 0.08, 0.20) respectively. In sum, our results identified that PFOA, PFOS, PFNA and PFUnDA were the most important risk factors for abnormal levels of lipid profile, indicating that we should prevent cerebrovascular disease by reducing and controlling PFAS exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinru Song
- Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Jiangning Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Tingtao Ye
- Department of Public Health, Kangda College of Nanjing Medical University, Lianyungang, China
| | - Dongmei Jing
- Muchunyuan Nursing Home of Jiangsu Province Official Hospital, Nanjing, China
| | - Kai Wei
- Department of Public Health, Kangda College of Nanjing Medical University, Lianyungang, China
| | - Yue Ge
- Department of Public Health, Kangda College of Nanjing Medical University, Lianyungang, China
| | - Xinyue Bei
- Department of Public Health, Kangda College of Nanjing Medical University, Lianyungang, China
| | - Yuqian Qi
- Department of Public Health, Kangda College of Nanjing Medical University, Lianyungang, China
| | - Huanqiang Wang
- Department of Public Health, Kangda College of Nanjing Medical University, Lianyungang, China
| | - Jun Li
- Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Jiangning Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Department of Public Health, Kangda College of Nanjing Medical University, Lianyungang, China
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Xing W, Liang M, Gu W, Wang Z, Fan D, Zhang B, Sun S, Wang L, Shi L. Exposure to Perfluoroalkyl Substances and Hyperlipidemia Among Adults: Data From NHANES 2017-2018. J Occup Environ Med 2024; 66:105-110. [PMID: 37853679 DOI: 10.1097/jom.0000000000003000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The present study aims to explore the relationship between perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure and hyperlipidemia using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. METHODS A total of 1600 subjects were included in the analysis, and nine kinds of PFAS were measured. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the association between serum PFAS and hyperlipidemia. RESULTS Compared with the lowest quartile of perfluoromethylheptane sulfonic acid isomers (Sm-PFOS), the percentage change for hyperlipidemia was 57% and 41% in the third and highest quartile of PFOS. The positive association between Sm-PFOS and hyperlipidemia remained significant in population younger than 60 years, and the odds ratio for hyperlipidemia in fourth quartile of Sm-PFOS was 1.81. CONCLUSIONS These findings indicated that serum Sm-PFOS was independently associated with a higher risk for hyperlipidemia. The epidemiological study warrants further study to elucidate the causal relationship between them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weilong Xing
- From the Laboratory of Pesticide Environmental Assessment and Pollution Control, Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE), Nanjing, People's Republic of China
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Granby K, Ersbøll BK, Olesen PT, Christensen T, Sørensen S. Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances in commercial organic eggs via fishmeal in feed. Chemosphere 2024; 346:140553. [PMID: 37944762 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Chicken eggs can be a significant source of human PFAS exposure. A survey of PFAS in commercial eggs from larger farms across Denmark showed the absence or low contents of PFAS in free-range and barn eggs. However, organic eggs from eight farms collected in September 2022 had a similar profile of nine PFASs with a predominance of odd over even carbon length PFCAs. Farm 11-13 e.g. had egg yolk ng/g concentrations of PFOA 0.07 ± 0.02; PFNA 0.37 ± 0.04; PFDA 0.13 ± 0.00; PFUnDA 0.22 ± 0.04; PFDoDA 0.06 ± 0.02; PFTrDA 0.15 ± 0.04; PFTeDA 0.02 ± 0.02; PFHxS 0.10 ± 0.04; PFOS 2.62 ± 0.11. Normalised to PFOS, the relative sum of other PFAS showed no difference between the eight organic egg samples, but significant differences between mean individual PFASs (p = 1.4E-25), reflecting a similar profile. The PFAS found in two fishmeal samples with the same origin as the fishmeal used for the organic feed production, could account for the contents in the eggs via estimated transfer from the feed. Furthermore, the estimated transfer from concentration in feed to concentration in egg increased with the carbon length of the PFCA. Exposure (95th percentile) of ∑4PFAS (PFOA, PFNA, PFHxS, PFOS) solely from consumption of 311 g ∼ 5-6 organic eggs/week was for children 4-9 years 10.4 ng/kg bw, i.e. a significant exceedance of the tolerable weekly intake of 4.4 ng/kg bw established by the European Food Safety Authority. Based on the PFAS exposures from organic egg consumption, the organic egg producers decided voluntarily to cease adding fishmeal to the feed. Since the feed-to-egg half-lives are ≤1 week for PFOA, PFOS, and PFHxS, the removal of fishmeal as a feed ingredient should eliminate PFAS after 1-2 months. This was demonstrated in analyses of ten organic egg samples collected by the authorities without PFAS in eight and with 0.1 and 0.4 ng/g ∑4PFAS in two samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kit Granby
- Technical University of Denmark, National Food Institute, Kemitorvet 4, DK-2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
| | - Bjarne Kjær Ersbøll
- Technical University of Denmark, Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Richard Petersens Plads, Building 324, DK-2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Pelle Thonning Olesen
- Technical University of Denmark, National Food Institute, Kemitorvet 4, DK-2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Tue Christensen
- Technical University of Denmark, National Food Institute, Kemitorvet 4, DK-2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Søren Sørensen
- Danish Veterinary and Food Administration, Division of Residues, Søndervang 4, DK-4100, Ringsted, Denmark
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Sabovic I, Lupo MG, Rossi I, Pedrucci F, Di Nisio A, Dall’Acqua S, Ferri N, Ferlin A, Foresta C, De Toni L. Legacy perfluoro-alkyl substances impair LDL-cholesterol uptake independently from PCSK9-function. Toxicol Rep 2023; 11:288-294. [PMID: 37818225 PMCID: PMC10560979 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2023.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Perfluoro-alkyl substances (PFAS) are pollutants, whose exposure was associated with altered levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) in humans. Here we investigated this clinical outcome in two groups of young male adults residing in areas of respectively low and high environmental exposure to perfluoro-octanoic-acid (PFOA). From the Regional Authority data on pollution areas, 38 not-exposed and 59 exposed age-matched participants were evaluated for serum levels of total cholesterol (Total-Chol), LDL-Chol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-Chol), triglycerides (Tgl) and chromatography quantified PFOA. Human hepato-carcinoma cell line HepG2 was exposed to PFOA or perfluoro-octane-sulfonate (PFOS), as legacy PFAAs, and C6O4 as new generation compound. Fluorimetry was used to evaluate the cell-uptake of labelled-LDL. Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin 9 (PCSK9)-mediated LDL-receptor (LDL-R) degradation and sub-cellular localization of LDL-R were evaluated by western blot analysis. Serum levels of PFOA, were positively and significantly correlated with Total-Chol (ρ = 0.312, P = 0.002), LDL-Chol (ρ = 0.333, P = 0.001) and Tgl (ρ = 0.375, P < 0.001). Participants with high serum LDL-Chol and Tgl levels, according to the cardiovascular risk, were more prevalent in exposed compared to not-exposed subjects (respectively: 23.7% vs 5.3%, P = 0.023 and 18,6% vs 0%, P = 0.006). Exposure of HepG2 cells to PFOA or C6O4 100 ng/mL was associated with a significantly lower LDL uptake than controls but no major impact of any PFAAs on PCSK9-mediated LDL-R degradation was observed. Compared to controls, exposure to PFAS showed an unbalanced LDL-R partition between membrane and cytoplasm. Endocytosis inducer sphingosine restored LDL-R partition only in samples exposed to C6O4. These data suggest a novel endocytosis-based mechanism of altered lipid trafficking associated with the exposure to legacy PFAS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iva Sabovic
- Unit of Andrology and Reproductive Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | | | - Ilaria Rossi
- Department of Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Federica Pedrucci
- Unit of Andrology and Reproductive Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Andrea Di Nisio
- Unit of Andrology and Reproductive Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Stefano Dall’Acqua
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Nicola Ferri
- Department of Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padova, Italy
| | - Alberto Ferlin
- Unit of Andrology and Reproductive Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Carlo Foresta
- Unit of Andrology and Reproductive Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Luca De Toni
- Unit of Andrology and Reproductive Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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Dunder L, Salihovic S, Varotsis G, Lind PM, Elmståhl S, Lind L. Plasma levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and cardiovascular disease - Results from two independent population-based cohorts and a meta-analysis. Environ Int 2023; 181:108250. [PMID: 37832261 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent chemicals that have been linked to increased cholesterol levels and thus may have a role in the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). OBJECTIVES To investigate associations between PFAS exposure and incident CVD (a combined CVD end-point consisting of myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, or heart failure) in two independent population-based cohorts in Sweden. In addition, we performed a meta-analysis also including results from previous studies. METHODS In 2,278 subjects aged 45-75 years from the EpiHealth study, the risk of incident CVD in relation to relative plasma levels of perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) was investigated. Associations between plasma levels of six PFAS and incident CVD were also examined in the PIVUS-study (n = 1,016, all aged 70 years). In addition, a meta-analysis was performed including three previous prospective studies, together with the results from the present study. RESULTS There were no overall statistically significant associations between levels of the different PFAS and incident CVD, neither in EpiHealth nor in PIVUS. However, there was a significant sex interaction for PFOS in EpiHealth (p = 0.008), and an inverse association could be seen only in men (Men, HR: 0.68, 95 % CI: 0.52, 0.89) (Women, HR: 1.13, 95 % CI: 0.82, 1.55). A meta-analysis of five independent studies regarding PFOA and incident CVD showed a risk ratio (RR) of 0.80 (CI: 0.66, 0.94) when high levels were compared to low levels. CONCLUSIONS This longitudinal study using data from two population-based cohort studies in Sweden did not indicate any increased risk of incident CVD for moderately elevated PFAS levels. A meta-analysis of five independent cohort studies rather indicated a modest inverse association between PFOA levels and incident CVD, further supporting that increasing PFAS levels are not linked to an increased risk of CVD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Dunder
- Department of Medical Sciences, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Samira Salihovic
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Georgios Varotsis
- Department of Medical Sciences, Molecular Epidemiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - P Monica Lind
- Department of Medical Sciences, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sölve Elmståhl
- Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences in Malmö, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Lars Lind
- Department of Medical Sciences, Cardiovascular Epidemiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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13
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Nyström-Kandola J, Ahrens L, Glynn A, Johanson G, Benskin JP, Gyllenhammar I, Lignell S, Vogs C. Low concentrations of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in municipal drinking water associated with serum PFAA concentrations in Swedish adolescents. Environ Int 2023; 180:108166. [PMID: 37708812 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
While highly contaminated drinking water (DW) is a major source of exposure to perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs), the contribution of low-level contaminated DW (i.e. < 10 ng/L of individual PFAAs) to PFAA body burdens has rarely been studied. To address this knowledge gap, we evaluated the association between concentrations of perflurooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), and their sum (∑4PFAAs) in DW and serum in Swedish adolescents using weighted least squares regression. We paired serum PFAA concentrations in adolescents (age 10-21 years, n = 790) from the dietary survey Riksmaten Adolescents 2016-17 (RMA) with mean PFAA concentrations in water samples collected in 2018 from waterworks (n = 45) supplying DW to the participant residential and school addresses. The median concentrations of individual PFAAs in DW were < 1 ng/L. Median concentrations of PFNA and PFHxS in serum were < 1 ng/g, while those of PFOA and PFOS were 1-2 ng/g. Significant positive associations between PFAA concentrations in DW and serum were found for all four PFAAs and ∑4PFAAs, with estimated serum/DW concentration ratios ranging from 210 (PFOA) to 670 (PFHxS), taking exposure from sources other than DW (background) into consideration. The mean concentrations of PFHxS and ∑4PFAA in DW that would likely cause substantially elevated serum concentrations above background variation were estimated to 0.9 ng/L and 2.4 ng/L, respectively. The European Food Safety Authority has determined a health concern concentration of 6.9 ng ∑4PFAAs/mL serum. This level was to a large degree exceeded by RMA participants with DW ∑4PFAA concentrations above the maximum limits implemented in Denmark (2 ng ∑4PFAAs/L) and Sweden (4 ng ∑4PFAAs/L) than by RMA participants with DW concentrations below the maximum limits. In conclusion, PFAA exposure from low-level contaminated DW must be considered in risk assessment for adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Nyström-Kandola
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), P.O. Box 7028, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Lutz Ahrens
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), P.O. Box 7050, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anders Glynn
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), P.O. Box 7028, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Gunnar Johanson
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), P.O. Box 7028, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden; Unit of Integrative Toxicology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, P.O. Box 210, SE 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jonathan P Benskin
- Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Irina Gyllenhammar
- Department of Risk and Benefit Assessment, Swedish Food Agency, P.O. Box 622, SE-751 26 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sanna Lignell
- Department of Risk and Benefit Assessment, Swedish Food Agency, P.O. Box 622, SE-751 26 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Carolina Vogs
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), P.O. Box 7028, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
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14
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Haug M, Dunder L, Lind PM, Lind L, Salihovic S. Associations of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) with lipid and lipoprotein profiles. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 2023; 33:757-765. [PMID: 37019983 PMCID: PMC10541331 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-023-00545-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are man-made chemicals with unique properties that are widely distributed in humans and the environment. Recent studies suggest that PFAS are involved in cholesterol metabolism, however, the mechanisms underlying the associations are poorly understood. OBJECTIVE We aimed to evaluate associations of plasma PFAS with detailed lipid and lipoprotein subfractions in an adult population of men and women. METHODS We measured concentrations of cholesterol and triglycerides in lipoprotein subfractions, apolipoprotein subclasses, as well as fatty acid and different phospholipid measures, using serum proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR), and four plasma PFAS using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). Measurements were available for 493 participants (all aged 50 years, 50% female). Multivariable linear regression was used to estimate the association of four PFAS with 43 different 1H-NMR measures, with adjustment for body mass index (BMI), smoking, education, and physical activity. RESULTS We found that perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), but not perfluorohexanesulfonate (PFHxS), concentrations were consistently positively associated with concentrations of cholesterol in lipoprotein subfractions, apolipoproteins, as well as composite fatty acid- and phospholipid profiles. The most consistent associations were found for the relationship of PFAS with total cholesterol in intermediate-density lipoprotein (IDL), across all low-density lipoprotein (LDL) subfractions and small high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Moreover, we found weak to null evidence for an association of any of the measured 13 triglyceride lipoprotein subfractions with PFAS. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that plasma PFAS concentrations are associated with cholesterol in small HDL, IDL and all LDL subfractions, as well as apolipoproteins and composite fatty acid and phospholipid profiles but to a lesser extent with triglycerides in lipoproteins. Our findings draw attention to the need for more detailed measurements of lipids across various lipoprotein subfractions and subclasses in assessing the role of PFAS in lipid metabolism. IMPACT By performing an in-depth characterization of circulating cholesterol and triglycerides in lipoprotein subfractions, apolipoprotein, fatty acid, and phospholipid concentrations, this study has expanded upon the limited literature available on the associations of plasma PFAS concentrations beyond clinical routine laboratory testing for lipids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianne Haug
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Linda Dunder
- Department of Medical Sciences, Cardiovascular Epidemiology, Uppsala Univeristy, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - P Monica Lind
- Department of Medical Sciences, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lars Lind
- Department of Medical Sciences, Cardiovascular Epidemiology, Uppsala Univeristy, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Samira Salihovic
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden.
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15
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India-Aldana S, Yao M, Midya V, Colicino E, Chatzi L, Chu J, Gennings C, Jones DP, Loos RJF, Setiawan VW, Smith MR, Walker RW, Barupal D, Walker DI, Valvi D. PFAS Exposures and the Human Metabolome: A Systematic Review of Epidemiological Studies. Curr Pollut Rep 2023; 9:510-568. [PMID: 37753190 PMCID: PMC10520990 DOI: 10.1007/s40726-023-00269-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
Purpose of Review There is a growing interest in understanding the health effects of exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) through the study of the human metabolome. In this systematic review, we aimed to identify consistent findings between PFAS and metabolomic signatures. We conducted a search matching specific keywords that was independently reviewed by two authors on two databases (EMBASE and PubMed) from their inception through July 19, 2022 following PRISMA guidelines. Recent Findings We identified a total of 28 eligible observational studies that evaluated the associations between 31 different PFAS exposures and metabolomics in humans. The most common exposure evaluated was legacy long-chain PFAS. Population sample sizes ranged from 40 to 1,105 participants at different stages across the lifespan. A total of 19 studies used a non-targeted metabolomics approach, 7 used targeted approaches, and 2 included both. The majority of studies were cross-sectional (n = 25), including four with prospective analyses of PFAS measured prior to metabolomics. Summary Most frequently reported associations across studies were observed between PFAS and amino acids, fatty acids, glycerophospholipids, glycerolipids, phosphosphingolipids, bile acids, ceramides, purines, and acylcarnitines. Corresponding metabolic pathways were also altered, including lipid, amino acid, carbohydrate, nucleotide, energy metabolism, glycan biosynthesis and metabolism, and metabolism of cofactors and vitamins. We found consistent evidence across studies indicating PFAS-induced alterations in lipid and amino acid metabolites, which may be involved in energy and cell membrane disruption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra India-Aldana
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health,
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1057, New
York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Meizhen Yao
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health,
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1057, New
York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Vishal Midya
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health,
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1057, New
York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Elena Colicino
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health,
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1057, New
York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Leda Chatzi
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck
School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jaime Chu
- Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount
Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Chris Gennings
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health,
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1057, New
York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Dean P. Jones
- Clinical Biomarkers Laboratory, Division of Pulmonary,
Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Ruth J. F. Loos
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health,
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1057, New
York, NY 10029, USA
- Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine, Icahn
School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Novo Nordisk
Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen,
Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Veronica W. Setiawan
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck
School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Mathew Ryan Smith
- Clinical Biomarkers Laboratory, Division of Pulmonary,
Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Decatur, GA, USA
| | - Ryan W. Walker
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health,
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1057, New
York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Dinesh Barupal
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health,
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1057, New
York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Douglas I. Walker
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health,
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1057, New
York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Damaskini Valvi
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health,
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1057, New
York, NY 10029, USA
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16
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Mesfin Tefera Y, Gaskin S, Mitchell K, Springer D, Mills S. Temporal decline in serum PFAS concentrations among metropolitan firefighters: Longitudinal study on post-exposure changes following PFAS foam cessation. Environ Int 2023; 179:108167. [PMID: 37651929 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Firefighters are at a high risk of exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) due to their frequent use of PFAS-containing foams in training and emergency situations. This longitudinal study aimed to investigate the changes in serum PFAS levels among firefighters following cessation of their exposure to PFAS-containing foams. The study involved 130 firefighters from the South Australian Metropolitan Fire Services (SAMFS), and serum samples were collected at two time points: baseline in 2018-19 and follow-up in 2021-22. Along with the collection of samples, a survey questionnaire was administered to gather information on firefighters' employment and demographic characteristics. Regression models were employed to assess the association between these factors and the outcome variable (annual percentage change in serum PFAS concentration). The results indicated a decline in serum PFAS concentrations over time, with the main contaminants being perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). The median and Interquartile Range (IQR) of total PFAS (∑PFAS) concentration reduced from 21.5 ng/ml (IQR: 11 to 53 ng/ml) at baseline to 15 ng/ml (IQR: 8 to 33 ng/ml) at follow-up. On average, there was an annual reduction of 13%, 7%, and 4.4% in serum concentrations of PFOS, PFHxS, and PFOA, respectively. Firefighters under the age of 55, those who used PFAS in the past ten years, or those who had little to no frequency of PFAS exposure in their previous employment, encountered a significantly higher annual percentage reduction (P < 0.05) in both ∑PFAS and PFOS concentrations. None of the independent variables analysed could significantly predict the annual percentage change in PFOA and PFHxS. This study provides evidence for a declining temporal trend in serum PFAS concentrations among metropolitan firefighters following workplace interventions that involved the removal of PFAS-containing foams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonatal Mesfin Tefera
- Adelaide Exposure Science and Health, School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, Australia; Department of Environmental Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Wollo University, Ethiopia.
| | - Sharyn Gaskin
- Adelaide Exposure Science and Health, School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, Australia
| | - Krystle Mitchell
- South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia
| | - David Springer
- Envirolab Services, Sydney, New South Wales 2067, Australia
| | - Simon Mills
- Envirolab Services, Sydney, New South Wales 2067, Australia
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Pálešová N, Maitre L, Stratakis N, Řiháčková K, Pindur A, Kohoutek J, Šenk P, Bartošková Polcrová A, Gregor P, Vrijheid M, Čupr P. Firefighters and the liver: Exposure to PFAS and PAHs in relation to liver function and serum lipids (CELSPAC-FIREexpo study). Int J Hyg Environ Health 2023; 252:114215. [PMID: 37418783 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2023.114215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Firefighting is one of the most hazardous occupations due to exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Such exposure is suspected to affect the cardiometabolic profile, e.g., liver function and serum lipids. However, only a few studies have investigated the impact of this specific exposure among firefighters. METHODS Men included in the CELSPAC-FIREexpo study were professional firefighters (n = 52), newly recruited firefighters in training (n = 58), and controls (n = 54). They completed exposure questionnaires and provided 1-3 samples of urine and blood during the 11-week study period to allow assessment of their exposure to PFAS (6 compounds) and PAHs (6 compounds), and to determine biomarkers of liver function (alanine aminotransferase (ALT), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and total bilirubin (BIL)) and levels of serum lipids (total cholesterol (CHOL), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides (TG)). The associations between biomarkers were investigated both cross-sectionally using multiple linear regression (MLR) and Bayesian weighted quantile sum (BWQS) regression and prospectively using MLR. The models were adjusted for potential confounders and false discovery rate correction was applied to account for multiplicity. RESULTS A positive association between exposure to PFAS and PAH mixture and BIL (β = 28.6%, 95% CrI = 14.6-45.7%) was observed by the BWQS model. When the study population was stratified, in professional firefighters and controls the mixture showed a positive association with CHOL (β = 29.5%, CrI = 10.3-53.6%) and LDL (β = 26.7%, CrI = 8.3-48.5%). No statistically significant associations with individual compounds were detected using MLR. CONCLUSIONS This study investigated the associations between exposure to PFAS and PAHs and biomarkers of cardiometabolic health in the Czech men, including firefighters. The results suggest that higher exposure to a mixture of these compounds is associated with an increase in BIL and the alteration of serum lipids, which can result in an unfavourable cardiometabolic profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Pálešová
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Léa Maitre
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Nikos Stratakis
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Katarína Řiháčková
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Aleš Pindur
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic; Faculty of Sports Studies, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00, Czech Republic; Training Centre of Fire Rescue Service, Fire Rescue Service of the Czech Republic, Ministry of the Interior, Trnkova 85, 628 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Kohoutek
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Šenk
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | | | - Petr Gregor
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Martine Vrijheid
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Pavel Čupr
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic.
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Sonne C, Desforges JP, Gustavson K, Bossi R, Bonefeld-Jørgensen EC, Long M, Rigét FF, Dietz R. Assessment of exposure to perfluorinated industrial substances and risk of immune suppression in Greenland and its global context: a mixed-methods study. Lancet Planet Health 2023; 7:e570-e579. [PMID: 37437998 DOI: 10.1016/s2542-5196(23)00106-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are ubiquitous global contaminants that do not readily biodegrade and are therefore routinely found worldwide in wildlife, humans, and the environment. There is a paucity of global assessments to understand regional and continental differences in exposure to PFASs and the associated health risks, including those for Indigenous Arctic communities who consume high trophic marine diets. We aimed to estimate the long-term exposure of dietary PFASs from consumption of polar bear and ringed seal meat and establish its association with blood serum concentrations of PFASs in Inuit in Ittoqoortoormiit (Scoresby Sound), East Greenland. We also aimed to assess the risk of immune suppression on the basis of European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) thresholds for weekly intake and blood serum concentrations of PFASs. Last, we conducted a worldwide risk assessment based on blood concentrations of PFASs emphasising Arctic exposure in a global context. METHODS In this mixed-methods study, we conducted interviews to compare dietary exposure of PFASs in anonymous, non-pregnant, Inuit adults (aged ≥18 years) from full-time or part-time hunter families in Ittoqoortoormiit, East Greenland with ESFA toxic threshold values for tolerable weekly intake of the four most immunotoxic PFASs (∑4PFAS; perfluorooctanoic acid, perfluorononanoic acid, perfluorohexanesulfonic acid, and perfluorooctane sulfonate). Independent hospital staff from the local hospital randomly selected participants using simple randomisation using a telephone directory. Blood serum concentrations were then compared with EFSA risk categories: low (0·7-9·5 ng/mL), moderate (>9·5-17·5 ng/mL), high (>17·5-31·9 ng/mL), and severe (>31·9 ng/mL). We also reviewed the available scientific literature of ∑4PFAS concentrations in human blood to place the Inuit dataset in a broader global context. FINDINGS Between Sept 21, and Oct 2, 2015, 22 participants were enrolled in the study, of which 12 were male and ten were female. Sex data were obtained from personal social security numbers and options were male or female. As a result of a subsistence diet high in marine mammal muscle, 322 (92%) of 350 people in the Ittoqoortoormiit cohort exceeded the established immunotoxic thresholds of ∑4PFASs set by EFSA's tolerable weekly intake of 4·4 ng/kg, and 301 (86%) were in the most severe risk category (>31·9 ng/mL) based on blood serum concentrations. This Inuit cohort had the highest non-occupational long-term exposure to PFASs worldwide despite their remote location relative to industrial sources. Using country-wide average values across global studies, we found that blood serum concentrations of PFASs in populations from European countries, North America, the Arctic, and Australia were generally higher than those in South America, Africa, and mainland Asia, with the highest concentrations found in people from USA, Canada, Greenland, Faroe Islands, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the UK, Spain, Poland, and Australia. These high exposure countries all fall within the EFSA moderate-risk and high-risk categories. INTERPRETATION PFAS contamination of the environment and human populations occurs worldwide. This pollution not only poses substantial risks for immune system adverse events but also cardiovascular, cancerous, and reproductive endpoints. Data on such PFAS exposure is scarce in numerous countries. Therefore, it is important to also map out the exposure in these countries to enable a thorough global assessment of exposure and risks. FUNDING Danish Cooperation for Environment in the Arctic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Sonne
- Department of Ecoscience, Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark; Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China.
| | - Jean-Pierre Desforges
- Department of Environmental Studies and Science, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Kim Gustavson
- Department of Ecoscience, Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Rossana Bossi
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Eva C Bonefeld-Jørgensen
- Department of Public Health, Centre for Arctic Health and Molecular Epidemiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Greenland Centre for Health Research, Institute of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Greenland, Nuuk, Greenland
| | - Manhai Long
- Department of Public Health, Centre for Arctic Health and Molecular Epidemiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Frank F Rigét
- Department of Ecoscience, Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Rune Dietz
- Department of Ecoscience, Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
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Beccacece L, Costa F, Pascali JP, Giorgi FM. Cross-Species Transcriptomics Analysis Highlights Conserved Molecular Responses to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances. Toxics 2023; 11:567. [PMID: 37505532 PMCID: PMC10385990 DOI: 10.3390/toxics11070567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
In recent decades, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have garnered widespread public attention due to their persistence in the environment and detrimental effects on the health of living organisms, spurring the generation of several transcriptome-centered investigations to understand the biological basis of their mechanism. In this study, we collected 2144 publicly available samples from seven distinct animal species to examine the molecular responses to PFAS exposure and to determine if there are conserved responses. Our comparative transcriptional analysis revealed that exposure to PFAS is conserved across different tissues, molecules and species. We identified and reported several genes exhibiting consistent and evolutionarily conserved transcriptional response to PFASs, such as ESR1, HADHA and ID1, as well as several pathways including lipid metabolism, immune response and hormone pathways. This study provides the first evidence that distinct PFAS molecules induce comparable transcriptional changes and affect the same metabolic processes across inter-species borders. Our findings have significant implications for understanding the impact of PFAS exposure on living organisms and the environment. We believe that this study offers a novel perspective on the molecular responses to PFAS exposure and provides a foundation for future research into developing strategies for mitigating the detrimental effects of these substances in the ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Livia Beccacece
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Filippo Costa
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Jennifer Paola Pascali
- Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua, 35121 Padua, Italy
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20
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Draghi S, Pavlovic R, Pellegrini A, Fidani M, Riva F, Brecchia G, Agradi S, Arioli F, Vigo D, Di Cesare F, Curone G. First Investigation of the Physiological Distribution of Legacy and Emerging Perfluoroalkyl Substances in Raw Bovine Milk According to the Component Fraction. Foods 2023; 12:2449. [PMID: 37444187 DOI: 10.3390/foods12132449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Bovine milk is a pillar of the human diet and plays a key role in the nutrition of infants. Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are well-recognized highly stable organic compounds that are able to pollute ecosystems persistently and threaten both human and animal health. The study aimed to analyze the distribution of 14 PFASs within the milk matrix by comparing their content in whole milk, and its skimmed and creamed fractions. Raw milk samples were individually collected from 23 healthy cows (10 primiparous and 13 multiparous) reared on a farm in Northern Italy not surrounded by known point sources of PFASs. Each sample was fractioned in whole, skim, and cream components to undergo PFAS analysis using liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry. All samples contained at least one PFAS, with perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) being the primary contaminant in all three fractions, followed by perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). PFOS was shown to be significantly (p < 0.001) more concentrated in cream than in raw and skimmed milk. Multiparous cows showed a higher frequency of positive samples in all analyzed fractions. Further research is necessary to assess the risk of dairy diets and high-fat dairy products and to investigate the toxicological effects of PFASs on cattle, even in environments without known PFAS sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanna Draghi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Milan, Via dell'Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy
| | - Radmila Pavlovic
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Milan, Via dell'Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy
- Proteomics and Metabolomics Facility (ProMeFa), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 60, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | | | - Marco Fidani
- UNIRELAB Srl, Via Gramsci 70, 20019 Settimo Milanese, Italy
| | - Federica Riva
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Milan, Via dell'Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy
| | - Gabriele Brecchia
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Milan, Via dell'Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy
| | - Stella Agradi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Milan, Via dell'Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy
| | - Francesco Arioli
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Milan, Via dell'Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy
| | - Daniele Vigo
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Milan, Via dell'Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy
| | - Federica Di Cesare
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Milan, Via dell'Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy
| | - Giulio Curone
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Milan, Via dell'Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy
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21
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Sonne C, Jenssen BM, Rinklebe J, Lam SS, Hansen M, Bossi R, Gustavson K, Dietz R. EU need to protect its environment from toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. Sci Total Environ 2023; 876:162770. [PMID: 36906028 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The Environmental Protection Agencies (EPAs) of Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Germany and the Netherlands submitted a proposal to the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) in February 2023 calling for a ban in the use of toxic industrial chemicals per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These chemicals are highly toxic causing elevated cholesterol, immune suppression, reproductive failure, cancer and neuro-endocrine disruption in humans and wildlife being a significant threat to biodiversity and human health. The main reason for the submitted proposal is recent findings of significant flaws in the transition to PFAS replacements that is leading to a widespread pollution. Denmark was the first country banning PFAS, and now other EU countries support the restrictions of these carcinogenic, endocrine disruptive and immunotoxic chemicals. The proposed plan is among the most extensive received by the ECHA for 50 years. Denmark is now the first EU country to initiate the establishment of groundwater parks to try and protect its drinking water. These parks are areas free of agricultural activities and nutritious sewage sludge to secure drinking water free of xenobiotic including PFAS. The PFAS pollution also reflects the lack of comprehensive spatial and temporal environmental monitoring programs in the EU. Such monitoring programs should include key indicator species across ecosystems of livestock, fish and wildlife, to facilitate detection of early ecological warning signals and sustain public health. Simultaneously with inferring a total PFAS ban, the EU should also push for more persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) PFAS substances to be listed on the Stockholm Convention (SC) Annex A such as PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonic acid) that is currently listed on the SCs Annex B. The combination of these regulative restrictions combined with groundwater parks and pan-European biomonitoring programs, would pave the way forward for a cleaner environment to sustain health across the EU.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Sonne
- Aarhus University, Department of Ecoscience, Roskilde, Denmark; Sustainability Cluster, School of Engineering, University of Petroleum & Energy Studies, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248007, India.
| | - Bjørn M Jenssen
- Aarhus University, Department of Ecoscience, Roskilde, Denmark; Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Department of Biology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Jörg Rinklebe
- University of Wuppertal, School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Su Shiung Lam
- Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE), Institute of Tropical Aquaculture and Fisheries (AKUATROP), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia; Center for Transdisciplinary Research, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, India
| | - Martin Hansen
- Aarhus University, Department of Environmental Science, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Rossana Bossi
- Aarhus University, Department of Environmental Science, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Kim Gustavson
- Aarhus University, Department of Ecoscience, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Rune Dietz
- Aarhus University, Department of Ecoscience, Roskilde, Denmark
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22
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Lazarevic N, Smurthwaite KS, D'Este C, Lucas RM, Armstrong B, Clements AC, Trevenar SM, Gad I, Hosking R, Law HD, Mueller J, Bräunig J, Nilsson S, Lane J, Lal A, Lidbury BA, Korda RJ, Kirk MD. Liver and cardiometabolic markers and conditions in a cross-sectional study of three Australian communities living with environmental per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances contamination. Environ Res 2023; 226:115621. [PMID: 36898423 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been associated with higher cholesterol and liver function markers in some studies, but the evidence for specific cardiometabolic conditions has been inconclusive. OBJECTIVES We quantified the associations of single and combined PFAS with cardiometabolic markers and conditions in a cross-sectional study of three Australian communities with PFAS-contaminated water from the historical use of aqueous film-forming foam in firefighting activities, and three comparison communities. METHODS Participants gave blood samples for measurement of nine PFAS, four lipids, six liver function markers, and completed a survey on sociodemographic characteristics and eight cardiometabolic conditions. We estimated differences in mean biomarker concentrations per doubling in single PFAS concentrations (linear regression) and per interquartile range increase in the PFAS mixture (Bayesian kernel machine regression). We estimated prevalence ratios of biomarker concentrations outside reference limits and self-reported cardiometabolic conditions (Poisson regression). RESULTS We recruited 881 adults in exposed communities and 801 in comparison communities. We observed higher mean total cholesterol with higher single and mixture PFAS concentrations in blood serum (e.g., 0.18 mmol/L, 95% credible interval -0.06 to 0.42, higher total cholesterol concentrations with an interquartile range increase in all PFAS concentrations in Williamtown, New South Wales), with varying certainty across communities and PFAS. There was less consistency in direction of associations for liver function markers. Serum perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) concentrations were positively associated with the prevalence of self-reported hypercholesterolemia in one of three communities, but PFAS concentrations were not associated with self-reported type II diabetes, liver disease, or cardiovascular disease. DISCUSSION Our study is one of few that has simultaneously quantified the associations of blood PFAS concentrations with multiple biomarkers and cardiometabolic conditions in multiple communities. Our findings for total cholesterol were consistent with previous studies; however, substantial uncertainty in our estimates and the cross-sectional design limit causal inference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Lazarevic
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, College of Health and Medicine, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia.
| | - Kayla S Smurthwaite
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, College of Health and Medicine, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Catherine D'Este
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, College of Health and Medicine, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia; School of Medicine and Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | - Robyn M Lucas
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, College of Health and Medicine, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Bruce Armstrong
- School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2206, Australia; School of Population and Global Health, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Archie Ca Clements
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia; Telethon Kids Institute, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Susan M Trevenar
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, College of Health and Medicine, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Imogen Gad
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, College of Health and Medicine, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Rose Hosking
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, College of Health and Medicine, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Hsei Di Law
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, College of Health and Medicine, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Jochen Mueller
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, Qld, 4102, Australia
| | - Jennifer Bräunig
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, Qld, 4102, Australia
| | - Sandra Nilsson
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, Qld, 4102, Australia
| | - Jo Lane
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, College of Health and Medicine, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Aparna Lal
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, College of Health and Medicine, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Brett A Lidbury
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, College of Health and Medicine, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Rosemary J Korda
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, College of Health and Medicine, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Martyn D Kirk
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, College of Health and Medicine, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
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23
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Xu Y, Jakobsson K, Harari F, Andersson EM, Li Y. Exposure to high levels of PFAS through drinking water is associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes-findings from a register-based study in Ronneby, Sweden. Environ Res 2023; 225:115525. [PMID: 36813069 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epidemiological studies linking type 2 diabetes (T2D) and exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), are limited and have yielded conflicting results. This register-based study aimed to investigate the risk of T2D among Swedish adults who had been exposed to PFAS from highly contaminated drinking water for decades. METHODS The study included 55,032 adults (aged ≥18 years) from the Ronneby Register Cohort, who ever lived in Ronneby during 1985-2013. Exposure was assessed using the yearly residential address and the absence ("never-high") or presence ("ever-high") of high PFAS contamination in the municipal drinking water supply; the latter was subdivided into "early-high" and "late-high" exposure with cut-off at 2005. Incident T2D cases were retrieved from the National Patient Register and the Prescription Register. Cox proportional hazard models with time-varying exposure were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs). Stratified analyses were performed based on age (18-45 vs > 45). RESULTS Elevated HRs for T2D were observed when comparing "ever-high" to "never-high" exposure (HR 1.18, 95% CI 1.03-1.35), as well as when comparing "early-high" (HR 1.12, 95% CI 0.98-1.50) or "late-high" (HR 1.17, 95% CI 1.00-1.37) to "never-high", after adjusting for age and sex. Individuals aged 18-45 years had even higher HRs. Adjusting for the highest-achieved education level attenuated the estimates, but the directions of associations remained. Elevated HRs were also found among those who had lived in areas with a heavily contaminated water supply for 1-5 years (HR 1.26, 95% CI 0.97-1.63) and 6-10 years (HR 1.25, 95% CI 0.80-1.94). CONCLUSION This study suggests an increased risk of T2D after long-term high PFAS exposure through drinking water. In particular, a higher risk of early onset diabetes was found, indicating increased susceptibility to PFAS-related health effects at younger ages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiyi Xu
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Kristina Jakobsson
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Florencia Harari
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Eva M Andersson
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ying Li
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; SSORG-Scandinavian Surgical Outcomes Research Group, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
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Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are used for their properties such as stain and water resistance. The substances have been associated with adverse health outcomes in both pregnant mothers and infants, including pre-eclampsia and low birthweight. A growing body of research suggests that PFAS are transferred from mother to fetus through the placenta, leading to in utero exposure. A systematic review was performed using the PubMed database to search for studies evaluating determinants of PFAS concentrations in blood matrices of pregnant mothers and neonates shortly after birth. Studies were included in this review if an observational study design was utilized, exposure to at least one PFAS analyte was measured, PFAS were measured in maternal or neonatal matrices, at least one determinant of PFAS concentrations was assessed, and results such as beta estimates were provided. We identified 35 studies for inclusion in the review and evaluated the PFAS and determinant relationships among the factors collected in these studies. Parity, breastfeeding history, maternal race and country of origin, and household income had the strongest and most consistent evidence to support their roles as determinants of certain PFAS concentrations in pregnant mothers. Reported study findings on smoking status, alcohol consumption, and pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) suggest that these factors are not important determinants of PFAS concentrations in pregnant mothers or neonates. Further study into informative factors such as consumer product use, detailed dietary information, and consumed water sources as potential determinants of maternal or neonatal PFAS concentrations is needed. Research on determinants of maternal or neonatal PFAS concentrations is critical to estimate past PFAS exposure, build improved exposure models, and further our understanding on dose-response relationships, which can influence epidemiological studies and risk assessment evaluations. Given the potential for adverse outcomes in pregnant mothers and neonates exposed to PFAS, it is important to identify and understand determinants of maternal and neonatal PFAS concentrations to better implement public health interventions in these populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan McAdam
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University at Albany, Rensselaer, NY, USA
| | - Erin M Bell
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University at Albany, Rensselaer, NY, USA.
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University at Albany, Rensselaer, NY, USA.
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Liu B, Zhu L, Wang M, Sun Q. Associations between Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Exposures and Blood Lipid Levels among Adults-A Meta-Analysis. Environ Health Perspect 2023; 131:56001. [PMID: 37141244 PMCID: PMC10159273 DOI: 10.1289/ehp11840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Associations between per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and blood lipid levels in humans were mixed. OBJECTIVES The objective of this meta-analysis was to summarize associations between PFAS and blood lipids in adults. METHODS A literature search was conducted on PubMed and Web of Science for articles published through 13 May 2022 that examined associations between PFAS and blood lipids, including total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and triacylglycerols (TGs). Inclusion criteria included the presence of associations between five PFAS (PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFDA, and PFNA) and four blood lipid measures (TC, HDL-C, LDL-C, and TGs) in adults. Data on study characteristics and PFAS-lipid associations were extracted. Assessments of individual study quality were performed. Associations of changes of blood lipid levels corresponding to 1 interquartile range (IQR)-unit increase of blood PFAS levels were pooled using random effects models. Dose-response relationships were examined. RESULTS Twenty-nine publications were included in the present analyses. Every IQR increase of PFOA was significantly associated with a 2.1 -mg / dL increase in TC (95% CI: 1.2, 3.0), a 1.3 -mg / dL increase in TGs (95% CI: 0.1, 2.4), and a 1.4 -mg / dL increase in LDL-C (95% CI: 0.6, 2.2). PFOS was also significantly associated with TC and LDL-C levels, and the corresponding values were 2.6 (95% CI: 1.5, 3.6) and 1.9 (95% CI: 0.9, 3.0), respectively. Associations of PFOS and PFOA with HDL-C levels were largely null. For minor PFAS species, PFHxS was significantly associated with higher levels of HDL-C [0.8 (95% CI: 0.5, 1.2)]. Inverse associations were observed between PFDA and TGs [- 5.0 (95% CI: - 8.1 , - 1.9 )] and between PFNA and TGs [- 1.7 (95% CI: - 3.5 , - 0.02 )], whereas a positive association was observed between PFDA and HDL-C [1.4 (95% CI: 0.1, 2.7)]. Nonsignificant nonlinear dose-response relationships were identified for associations of PFOA and PFOS with certain blood lipids. DISCUSSION PFOA and PFOS were significantly associated with TC and LDL-C levels in adults. Whether these findings may translate into an elevated cardiovascular disease risk associated with PFAS exposure warrants further investigation. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP11840.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binkai Liu
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lu Zhu
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Molin Wang
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Qi Sun
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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26
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Uhl M, Schoeters G, Govarts E, Bil W, Fletcher T, Haug LS, Hoogenboom R, Gundacker C, Trier X, Fernandez MF, Calvo AC, López ME, Coertjens D, Santonen T, Murínová ĽP, Richterová D, Brouwere KD, Hauzenberger I, Kolossa-Gehring M, Halldórsson ÞI. PFASs: What can we learn from the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative HBM4EU. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2023; 250:114168. [PMID: 37068413 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2023.114168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) were one of the priority substance groups selected which have been investigated under the ambitious European Joint programme HBM4EU (2017-2022). In order to answer policy relevant questions concerning exposure and health effects of PFASs in Europe several activities were developed under HBM4EU namely i) synthesis of HBM data generated in Europe prior to HBM4EU by developing new platforms, ii) development of a Quality Assurance/Quality Control Program covering 12 biomarkers of PFASs, iii) aligned and harmonized human biomonitoring studies of PFASs. In addition, some cohort studies (on mother-child exposure, occupational exposure to hexavalent chromium) were initiated, and literature researches on risk assessment of mixtures of PFAS, health effects and effect biomarkers were performed. The HBM4EU Aligned Studies have generated internal exposure reference levels for 12 PFASs in 1957 European teenagers aged 12-18 years. The results showed that serum levels of 14.3% of the teenagers exceeded 6.9 μg/L PFASs, which corresponds to the EFSA guideline value for a tolerable weekly intake (TWI) of 4.4 ng/kg for some of the investigated PFASs (PFOA, PFOS, PFNA and PFHxS). In Northern and Western Europe, 24% of teenagers exceeded this level. The most relevant sources of exposure identified were drinking water and some foods (fish, eggs, offal and locally produced foods). HBM4EU occupational studies also revealed very high levels of PFASs exposure in workers (P95: 192 μg/L in chrome plating facilities), highlighting the importance of monitoring PFASs exposure in specific workplaces. In addition, environmental contaminated hotspots causing high exposure to the population were identified. In conclusion, the frequent and high PFASs exposure evidenced by HBM4EU strongly suggests the need to take all possible measures to prevent further contamination of the European population, in addition to adopting remediation measures in hotspot areas, to protect human health and the environment. HBM4EU findings also support the restriction of the whole group of PFASs. Further, research and definition for additional toxicological dose-effect relationship values for more PFASs compounds is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Uhl
- Environment Agency Austria, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Greet Schoeters
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium; University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Eva Govarts
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium
| | - Wieneke Bil
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Tony Fletcher
- UK Health Security Agency, Chilton, Didcot, Oxfordshire, England, UK
| | | | - Ron Hoogenboom
- Wageningen Food Safety Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Xenia Trier
- European Environment Agency, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | | | | | | | - Tiina Santonen
- Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland
| | | | | | - Katleen De Brouwere
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium
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Holder C, DeLuca N, Luh J, Alexander P, Minucci JM, Vallero DA, Thomas K, Cohen Hubal EA. Systematic Evidence Mapping of Potential Exposure Pathways for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Based on Measured Occurrence in Multiple Media. Environ Sci Technol 2023; 57:5107-5116. [PMID: 36940151 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c07185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Given that human biomonitoring surveys show per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to be ubiquitous, humans can be exposed to PFAS through various sources, including drinking water, food, and indoor environmental media. Data on the nature and level of PFAS in residential environments are required to identify important pathways for human exposure. This work investigated important pathways of exposure to PFAS by reviewing, curating, and mapping evidence for the measured occurrence of PFAS in exposure media. Real-world occurrence for 20 PFAS was targeted primarily in media commonly related to human exposure (outdoor and indoor air, indoor dust, drinking water, food, food packaging, articles, and products, and soil). A systematic-mapping process was implemented to conduct title-abstract and full-text screening and to extract PECO-relevant primary data into comprehensive evidence databases. Parameters of interest included the following: sampling dates and locations, numbers of collection sites and participants, detection frequencies, and occurrence statistics. Detailed data were extracted on PFAS occurrence in indoor and environmental media from 229 references and on PFAS occurrence in human matrices where available from those references. Studies of PFAS occurrence became numerous after 2005. Studies were most abundant for PFOA (80% of the references) and PFOS (77%). Many studies analyzed additional PFAS, particularly, PFNA and PFHxS (60% of references each). Food (38%) and drinking water (23%) were the commonly studied media. Most studies found detectable levels of PFAS, and detectable levels were reported in a majority of states in the United States. Half or more of the limited studies for indoor air and products detected PFAS in 50% or more of the collected samples. The resulting databases can inform problem formulation for systematic reviews to address specific PFAS exposure queries and questions, support prioritization of PFAS sampling, and inform PFAS exposure measurement studies. The search strategy should be extended and implemented to support living evidence review in this rapidly advancing area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Holder
- ICF, Durham, North Carolina 27713, United States
| | - Nicole DeLuca
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, U.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, United States
| | - Jeanne Luh
- ICF, Durham, North Carolina 27713, United States
| | | | - Jeffrey M Minucci
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, U.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, United States
| | - Daniel A Vallero
- Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, U.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, United States
| | - Kent Thomas
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, U.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, United States
| | - Elaine A Cohen Hubal
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, U.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, United States
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28
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Liu YZ, Yang K, Zhang W, Zhang Q, Liu TF, Xu T, Li Y, Ran RX, Yang K, Cao YF, Fang ZZ. Inhibition of human sulfotransferases (SULTs) by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and structure-activity relationship. Food Chem Toxicol 2023; 174:113664. [PMID: 36775137 DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2023.113664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Revised: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a family of highly fluorinated aliphatic substances widely used in industrial and commercial applications. This study aims to determine the inhibition of PFASs towards sulfotransferases (SULTs) activity, and trying to explain the toxicity mechanism of PFASs. In vitro recombinant SULTs-catalyzed sulfation of p-nitrophenol (PNP) was utilized as a probe reaction. The incubation system was consisted of PFASs, SULTs, PNP, 3'-phosphoadenosine-5'-phosphosulfate, MgCl2 and Tris-HCl buffer. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography was employed for analysis of the metabolites. All tested PFASs showed inhibition towards SULTs. The longer the carbon chain length of the PFASs terminated with -COOH, the higher is its capability of inhibiting SULT1A3. PFASs with -SO3H had a relatively higher ability to inhibit SULT1A3 activity than those with -COOH, -I and -OH. The inhibition kinetic parameter was 2.16 and 1.42 μM for PFOS-SULT1A1, PFTA-SULT1B1. In vitro in vivo extrapolation showed that the concentration of PFOS and PFTA in human matrices might be higher than the threshold for inducing inhibition of SULTs. Therefore, PFASs could interfere with the metabolic pathways catalyzed by SULTs in vivo. All these results will help to understand the toxicity of PFASs from the perspective of metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Zhe Liu
- Department of Toxicology and Sanitary Chemistry, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Environment and Human Health, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, China; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environment, Nutrition and Public Health, Tianjin, 300070, China; National Demonstration Center for Experimental Preventive Medicine Education, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China; Center for International Collaborative Research on Environment, Nutrition and Public Health, Tianjin, 300070, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institute, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Kai Yang
- Department of Toxicology and Sanitary Chemistry, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Toxicology and Sanitary Chemistry, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Qian Zhang
- Department of Toxicology and Sanitary Chemistry, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China; Baoding First Central Hospital, Baoding, 071000, China
| | - Tong-Feng Liu
- Department of Toxicology and Sanitary Chemistry, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Tong Xu
- Department of Toxicology and Sanitary Chemistry, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Yang Li
- Department of Toxicology and Sanitary Chemistry, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Rui-Xue Ran
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Technologies Enabling Development of Clinical Therapeutics and Diagnostics, School of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Kun Yang
- Department of Toxicology and Sanitary Chemistry, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environment, Nutrition and Public Health, Tianjin, 300070, China; National Demonstration Center for Experimental Preventive Medicine Education, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China; Center for International Collaborative Research on Environment, Nutrition and Public Health, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Yun-Feng Cao
- Shanghai Institute for Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Technologies, NHC Key Laboratory of Reproduction Regulation, ShangHai, 200032, China.
| | - Zhong-Ze Fang
- Department of Toxicology and Sanitary Chemistry, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Environment and Human Health, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, China; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environment, Nutrition and Public Health, Tianjin, 300070, China; National Demonstration Center for Experimental Preventive Medicine Education, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China; Center for International Collaborative Research on Environment, Nutrition and Public Health, Tianjin, 300070, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institute, Hefei, 230032, China.
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Yu G, Wang J, Liu Y, Luo T, Meng X, Zhang R, Huang B, Sun Y, Zhang J. Metabolic perturbations in pregnant rats exposed to low-dose perfluorooctanesulfonic acid: An integrated multi-omics analysis. Environ Int 2023; 173:107851. [PMID: 36863164 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.107851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2022] [Revised: 01/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Emerging epidemiological evidence has linked per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure could be linked to the disturbance of gestational glucolipid metabolism, but the toxicological mechanism is unclear, especially when the exposure is at a low level. This study examined the glucolipid metabolic changes in pregnant rats treated with relatively low dose perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) through oral gavage during pregnancy [gestational day (GD): 1-18]. We explored the molecular mechanisms underlying the metabolic perturbation. Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and biochemical tests were performed to assess the glucose homeostasis and serum lipid profiles in pregnant Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats randomly assigned to starch, 0.03 and 0.3 mg/kg·bw·d groups. Transcriptome sequencing combined with non-targeted metabolomic assays were further performed to identify differentially altered genes and metabolites in the liver of maternal rats, and to determine their correlation with the maternal metabolic phenotypes. Results of transcriptome showed that differentially expressed genes at 0.03 and 0.3 mg/kg·bw·d PFOS exposure were related to several metabolic pathways, such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) signaling, ovarian steroid synthesis, arachidonic acid metabolism, insulin resistance, cholesterol metabolism, unsaturated fatty acid synthesis, bile acid secretion. The untargeted metabolomics identified 164 and 158 differential metabolites in 0.03 and 0.3 mg/kg·bw·d exposure groups, respectively under negative ion mode of Electrospray Ionization (ESI-), which could be enriched in metabolic pathways such as α-linolenic acid metabolism, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, glycerolipid metabolism, glucagon signaling pathway, glycine, serine and threonine metabolism. Co-enrichment analysis indicated that PFOS exposure may disturb the metabolism pathways of glycerolipid, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, linoleic acid, steroid biosynthesis, glycine, serine and threonine. The key involved genes included down-regulated Ppp1r3c and Abcd2, and up-regulated Ogdhland Ppp1r3g, and the key metabolites such as increased glycerol 3-phosphate and lactosylceramide were further identified. Both of them were significantly associated with maternal fasting blood glucose (FBG) level. Our findings may provide mechanistic clues for clarifying metabolic toxicity of PFOS in human, especially for susceptible population such as pregnant women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoqi Yu
- Ministry of Education -Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Jinguo Wang
- School of Public Health, Guilin Medical University, Guilin 541001, China
| | - Yongjie Liu
- Ministry of Education -Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Tingyu Luo
- School of Public Health, Guilin Medical University, Guilin 541001, China
| | - Xi Meng
- Ministry of Education -Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Ruiyuan Zhang
- Ministry of Education -Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Bo Huang
- School of Public Health, Guilin Medical University, Guilin 541001, China
| | - Yan Sun
- School of Public Health, Guilin Medical University, Guilin 541001, China.
| | - Jun Zhang
- Ministry of Education -Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China.
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Law HD, Armstrong BK, D'este C, Hosking R, Smurthwaite KS, Trevenar S, Lucas RM, Lazarevic N, Kirk MD, Korda RJ. Relative rates of cancers and deaths in Australian communities with PFAS environmental contamination associated with firefighting foams: A cohort study using linked data. Cancer Epidemiol 2023; 82:102296. [PMID: 36508965 DOI: 10.1016/j.canep.2022.102296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are environmental contaminants that are potentially harmful to health. We examined if rates of selected cancers and causes of deaths were elevated in three Australian communities with local environmental contamination caused by firefighting foams containing PFAS. The affected Australian communities were Katherine in Northern Territory, Oakey in Queensland and Williamtown in New South Wales. METHODS All residents identified in the Medicare Enrolment File (1983-2019)-a consumer directory for Australia's universal healthcare-who ever lived in an exposure area (Katherine, Oakey and Williamtown), and a sample of those who ever lived in selected comparison areas, were linked to the Australian Cancer Database (1982-2017) and National Death Index (1980-2019). We estimated standardised incidence ratios (SIRs) for 23 cancer outcomes, four causes of death and three control outcomes, adjusting for sex, age and calendar time of diagnosis. FINDINGS We observed higher rates of prostate cancer (SIR=1·76, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1·36-2·24) in Katherine; laryngeal cancer (SIR=2·71, 95 % CI 1·30-4·98), kidney cancer (SIR=1·82, 95 % CI 1·04-2·96) and coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality (SIR=1·81, 95 % CI 1·46-2·33) in Oakey; and lung cancer (SIR=1·83, 95 % CI 1·39-2·38) and CHD mortality (SIR=1·22, 95 % CI 1·01-1·47) in Williamtown. We also saw elevated SIRs for control outcomes. SIRs for all other outcomes and overall cancer were similar across exposure and comparison areas. INTERPRETATION There was limited evidence to support an association between living in a PFAS exposure area and risks of cancers or cause-specific deaths.
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31
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Li H, Chen J, Yang J, Tan Z, Li L, Xiao F, An Z, Ma C, Liu Y, Wang L, Zhang X, Guo H. Association of exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances and risk of the acute coronary syndrome: A case-control study in Shijiazhuang Hebei Province. Chemosphere 2023; 313:137464. [PMID: 36495974 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.137464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Exposures to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been reported to increase the risk of atherosclerosis. Therefore, PFAS exposure may be linked to the risk of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), but this association remains uncertain. The objective of the present study was to investigate the association between PFAS exposure and ACS risk through a case-control study. The study included 355 newly diagnosed ACS cases and 355 controls matched by age (within 5 years) and sex. Twelve PFAS were measured in plasma by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The conditional logistic regression models were performed to investigate the association between the single and multiple PFAS and ACS risk. Furthermore, we investigated the association of PFAS mixture exposure with ACS risk using a quantile-based g-computation (qgcomp) approach. A mediating effect model was used to assess the mediating effect of platelet indices on the association between PFAS and ACS risk. The results showed that perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) were significantly positively associated with ACS risk in the multiple-PFAS model 2, and this effect was not significant in females. The odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for PFAS (z-score PFAS) and ACS risk were 1.51 (1.07, 2.15) for PFOA and 1.77 (1.15, 2.72) for PFOS. The dose-response relationships revealed an increasing trend for ACS risk with PFOA and PFOS and decreasing trend for perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA). There was no significant correlation between PFAS mixture exposure and ACS risk. Analysis of mediation indicated that platelet count mediated the relationship between PFOS and ACS risk. Our study suggests that higher levels of PFOA and PFOS, and lower levels of PFHxS and PFDA may increase the risk of ACS. However, the reported negative associations should not be considered as protective, and uncertain unresolved confounding may contribute to this result.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoran Li
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Department of Pharmacy, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050000, China
| | - Jinbo Chen
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Hospital of Shijiazhuang, Shijiazhuang, 050057, China
| | - Jing Yang
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Zhenzhen Tan
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Longfei Li
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Fang Xiao
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Ziwen An
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Chaoying Ma
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Yi Liu
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Lei Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Xiaoguang Zhang
- Core Facilities and Centers of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Huicai Guo
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Environment and Human Health, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China.
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32
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Bil W, Govarts E, Zeilmaker MJ, Woutersen M, Bessems J, Ma Y, Thomsen C, Haug LS, Lignell S, Gyllenhammar I, Palkovicova Murinova L, Fabelova L, Tratnik JS, Kosjek T, Gabriel C, Sarigiannis D, Pedraza-Diaz S, Esteban-López M, Castaño A, Rambaud L, Riou M, Franken C, Colles A, Vogel N, Kolossa-Gehring M, Halldorsson TI, Uhl M, Schoeters G, Santonen T, Vinggaard AM. Approaches to mixture risk assessment of PFASs in the European population based on human hazard and biomonitoring data. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2023; 247:114071. [PMID: 36446273 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2022.114071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a highly persistent, mobile, and bioaccumulative class of chemicals, of which emissions into the environment result in long-lasting contamination with high probability for causing adverse effects to human health and the environment. Within the European Biomonitoring Initiative HBM4EU, samples and data were collected in a harmonized way from human biomonitoring (HBM) studies in Europe to derive current exposure data across a geographic spread. We performed mixture risk assessments based on recent internal exposure data of PFASs in European teenagers generated in the HBM4EU Aligned Studies (dataset with N = 1957, sampling years 2014-2021). Mixture risk assessments were performed based on three hazard-based approaches: the Hazard Index (HI) approach, the sum value approach as used by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the Relative Potency Factor (RPF) approach. The HI approach resulted in the highest risk estimates, followed by the RPF approach and the sum value approach. The assessments indicate that PFAS exposure may result in a health risk in a considerable fraction of individuals in the HBM4EU teenager study sample, thereby confirming the conclusion drawn in the recent EFSA scientific opinion. This study underlines that HBM data are of added value in assessing the health risks of aggregate and cumulative exposure to PFASs, as such data are able to reflect exposure from different sources and via different routes.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Bil
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands.
| | - E Govarts
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium
| | - M J Zeilmaker
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - M Woutersen
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - J Bessems
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium
| | - Y Ma
- National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Lyngby, Denmark
| | - C Thomsen
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH), Oslo, Norway
| | - L S Haug
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH), Oslo, Norway
| | - S Lignell
- Swedish Food Agency, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | | | - L Fabelova
- Faculty of Public Health, Slovak Medical University (SZU), Bratislava, Slovakia
| | | | - T Kosjek
- Jožef Stefan Institute (IJS), Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - C Gabriel
- Environmental Engineering Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), Thessaloniki, Greece; HERACLES Research Center on the Exposome and Health, Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation, Balkan Center, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - D Sarigiannis
- Environmental Engineering Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), Thessaloniki, Greece; HERACLES Research Center on the Exposome and Health, Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation, Balkan Center, Thessaloniki, Greece; Environmental Health Engineering, Institute of Advanced Study, Pavia, Italy
| | - S Pedraza-Diaz
- National Centre for Environmental Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
| | - M Esteban-López
- National Centre for Environmental Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
| | - A Castaño
- National Centre for Environmental Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
| | - L Rambaud
- Santé Publique France, Saint-Maurice, France
| | - M Riou
- Santé Publique France, Saint-Maurice, France
| | - C Franken
- Provincial Institute for Hygiene, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - A Colles
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium
| | - N Vogel
- German Environment Agency (UBA), Berlin, Germany
| | | | - T I Halldorsson
- Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Iceland (UI), Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - M Uhl
- Environment Agency Austria (EAA), Vienna, Austria
| | - G Schoeters
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium
| | - T Santonen
- Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH), Työterveyslaitos, Finland
| | - A M Vinggaard
- National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Lyngby, Denmark
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Wang D, Tan Z, Yang J, Li L, Li H, Zhang H, Liu H, Liu Y, Wang L, Li Q, Guo H. Perfluorooctane sulfonate promotes atherosclerosis by modulating M1 polarization of macrophages through the NF-κB pathway. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2023; 249:114384. [PMID: 36512850 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.114384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is a widely used and distributed perfluorinated compounds and is reported to be harmful to cardiovascular health; however, the direct association between PFOS exposure and atherosclerosis and the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of PFOS exposure on the atherosclerosis progression and the underlying mechanisms. PFOS was administered through oral gavage to apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE-/-) mice for 12 weeks. PFOS exposure significantly increased pulse wave velocity (PWV) and intima-media thickness (IMT), increased aortic plaque burden and vulnerability, and elevated serum lipid and inflammatory cytokine levels. PFOS promoted aortic and RAW264.7 M1 macrophage polarization, which increased the secretion of nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and pro-inflammatory factors (tumor necrosis factor-α [TNF-α], interleukin-6 [IL-6], and interleukin-1β [IL-1β]), and suppressed M2 macrophage polarization, which decreased the expression of CD206, arginine I (Arg-1), and interleukin-10 (IL-10). Moreover, PFOS activated nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) in the aorta and macrophages. BAY11-7082 was used to inhibit NF-κB-alleviated M1 macrophage polarization and the inflammatory response induced by PFOS in RAW264.7 macrophages. Our results are the first to reveal the acceleratory effect of PFOS on the atherosclerosis progression in ApoE-/- mice, which is associated with the NF-κB activation of macrophages to M1 polarization to induce inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Wang
- Department of Toxicology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Zhenzhen Tan
- Department of Toxicology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Jing Yang
- Department of Toxicology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Longfei Li
- Department of Toxicology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Haoran Li
- Department of Toxicology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Huaxing Zhang
- Core Facilities and Centers, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Heqiong Liu
- Department of Toxicology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Yi Liu
- Department of Toxicology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Lei Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Qian Li
- Department of Physiology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China.
| | - Huicai Guo
- Department of Toxicology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Environment and Human Health, Shijiazhuang, China.
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Qi Q, Niture S, Gadi S, Arthur E, Moore J, Levine KE, Kumar D. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances activate UPR pathway, induce steatosis and fibrosis in liver cells. Environ Toxicol 2023; 38:225-242. [PMID: 36251517 PMCID: PMC10092267 DOI: 10.1002/tox.23680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/25/2022] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which include perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), heptafluorobutyric acid (HFBA), and perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTA), are commonly occurring organic pollutants. Exposure to PFAS affects the immune system, thyroid and kidney function, lipid metabolism, and insulin signaling and is also involved in the development of fatty liver disease and cancer. The molecular mechanisms by which PFAS cause fatty liver disease are not understood in detail. In the current study, we investigated the effect of low physiologically relevant concentrations of PFOA, HFBA, and PFTA on cell survival, steatosis, and fibrogenic signaling in liver cell models. Exposure of PFOA and HFBA (10 to 1000 nM) specifically promoted cell survival in HepaRG and HepG2 cells. PFAS increased the expression of TNFα and IL6 inflammatory markers, increased endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and activated unfolded protein response (UPR). Furthermore, PFAS enhanced cell steatosis and fibrosis in HepaRG and HepG2 cells which were accompanied by upregulation of steatosis (SCD1, ACC, SRBP1, and FASN), and fibrosis (TIMP2, p21, TGFβ) biomarkers expression, respectively. RNA-seq data suggested that chronic exposures to PFOA modulated the expression of fatty acid/lipid metabolic genes that are involved in the development of NFALD and fatty liver disease. Collectively our data suggest that acute/chronic physiologically relevant concentrations of PFAS enhance liver cell steatosis and fibrosis by the activation of the UPR pathway and by modulation of NFALD-related gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Qi
- Julius L. Chambers Biomedical Biotechnology Research InstituteNorth Carolina Central UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Suryakant Niture
- Julius L. Chambers Biomedical Biotechnology Research InstituteNorth Carolina Central UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
- NCCU‐RTI Center for Applied Research in Environmental Sciences (CARES)RTI International, Research Triangle ParkDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Sashi Gadi
- Julius L. Chambers Biomedical Biotechnology Research InstituteNorth Carolina Central UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Elena Arthur
- Julius L. Chambers Biomedical Biotechnology Research InstituteNorth Carolina Central UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - John Moore
- Julius L. Chambers Biomedical Biotechnology Research InstituteNorth Carolina Central UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Keith E. Levine
- NCCU‐RTI Center for Applied Research in Environmental Sciences (CARES)RTI International, Research Triangle ParkDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Deepak Kumar
- Julius L. Chambers Biomedical Biotechnology Research InstituteNorth Carolina Central UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
- NCCU‐RTI Center for Applied Research in Environmental Sciences (CARES)RTI International, Research Triangle ParkDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
- Department of Pharmaceutical SciencesNorth Carolina Central UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
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35
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Ma G, Ducatman A. Perfluoroalkyl Substance Serum Concentrations and Cholesterol Absorption-Inhibiting Medication Ezetimibe. Toxics 2022; 10. [PMID: 36548632 DOI: 10.3390/toxics10120799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are human-made compounds with a widespread presence in human blood and other organs. PFAS have been associated with multiple health effects, including higher serum cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. OBJECTIVE Potential population differences in serum PFAS attributable to ezetimibe, a medication that inhibits cholesterol absorption, are of interest for several reasons. The "C8" Health Project survey data from six contaminated water districts in the mid-Ohio Valley of the United States provide a wide enough range of serum PFAS and a sufficient number of ezetimibe takers to explore this topic. METHODS A total of 44,126 adult participants of the C8 Health Survey were included in the community-based study. The status of taking (1075) or non-taking of ezetimibe, alone or in combination with another lipid-lowering agent, was acquired. The geometric mean serum concentrations of the four most commonly detected serum PFAS were compared based on the status of ezetimibe use. RESULTS There is no significant difference in serum concentrations of perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) between ezetimibe users and non-users after adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), cigarette smoking, education, and average household income. CONCLUSION The sterol absorption-inhibiting medication ezetimibe does not appear to affect serum PFAS concentrations. We sought but did not find direct evidence that ezetimibe could inhibit PFAS uptake nor inferential evidence that inter-individual differences in sterol absorption could provide a confounding factor explanation for the association of serum total- and LDL-cholesterol with serum PFAS.
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Cheng X, Wei Y, Zhang Z, Wang F, He J, Wang R, Xu Y, Keerman M, Zhang S, Zhang Y, Bi J, Yao J, He M. Plasma PFOA and PFOS Levels, DNA Methylation, and Blood Lipid Levels: A Pilot Study. Environ Sci Technol 2022; 56:17039-17051. [PMID: 36374530 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c04107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is associated with blood lipids in adults, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This pilot study aimed to investigate the associations between PFOA or PFOS and epigenome-wide DNA methylation and assess the mediating effect of DNA methylation on the PFOA/PFOS-blood lipid association. We measured plasma PFOA/PFOS and leukocyte DNA methylation in 98 patients enrolled from the hospital between October 2018 and August 2019. The median plasma PFOA/PFOS levels were 0.85 and 2.29 ng/mL. Plasma PFOA and PFOS levels were significantly associated with elevated total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) levels. There were 63/87 CpG positions and 8/11 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) associated with plasma PFOA/PFOS levels, respectively. In addition, 5 CpG positions (annotated to AFF3, CREB5, NRG2, USF2, and intergenic region) and one DMR annotated to IRF6 may mediate the association between plasma PFOA/PFOS and LDL levels (mediated proportion from 7.29 to 46.77%); two CpG positions may mediate the association between plasma PFOA/PFOS and TC levels (annotated to CREB5 and USF2, mediated proportion is around 30%). The data suggest that PFOA/PFOS exposure alters DNA methylation. More importantly, the association of PFOA/PFOS with lipid indicators was partly mediated by DNA methylation changes in lipid metabolism-related genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Cheng
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health for Incubating, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Yue Wei
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health for Incubating, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan 430030, China
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Zefang Zhang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health for Incubating, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Fei Wang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health for Incubating, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan 430030, China
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Jia He
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health for Incubating, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Ruixin Wang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health for Incubating, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Yali Xu
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health for Incubating, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Mulatibieke Keerman
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health for Incubating, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Shiyang Zhang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health for Incubating, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health for Incubating, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Jiao Bi
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health for Incubating, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Jinqiu Yao
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health for Incubating, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Meian He
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health for Incubating, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan 430030, China
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Mangu JCK, Stylianou M, Olsson PE, Jass J. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances enhance Staphylococcus aureus pathogenicity and impair host immune response. Environ Pollut 2022; 314:120294. [PMID: 36181932 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Per- and Poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are major persistent environmental contaminants. Epidemiological studies have linked PFAS exposures to altered immunity and increased occurrence of infections in children. However, the mechanisms leading to immune susceptibility to bacterial infections remains unclear. To elucidate the mechanism, transcriptional alteration in the Caenorhabditis elegans model caused by a PFAS contaminated environmental water and two reconstituted PFAS solutions were evaluated using RNA-sequencing. PFAS affected the expression of several genes involved in C. elegans immune surveillance to Gram-positive bacteria (cpr-2, tag-38, spp-1, spp-5, clec-7, clec-172). The combined exposure to PFAS and Staphylococcus aureus significantly reduced C. elegans survival and increased intestinal membrane permeability. Furthermore, the growth of S. aureus in the presence of PFAS increased the expression of virulence genes, specifically, the virulence gene regulator saeR and α-hemolysin, hla, which resulted in increased hemolytic activity. The present study demonstrated that PFAS exposure not only increased C. elegans susceptibility to pathogens by reducing host immunity and increasing intestinal membrane permeability, but also increased bacteria virulence. This presents a broader implication for humans and other animals, where environmental contaminants simultaneously reduce host resilience, while, increasing microbial pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marios Stylianou
- The Life Science Centre-Biology, School of Science and Technology, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Per-Erik Olsson
- The Life Science Centre-Biology, School of Science and Technology, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Jana Jass
- The Life Science Centre-Biology, School of Science and Technology, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden.
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38
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Nilsson S, Smurthwaite K, Aylward LL, Kay M, Toms LM, King L, Marrington S, Kirk MD, Mueller JF, Bräunig J. Associations between serum perfluoroalkyl acid (PFAA) concentrations and health related biomarkers in firefighters. Environ Res 2022; 215:114370. [PMID: 36174755 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Firefighters who used aqueous film forming foam in the past have experienced elevated exposures to perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs). The objective of this study was to examine the associations between clinical chemistry endpoints and serum concentrations of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), perfluoroheptane sulfonate (PFHpS) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in firefighters. Multiple linear regression was used to assess relationships between PFAA serum concentrations and biochemical markers for cardiovascular disease, kidney-, liver- and thyroid function, in a cross-sectional survey of 783 firefighters with elevated levels of PFHxS, PFHpS and PFOS in relation to the most recently reported levels in the general Australian population. Linear logistic regression was used to assess the odds ratios for selected self-reported health outcomes. Repeated measures linear mixed models were further used to assess relationships between PFAAs and biomarkers for cardiovascular disease and kidney function longitudinally in a subset of the firefighters (n = 130) where serum measurements were available from two timepoints, five years apart. In the cross-sectional analysis, higher levels of all PFAAs were significantly associated with higher levels of biomarkers for cardiovascular disease (total-cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol). For example, doubling in PFOS serum concentration were associated with increases in total cholesterol (β:0.111, 95% confidence interval (95%CI): 0.026, 0.195 mmol/L) and LDL-cholesterol (β: 0.104, 95%CI:0.03, 0.178 mmol/L). Doubling in PFOA concentration, despite not being elevated in the study population, were additionally positively associated with kidney function marker urate (e.g., β: 0.010, 95%CI; 0.004, 0.016 mmol/L) and thyroid function marker TSH (e.g., β: 0.087, 95%CI: 0.014, 0.161 mIU/L). PFAAs were not associated with any assessed self-reported health conditions. No significant relationships were observed in the longitudinal analysis. Findings support previous studies, particularly on the association between PFAAs and serum lipids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Nilsson
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, 4102, QLD, Australia.
| | - Kayla Smurthwaite
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, The Australian National University, Cnr of Eggleston and Mills Roads Acton 2600, Australia
| | - Lesa L Aylward
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, 4102, QLD, Australia; Summit Toxicology, LLP, La Quinta, 92253, CA, USA
| | - Margaret Kay
- General Practice Clinical Unit, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Health Sciences Building, RBWH Complex, Herston, 4029, QLD, Australia
| | - Leisa-Maree Toms
- School of Public Health and Social Work, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Musk Avenue, Kelvin Grove, 4059, QLD, Australia
| | - Leisa King
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, 4102, QLD, Australia
| | - Shelby Marrington
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, 4102, QLD, Australia
| | - Martyn D Kirk
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, The Australian National University, Cnr of Eggleston and Mills Roads Acton 2600, Australia
| | - Jochen F Mueller
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, 4102, QLD, Australia
| | - Jennifer Bräunig
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, 4102, QLD, Australia
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Ho SH, Soh SXH, Wang MX, Ong J, Seah A, Wong Y, Fang Z, Sim S, Lim JT. Perfluoroalkyl substances and lipid concentrations in the blood: A systematic review of epidemiological studies. Sci Total Environ 2022; 850:158036. [PMID: 35973530 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widely used synthetic aliphatic compounds. This systematic review aims to assess PFAS associations with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), total cholesterol (TC) and total triglyceride (TG) concentrations in human populations. METHOD We systematically searched four online databases, PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Cochrane Library for relevant peer-reviewed English language articles published until July 2021. Additional relevant articles identified were also included in the search results. We categorised populations into adults (≥18 years old) and children. Primary findings were the associations between PFAS concentrations and LDL, HDL, TC, and TG concentrations in the serum, plasma, or whole blood; secondary findings were the associations between PFAS concentrations and the odds of lipid-related health outcomes. Quantitative synthesis was done by vote counting of the effect directions between concentrations of PFAS and lipids/health outcomes, repeated on articles with sample size >1000. Sign tests were performed to assess the statistical significance of the differences between positive and negative associations. Sensitivity analysis was performed by separating out articles with populations having high concentrations of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS). Quality was assessed with the STROBE checklist and NHBLI Study Quality Assessment Tool. RESULTS A total of 58 articles were included for review. There was evidence that PFAS exposure is associated with higher concentrations of LDL, HDL, and TC, particularly for PFOA-LDL, PFOA-TC, PFOS-TC, and PFNA-LDL. Associations between PFAS and TG tended to be negative, especially for perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA). Associations between PFAS concentration and the odds of secondary outcomes generally supported a positive association between PFAS and cholesterol concentrations. CONCLUSION We found evidence of associations between the concentrations of some PFAS-lipid pairs in human populations. Future research should be conducted on the less well-studied PFAS to explore their effects on human health and in regions where such studies are currently lacking. (300 words).
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Affiliation(s)
- Soon Hoe Ho
- Environmental Health Institute, National Environment Agency, 11 Biopolis Way, #06-05/08 Helios Block, Singapore 138667, Singapore.
| | - Stacy Xin Hui Soh
- Environmental Health Institute, National Environment Agency, 11 Biopolis Way, #06-05/08 Helios Block, Singapore 138667, Singapore
| | - Min Xian Wang
- Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, Tahir Foundation Building, National University of Singapore, 12 Science Drive 2, #10-01, Singapore 117549, Singapore
| | - Janet Ong
- Environmental Health Institute, National Environment Agency, 11 Biopolis Way, #06-05/08 Helios Block, Singapore 138667, Singapore
| | - Annabel Seah
- Environmental Health Institute, National Environment Agency, 11 Biopolis Way, #06-05/08 Helios Block, Singapore 138667, Singapore
| | - Yvonne Wong
- Environmental Health Institute, National Environment Agency, 11 Biopolis Way, #06-05/08 Helios Block, Singapore 138667, Singapore
| | - Zhanxiong Fang
- Environmental Health Institute, National Environment Agency, 11 Biopolis Way, #06-05/08 Helios Block, Singapore 138667, Singapore
| | - Shuzhen Sim
- Environmental Health Institute, National Environment Agency, 11 Biopolis Way, #06-05/08 Helios Block, Singapore 138667, Singapore
| | - Jue Tao Lim
- Environmental Health Institute, National Environment Agency, 11 Biopolis Way, #06-05/08 Helios Block, Singapore 138667, Singapore; Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, Tahir Foundation Building, National University of Singapore, 12 Science Drive 2, #10-01, Singapore 117549, Singapore; Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University Novena Campus, 11 Mandalay Road, Singapore 308232, Singapore
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Sinioja T, Bodin J, Duberg D, Dirven H, Berntsen HF, Zimmer K, Nygaard UC, Orešič M, Hyötyläinen T. Exposure to persistent organic pollutants alters the serum metabolome in non-obese diabetic mice. Metabolomics 2022; 18:87. [PMID: 36329300 PMCID: PMC9633531 DOI: 10.1007/s11306-022-01945-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Autoimmune disorders such as type 1 diabetes (T1D) are believed to be caused by the interplay between several genetic and environmental factors. Elucidation of the role of environmental factors in metabolic and immune dysfunction leading to autoimmune disease is not yet well characterized. OBJECTIVES Here we investigated the impact of exposure to a mixture of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) on the metabolome in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice, an experimental model of T1D. The mixture contained organochlorides, organobromides, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). METHODS Analysis of molecular lipids (lipidomics) and bile acids in serum samples was performed by UPLC-Q-TOF/MS, while polar metabolites were analyzed by GC-Q-TOF/MS. RESULTS Experimental exposure to the POP mixture in these mice led to several metabolic changes, which were similar to those previously reported as associated with PFAS exposure, as well as risk of T1D in human studies. This included an increase in the levels of sugar derivatives, triacylglycerols and lithocholic acid, and a decrease in long chain fatty acids and several lipid classes, including phosphatidylcholines, lysophosphatidylcholines and sphingomyelins. CONCLUSION Taken together, our study demonstrates that exposure to POPs results in an altered metabolic signature previously associated with autoimmunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Sinioja
- School of Science and Technology, Örebro University, 702 81, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Johanna Bodin
- Division of Infection Control and Environmental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, 0456, Oslo, Norway
| | - Daniel Duberg
- School of Science and Technology, Örebro University, 702 81, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Hubert Dirven
- Division of Infection Control and Environmental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, 0456, Oslo, Norway
| | - Hanne Friis Berntsen
- Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1432, Ås, Norway
- National Institute of Occupational Health, 0363, Oslo, Norway
| | - Karin Zimmer
- Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1432, Ås, Norway
| | - Unni C Nygaard
- Division of Infection Control and Environmental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, 0456, Oslo, Norway
| | - Matej Orešič
- School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, 702 81, Örebro, Sweden
- Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, 20520, Turku, Finland
| | - Tuulia Hyötyläinen
- School of Science and Technology, Örebro University, 702 81, Örebro, Sweden.
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41
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Lucas JH, Wang Q, Rahman I. Perfluorooctane Sulfonic Acid Disrupts Protective Tight Junction Proteins via Protein Kinase D in Airway Epithelial Cells. Toxicol Sci 2022; 190:215-226. [PMID: 36106993 PMCID: PMC9960012 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfac096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) is a long chain per- and polyfluoroalklyl substance (PFAS) that has been used in aqueous film-forming foams. Emerging epidemiological evidence indicates that PFOS may be associated with chronic lung diseases such as asthma and analysis of human tissues demonstrates that the lungs carry a significant body burden of PFOS. Deficits in barrier function are a major risk factor for asthma. Thus, we hypothesized that PFOS exposure will lead to impaired epithelial barrier function through dysregulated tight junctions. Hence, we assessed the impact of PFOS on epithelial barrier integrity. Bronchial epithelial cells (16HBE) were grown on collagen-coated transwells and treated to 5-25 μM PFOS, and assessed for changes in barrier function and tight junction proteins. Rescue experiments were performed using the protein kinase D (PKD) inhibitor, CID755673. PFOS treatment reduced transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) and increased 4 kDa FITC-dextran flux. Additionally, PFOS significantly decreased protein levels and the tight junction organization rate of occludin and zonula occludens 1. Increased phosphorylation (Ser744/Ser748) of PKD was observed 3 h following PFOS treatment. Pretreatment with the PKD inhibitor attenuated PFOS-mediated changes in TEER and FITC-dextran flux and restored occludin protein levels. In conclusion, PFOS causes loss of airway barrier integrity and the disruption of tight junctions in bronchial epithelial cells, which was partly attenuated through the inhibition of PKD. These findings demonstrate that PFOS is capable of disrupting airway barrier function, a potentially driving factor underlying associations between PFOS and respiratory diseases such as asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph H Lucas
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York 14642, USA
| | - Qixin Wang
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York 14642, USA
| | - Irfan Rahman
- To whom correspondence should be addressed at Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center Box 850, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642, USA. E-mail:
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Attema B, Janssen AW, Rijkers D, van Schothorst EM, Hooiveld GJ, Kersten S. Exposure to low-dose perfluorooctanoic acid promotes hepatic steatosis and disrupts the hepatic transcriptome in mice. Mol Metab 2022; 66:101602. [PMID: 36115532 PMCID: PMC9526138 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2022.101602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are man-made chemicals with demonstrated endocrine-disrupting properties. Exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) has been linked to disturbed metabolism via the liver, although the exact mechanism is not clear. Moreover, information on the metabolic effects of the new PFAS alternative GenX is limited. We examined whether exposure to low-dose PFOA and GenX induces metabolic disturbances in mice, including NAFLD, dyslipidemia, and glucose tolerance, and studied the involvement of PPARα. METHODS Male C57BL/6J wildtype and PPARα-/- mice were given 0.05 or 0.3 mg/kg body weight/day PFOA, or 0.3 mg/kg body weight/day GenX while being fed a high-fat diet for 20 weeks. Glucose and insulin tolerance tests were performed after 18 and 19 weeks. Plasma metabolite levels were measured next to a detailed assessment of the liver phenotype, including lipid content and RNA sequencing. RESULTS Exposure to high-dose PFOA decreased body weight and increased liver weight in wildtype and PPARα-/- mice. High-dose but not low-dose PFOA reduced plasma triglycerides and cholesterol, which for triglycerides was dependent on PPARα. PFOA and GenX increased hepatic triglycerides in a PPARα-dependent manner. RNA sequencing showed that the effects of GenX on hepatic gene expression were entirely dependent on PPARα, while the effects of PFOA were mostly dependent on PPARα. In the absence of PPARα, the involvement of PXR and CAR became more prominent. CONCLUSION Overall, we show that long-term and low-dose exposure to PFOA and GenX disrupts hepatic lipid metabolism in mice. Whereas the effects of PFOA are mediated by multiple nuclear receptors, the effects of GenX are entirely mediated by PPARα. Our data underscore the potential of PFAS to disrupt metabolism by altering signaling pathways in the liver.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brecht Attema
- Nutrition, Metabolism and Genomics Group, Division of Human Nutrition and Health, Wageningen University, the Netherlands
| | | | - Deborah Rijkers
- Wageningen Food Safety Research (WFSR), Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Guido J.E.J. Hooiveld
- Nutrition, Metabolism and Genomics Group, Division of Human Nutrition and Health, Wageningen University, the Netherlands
| | - Sander Kersten
- Nutrition, Metabolism and Genomics Group, Division of Human Nutrition and Health, Wageningen University, the Netherlands,Corresponding author. Division of Human Nutrition and Health, Wageningen University, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE Wageningen, Netherlands.
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Zhang Z, Wang F, Zhang Y, Yao J, Bi J, He J, Zhang S, Wei Y, Guo H, Zhang X, He M. Associations of serum PFOA and PFOS levels with incident hypertension risk and change of blood pressure levels. Environ Res 2022; 212:113293. [PMID: 35427595 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Evidence on the associations of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) with hypertension or blood pressure (BP) levels was limited and inconsistent. The present prospective study aims to evaluate the longitudinal associations of serum levels of PFOA and PFOS with incident hypertension risk and change of blood pressure levels. At baseline 1080 participants (mean age 62 years, 58.9% females) free of hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer were followed up for nearly 5 years. Baseline serum levels of PFOA and PFOS were measured with ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS). Hypertension was defined as any of (1) self-reported physician-diagnosed hypertension (2) use of hypotension drugs (3) measured systolic BP ≥ 140 mmHg or diastolic BP ≥ 90 mmHg. Change of BP was evaluated as a difference between twice measurements (BP at follow-up visit-BP at baseline). After adjustment for multiple covariates, serum PFOS levels were negatively correlated with risk of hypertension [RR per lg-unit = 0.94 (95% CI: 0.88, 0.99)] and change of systolic BP [β = -1.48 (95% CI: -2.56, -0.41)]. The highest vs lowest quartiles of PFOS concentration was negatively associated with hypertension risk. Compared with Q1, the RRs (95% CIs) for Q2, Q3, and Q4 were 0.83 (0.67-0.98), 0.81 (0.67-0.97), and 0.81(0.67-0.97), respectively (p for trend = 0.016). The negative associations remained in females but not in males (p for interaction = 0.44). No significant association of PFOA with hypertension risk was observed. Further studies are needed to validate our findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zefang Zhang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Key Laboratory of Environmental and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, PR China
| | - Fei Wang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Key Laboratory of Environmental and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, PR China; Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, PR China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Key Laboratory of Environmental and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, PR China
| | - Jinqiu Yao
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Key Laboratory of Environmental and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, PR China
| | - Jiao Bi
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Key Laboratory of Environmental and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, PR China
| | - Jia He
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Key Laboratory of Environmental and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, PR China; Department of Public Health, Shihezi University School of Medicine, Shihezi, 832000, Xinjiang, China
| | - Shiyang Zhang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Key Laboratory of Environmental and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, PR China
| | - Yue Wei
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Key Laboratory of Environmental and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, PR China
| | - Huan Guo
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Key Laboratory of Environmental and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, PR China
| | - Xiaomin Zhang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Key Laboratory of Environmental and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, PR China
| | - Meian He
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Key Laboratory of Environmental and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, PR China.
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Papadopoulou E, Nicolescu A, Haug LS, Husøy T, Deleanu C, Dirven H, Lindeman B. Lipoprotein profiles associated with exposure to poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in the EuroMix human biomonitoring study. Environ Pollut 2022; 308:119664. [PMID: 35738521 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) is associated with increased blood cholesterol. Although elevated cholesterol is a well-established risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD), it is not clear whether PFASs affect this risk. Lipoprotein subclasses are emerging biomarkers for disease risk and lipoprotein profiling may provide an insight to physiological implications of PFAS exposure. We explored the association between serum PFAS concentrations and lipoprotein subclasses in a cross-sectional study. We determined the concentrations and lipid composition of the major subclasses of lipoproteins in plasma samples from 127 adult participants of the EuroMix human biomonitoring study by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Serum concentrations of 17 PFASs showed a detection frequency between 30 and 100% and were included in further analyses. We examined the associations between PFAS concentrations and lipoprotein subclasses by linear mixed-effect regression models, adjusted for confounders. In the adjusted models, positive associations were found between several PFASs and cholesterol concentrations in large to medium sized HDL and medium sized LDL particles. We found a 4-12% increase in HDL cholesterol per interquartile range (IQR) increase for several PFASs. In women the associations with PFNA, PFUnDA, PFDoDA and PFOS were significant after adjustment for multiple comparisons. Similar magnitude of change was observed between longer chained PFASs and LDL cholesterol, and a few of these associations reached significance for cholesterol in large to medium LDL particle sizes in women. No significant associations with plasma triglycerides were observed. However, most PFASs tended to be associated with reduction in VLDL (very low-density lipoproteins) particle number and VLDL triglyceride. Findings from this exploratory study, suggest that background PFAS exposures influence particle size distributions and lipid composition of plasma lipoprotein subclasses, and that these effects may be more prominent in women. A two-points lipoprofiling for all subjects indicated both low intra-individual variability and good analytical reproducibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Papadopoulou
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health, PO Box 222, Skøyen, 0213, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Alina Nicolescu
- "C.D. Nenitescu" Centre of Organic Chemistry, Spl. Independentei 202-B, RO-060023, Bucharest, Romania; "Petru Poni" Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Aleea Grigore Ghica Voda 41-A, RO-700487, Iasi, Romania.
| | - Line S Haug
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health, PO Box 222, Skøyen, 0213, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Trine Husøy
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health, PO Box 222, Skøyen, 0213, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Calin Deleanu
- "C.D. Nenitescu" Centre of Organic Chemistry, Spl. Independentei 202-B, RO-060023, Bucharest, Romania; "Petru Poni" Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Aleea Grigore Ghica Voda 41-A, RO-700487, Iasi, Romania.
| | - Hubert Dirven
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health, PO Box 222, Skøyen, 0213, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Birgitte Lindeman
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health, PO Box 222, Skøyen, 0213, Oslo, Norway.
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Rosen EM, Kotlarz N, Knappe DR, Lea CS, Collier DN, Richardson DB, Hoppin JA. Drinking Water-Associated PFAS and Fluoroethers and Lipid Outcomes in the GenX Exposure Study. Environ Health Perspect 2022; 130:97002. [PMID: 36069575 PMCID: PMC9450637 DOI: 10.1289/ehp11033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Residents of Wilmington, North, Carolina, were exposed to drinking water contaminated by fluoroethers and legacy per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), with fluoroether exposure occurring from 1980 to 2017. PFOA and PFOS have previously been associated with metabolic dysfunction; however, few prior studies have examined associations between other PFAS and lipid levels. OBJECTIVES We measured the association between serum fluoroether and legacy PFAS levels and various cholesterol outcomes. METHODS Participants in the GenX Exposure Study contributed nonfasting blood samples in November 2017 and May 2018 that were analyzed for 20 PFAS (10 legacy, 10 fluoroethers) and serum lipids [total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), triglycerides] and calculated non-HDL cholesterol. We estimated covariate-adjusted associations between quartiles of exposure to each of the PFAS measures (as well as the summed concentrations of legacy PFAS, fluoroethers, and all 10 targeted PFAS) and lipid outcomes by fitting inverse probability of treatment weighted linear regressions. RESULTS In this cross-sectional study of 326 participants (age range 6-86 y), eight PFAS were detected in > 50 % of the population. For PFOS and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), non-HDL cholesterol was approximately 5 mg / dL higher per exposure quartile increase: [PFOS: 4.89; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.10, 9.68 and PFNA: 5.25 (95% CI: 0.39, 10.1)], whereas total cholesterol was approximately 6 mg / dL higher per quartile [PFOS: 5.71 (95% CI: 0.38, 11.0), PFNA: 5.92 (95% CI: 0.19, 11.7)]. In age-stratified analyses, associations were strongest among the oldest participants. Two fluoroethers were associated with higher HDL, whereas other fluoroether compounds were not associated with serum lipid levels. DISCUSSION PFNA and PFOS were associated with higher levels of total and non-HDL cholesterol, with associations larger in magnitude among older adults. In the presence of these legacy PFAS, fluoroethers appeared to be associated with HDL but not non-HDL lipid measures. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP11033.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma M. Rosen
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina (UNC) Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Nadine Kotlarz
- Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University (NCSU), Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, NCSU, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, NCSU, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Detlef R.U. Knappe
- Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University (NCSU), Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, NCSU, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - C. Suzanne Lea
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, NCSU, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Public Health, East Carolina University (ECU), Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | - David N. Collier
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, NCSU, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Brody School of Medicine, ECU, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | - David B. Richardson
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina (UNC) Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of California Irvine Public Health, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Jane A. Hoppin
- Department of Biological Sciences, NCSU, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, NCSU, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
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Steenland K, Hofmann JN, Silverman DT, Bartell SM. Risk assessment for PFOA and kidney cancer based on a pooled analysis of two studies. Environ Int 2022; 167:107425. [PMID: 35905598 PMCID: PMC9378494 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 07/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) has been associated with kidney cancer in human studies. METHODS We conducted a pooled analysis of two large studies of PFOA and renal cell carcinoma (RCC, the most common type of kidney cancer); one from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) (324 cases and controls), and a second from the C8 Science Panel (103 cases and 511 controls). Serum PFOA levels were estimated a median of 8 years before diagnosis. Analyses were conducted via conditional logistic regression. Lifetime risk of kidney cancer per unit serum PFOA concentration and per unit dose were calculated. RESULTS The 25th, 50th and 75th percentiles of serum PFOA levels were 4.8, 7.3, and 23.9 ng/ml for the pooled analysis. The preferred model for the pooled datawas a two-piece linear spline model (knot at 12.5 ng/ml serum PFOA); the log odds of RCC increased 0.1349 per 1 ng/ml increase in serum PFOA up to the knot (eg, an OR of 2.02 (1.45-2.80) from the median to the knot), and was flat thereafter. The estimated lifetime excess risk (cancer slope factor) with an exposure of 1 ng/ml was 0.0018, similar to the excess risk of 0.0026 recently reported by CalEPA based on different methods. Assuming a serum half-life of 2.3 years and a distribution volume of 170 ml/kg for PFOA, our results are equivalent to 0.0128 per ng/kg/d of PFOA intake. To limit excess lifetime kidney cancer risk to 1/1,000,000, our data suggest a limit of 0.0015 ng/L (0.0015 ppt) for PFOA in drinking water, similar to CalEPA's proposed Public Health Goal and the new US EPA Drinking Water Health Advisory. CONCLUSIONS Our results correspond reasonably well with cancer slope factors developed by other investigators using published summary data, and suggest drinking water limits similar to new recommendations by the US EPA.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Steenland
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Ga, USA.
| | - J N Hofmann
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - D T Silverman
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - S M Bartell
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
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Dunder L, Lind PM, Salihovic S, Stubleski J, Kärrman A, Lind L. Changes in plasma levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are associated with changes in plasma lipids - A longitudinal study over 10 years. Environ Res 2022; 211:112903. [PMID: 35231461 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.112903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Associations between per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), mainly PFOS and PFOA, and increased blood lipids have been reported primarily from cross-sectional studies. The aim of the present study was to investigate associations between multiple PFAS and blood lipids in a longitudinal fashion. METHODS A total of 864 men and women aged 70 years and free from lipid medication were included from the Prospective Investigation of the Vasculature in Uppsala Seniors (PIVUS) study from Uppsala Sweden, 614 and 404 of those were reinvestigated at age 75 and 80. At all three occasions, eight PFAS were measured in plasma using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were also measured in plasma at all three occasions. Mixed-effects linear regression models were used to examine the relationship between the changes in PFAS levels and changes in lipid levels. RESULTS Changes in plasma levels of six out of the eight investigated PFAS were positively associated with changes in plasma lipids after adjustment for sex, change in body mass index (BMI), smoking, physical activity, statin use (age was the same in all subjects), and correction for multiple testing. For example, changes in perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) were positively associated with the changes in total cholesterol (β: 0.23, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.14 to 0.32), triglycerides (β: 0.08, 95% CI: 0.04-0.12) and HDL-cholesterol (β: 0.08, 95% CI: 0.04-0.11). CONCLUSION In this longitudinal study with three measurements over 10 years of both plasma PFAS and lipids, changes in six out of the eight investigated PFAS were positively associated with changes in plasma lipids, giving further support for a role of PFAS exposure in human lipid metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Dunder
- Department of Medical Sciences, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - P Monica Lind
- Department of Medical Sciences, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Samira Salihovic
- Inflammatory Response and Infection Susceptibility Centre, School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden.
| | - Jordan Stubleski
- MTM, School of Science and Technology, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden. Wellington Laboratories Inc, Guelph, ON, Canada.
| | - Anna Kärrman
- MTM, School of Science and Technology, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden.
| | - Lars Lind
- Department of Medical Sciences, Cardiovascular Epidemiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
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Chen Q, Sun S, Mei C, Zhao J, Zhang H, Wang G, Chen W. Capabilities of bio-binding, antioxidant and intestinal environmental repair jointly determine the ability of lactic acid bacteria to mitigate perfluorooctane sulfonate toxicity. Environ Int 2022; 166:107388. [PMID: 35809485 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 06/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is a novel environmental contaminant that can be enriched in humans through the food chain, causing liver diseases, neurotoxicity and metabolic disorders. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are safe food-grade microorganisms that exhibit high antioxidant activity and bio-binding capacity towards toxins. Here, strains of LAB with different PFOS binding capacities and antioxidant activities were selected and analyzed for their ability in mitigating the toxic effects of PFOS. The results showed that the PFOS binding capacity and antioxidant activity of LAB largely influenced their ability in alleviating the toxic effects of PFOS. Notably, the individual LAB strains with low PFOS binding capacities and antioxidant activities also attenuated the toxic effects of PFOS, which was shown to up-regulate the contents of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the cecum and of tight junction proteins in the intestines of mice. Therefore, the mitigation pathway of PFOS-induced toxic damage by LAB is not limited to bio-binding and antioxidant. Repairing the gut environment damaged by PFOS is also essential for LAB to alleviate the toxic damage due to PFOS and may be partly independent of the bio-binding and antioxidant. Therefore, LAB as an alternative pathway for alleviating PFOS toxicity is suggested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, PR China; School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, PR China
| | - Shanshan Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, PR China; School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, PR China
| | - Chunxia Mei
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, PR China; School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, PR China
| | - Jianxin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, PR China; School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, PR China; National Engineering Research Center for Functional Food, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, PR China; (Yangzhou) Institute of Food Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Yangzhou 225004, PR China
| | - Hao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, PR China; School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, PR China; National Engineering Research Center for Functional Food, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, PR China; (Yangzhou) Institute of Food Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Yangzhou 225004, PR China; Wuxi Translational Medicine Research Center and Jiangsu Translational Medicine Research Institute Wuxi Branch, Wuxi 214122, PR China
| | - Gang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, PR China; School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, PR China; National Engineering Research Center for Functional Food, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, PR China; (Yangzhou) Institute of Food Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Yangzhou 225004, PR China.
| | - Wei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, PR China; School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, PR China; National Engineering Research Center for Functional Food, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, PR China
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Tang J, Zhu Y, Li Y, Xiang B, Tan T, Lv L, Luo Q. Occurrence characteristics and health risk assessment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances from water in residential areas around fluorine chemical industrial areas, China. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2022; 29:60733-60743. [PMID: 35426024 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-20155-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Recently, identifying the contamination status and assessing the health risk of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in surface water and groundwater have been of great significance. Eighteen individual PFASs were analyzed in thirty-three surface/groundwater samples during one period in a fluorine chemical park (Park A) and during two periods in Park B. The mean total concentration of 18 PFASs (∑PFASs) in Park A (9104.63 ng·L-1) was significantly higher than that in the wet season (WS) (801.68 ng·L-1) or DS (714.64 ng·L-1) in Park B. The perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) was the predominant substance in the two parks, and the maximum concentration in groundwater exceeded 10,000 ng·L-1. The contamination status in the wet season (WS) was higher than that in the dry season (DS) in Park B. The ∑PFASs in Park A presented an increasing tendency following the groundwater flow direction, whereas this rule was limited to all periods in Park B. Two relative source contributions (RSCs) of 20% or 100% allowed assessing the PFASs risk to different age groups, and the results revealed that some PFASs (4 ≤ C ≤ 7 or 9 ≤ C ≤ 12) were identified as having a low risk quotient (RQ), except for perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and PFOA (C = 8). The RQmix value mainly relies on PFOA and PFOS, with a larger contribution rate of 80-90%. All assessed cases (case 1, case 2, case 3, and case 4) in all age groups revealed that infants were vulnerable to PFASs influence, followed by children, teenagers, and adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxi Tang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Liaoning Technical University, Fuxin, 123000, China
| | - Yongle Zhu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Liaoning Technical University, Fuxin, 123000, China
| | - Yu Li
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Liaoning Technical University, Fuxin, 123000, China
| | - Biao Xiang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Liaoning Technical University, Fuxin, 123000, China
| | - Ting Tan
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Liaoning Technical University, Fuxin, 123000, China
| | - Linyou Lv
- Liaoning Research Institute of Sand Control and Utilization, Fuxin, 123000, China
| | - Qing Luo
- Key Laboratory of Regional Environment and Eco-Remediation of Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Shenyang University, Shenyang, 110044, China.
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Park SK, Wang X, Ding N, Karvonen-Gutierrez CA, Calafat AM, Herman WH, Mukherjee B, Harlow SD. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and incident diabetes in midlife women: the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN). Diabetologia 2022; 65:1157-1168. [PMID: 35399113 PMCID: PMC9177697 DOI: 10.1007/s00125-022-05695-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
AIMS/HYPOTHESIS Diabetogenic effects of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been suggested. However, evidence based on prospective cohort studies is limited. We examined the association between serum PFAS concentrations and incident diabetes in the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation Multi-Pollutant Study (SWAN-MPS). METHODS We included 1237 diabetes-free women aged 45-56 years at baseline (1999-2000) who were followed up to 2017. At each follow-up visit, women with incident diabetes were identified by the presence of one or more of the following conditions: (1) use of a glucose-lowering medication at any visit; (2) fasting glucose ≥7 mmol/l on two consecutive visits while not on steroids; and (3) any two visits with self-reported diabetes and at least one visit with fasting blood glucose ≥7 mmol/l. Serum concentrations of 11 PFAS were quantified by online solid-phase extraction-HPLC-isotope dilution-tandem MS. Seven PFAS with high detection rates (>96%) (n-perfluorooctanoic acid [n-PFOA], perfluorononanoic acid [PFNA], perfluorohexane sulfonic acid [PFHxS], n-perfluorooctane sulfonic acid [n-PFOS], sum of perfluoromethylheptane sulfonic acid isomers [Sm-PFOS], 2-[N-methyl-perfluorooctane sulfonamido] acetic acid [MeFOSAA] and 2-[N-ethyl-perfluorooctane sulfonamido] acetic acid) were included in data analysis. Cox proportional hazards models were used to compute HRs and 95% CIs. Quantile-based g-computation was used to evaluate the joint effects of PFAS mixtures. RESULTS After adjustment for race/ethnicity, site, education, smoking status, alcohol consumption, total energy intake, physical activity, menopausal status and BMI, the HR (95% CI) comparing the lowest with the highest tertile was 1.67 (1.21, 2.31) for n-PFOA (ptrend = 0.001), 1.58 (1.13, 2.21) for PFHxS (ptrend = 0.003), 1.36 (0.97, 1.90) for Sm-PFOS (ptrend = 0.05), 1.85 (1.28, 2.67) for MeFOSAA (ptrend = 0.0004) and 1.64 (1.17, 2.31) for the sum of four common PFAS (n-PFOA, PFNA, PFHxS and total PFOS) (ptrend = 0.002). Exposure to seven PFAS as mixtures was associated with an HR of 2.62 (95% CI 1.12, 6.20), comparing the top with the bottom tertiles for all seven PFAS. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION This study suggests that PFAS may increase diabetes risk in midlife women. Reduced exposure to these 'forever and everywhere chemicals' may be an important preventative approach to lowering population-wide diabetes risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung Kyun Park
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - Xin Wang
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Ning Ding
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Antonia M Calafat
- Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - William H Herman
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Bhramar Mukherjee
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Siobán D Harlow
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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