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González-Alvarez ME, Antwi-Boasiako C, Keating AF. Effects of Per- and Polyfluoroalkylated Substances on Female Reproduction. TOXICS 2024; 12:455. [PMID: 39058107 PMCID: PMC11280844 DOI: 10.3390/toxics12070455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2024] [Revised: 06/02/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
Per- and poly-fluoroalkylated substances (PFAS) are a large group of chemicals that persist both in the environment and in the body. Legacy PFAS, e.g., perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, are implicated as endocrine disruptors and reproductive and developmental toxicants in epidemiological and animal model studies. This review describes female reproductive outcomes of reported studies and includes where associative relationships between PFAS exposures and female reproductive outcomes have been observed as well as where those are absent. In animal models, studies in which PFAS are documented to cause toxicity and where effects are lacking are described. Discrepancies exist in both human and animal studies and are likely attributable to human geographical contamination, developmental status, duration of exposure, and PFAS chemical identity. Similarly, in animal investigations, the model used, exposure paradigm, and developmental status of the female are important and vary widely in documented studies. Taken together, support for PFAS as reproductive and developmental toxicants exists, although the disparity in study conditions and human exposures contribute to the variation in effects noted.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Aileen F. Keating
- Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
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Barreca S, Mancuso MMM, Sacristán D, Pace A, Savoca D, Orecchio S. Determination of Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) in the Indoor Dust Matter of the Sicily (Italy) Area: Analysis and Exposure Evaluations. TOXICS 2023; 12:28. [PMID: 38250983 PMCID: PMC10819494 DOI: 10.3390/toxics12010028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in environmental matrices is increasingly being studied due to its environmental persistence, global occurrence, bioaccumulation, and associated human health risks. Some indoor environments can significantly impact the health of occupants due to pollutants in indoor air and household dust. To investigate the potential exposure of individuals to PFOA in specific confined environments, this study reports an analytical method and results concerning the determination of PFOA in household dust, used as a passive sampler. To the best of our knowledge, this paper represents one of the first studies concerning PFOA concentrations in indoor dust collected in the south of Italy, within the European region. A total of twenty-three dust samples were collected from two different areas of Sicily (Palermo and Milena), extracted, and analyzed by an UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS system. Finally, PFOA exposure was estimated using a new index (Indoor PFOA Exposure Index, IPEX) that incorporates the PFOA levels in dust, exposure time, and the correlation between the PFOA in dust and blood. It was then compared across four different exposure groups, revealing that PFOA exposure for people working in chemistry laboratories was evaluated to be ten times higher than the exposure for homemakers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvatore Barreca
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95100 Catania, Italy
| | - Michele Marco Mizio Mancuso
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo (STEBICEF), Viale Delle Scienze, Ed. 17, 90100 Palermo, Italy (A.P.); (D.S.); (S.O.)
| | - Daniel Sacristán
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Valencia Córdoba, 46100 Valencia, Spain;
- Department of Soil and Environmental Quality Department, Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación-CIDE (CSIC-Universitat de València-Generalitat Valenciana), Carretera Moncada-Náquera km 4.5, 46113 Valencia, Spain
| | - Andrea Pace
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo (STEBICEF), Viale Delle Scienze, Ed. 17, 90100 Palermo, Italy (A.P.); (D.S.); (S.O.)
| | - Dario Savoca
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo (STEBICEF), Viale Delle Scienze, Ed. 17, 90100 Palermo, Italy (A.P.); (D.S.); (S.O.)
- NBFC—National Biodiversity Future Center, 90123 Palermo, Italy
| | - Santino Orecchio
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo (STEBICEF), Viale Delle Scienze, Ed. 17, 90100 Palermo, Italy (A.P.); (D.S.); (S.O.)
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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. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 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] [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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Barbo N, Stoiber T, Naidenko OV, Andrews DQ. Locally caught freshwater fish across the United States are likely a significant source of exposure to PFOS and other perfluorinated compounds. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 220:115165. [PMID: 36584847 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.115165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, gained significant public and regulatory attention due to widespread contamination and health harms associated with exposure. Ingestion of PFAS from contaminated food and water results in the accumulation of PFAS in the body and is considered a key route of human exposure. Here we calculate the potential contribution of PFOS from consumption of locally caught freshwater fish to serum levels. We analyzed data for over 500 composite samples of fish fillets collected across the United States from 2013 to 2015 under the U.S. EPA's monitoring programs, the National Rivers and Streams Assessment and the Great Lakes Human Health Fish Fillet Tissue Study. The two datasets indicate that an individual's consumption of freshwater fish is potentially a significant source of exposure to perfluorinated compounds. The median level of total targeted PFAS in fish fillets from rivers and streams across the United States was 9,500 ng/kg, with a median level of 11,800 ng/kg in the Great Lakes. PFOS was the largest contributor to total PFAS levels, averaging 74% of the total. The median levels of total detected PFAS in freshwater fish across the United States were 278 times higher than levels in commercially relevant fish tested by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2019-2022. Exposure assessment suggests that a single serving of freshwater fish per year with the median level of PFAS as detected by the U.S. EPA monitoring programs translates into a significant increase of PFOS levels in blood serum. The exposure to chemical pollutants in freshwater fish across the United States is a case of environmental injustice that especially affects communities that depend on fishing for sustenance and for traditional cultural practices. Identifying and reducing sources of PFAS exposure is an urgent public health priority.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Barbo
- Duke University, Nicholas School of the Environment, Grainger Hall, Circuit Drive, Box 90328, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Tasha Stoiber
- Environmental Working Group, 1250 I Street NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC, 20005, USA
| | - Olga V Naidenko
- Environmental Working Group, 1250 I Street NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC, 20005, USA
| | - David Q Andrews
- Environmental Working Group, 1250 I Street NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC, 20005, USA.
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Liu D, Yan S, Wang P, Chen Q, Liu Y, Cui J, Liang Y, Ren S, Gao Y. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) exposure in relation to the kidneys: A review of current available literature. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1103141. [PMID: 36776978 PMCID: PMC9909492 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1103141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Perfluorooctanoic acid is an artificial and non-degradable chemical. It is widely used due to its stable nature. It can enter the human body through food, drinking water, inhalation of household dust and contact with products containing perfluorooctanoic acid. It accumulates in the human body, causing potential harmful effects on human health. Based on the biodegradability and bioaccumulation of perfluorooctanoic acid in the human body, there are increasing concerns about the adverse effects of perfluorooctanoic acid exposure on kidneys. Research shows that kidney is the main accumulation organ of Perfluorooctanoic acid, and Perfluorooctanoic acid can cause nephrotoxicity and produce adverse effects on kidney function, but the exact mechanism is still unknown. In this review, we summarize the relationship between Perfluorooctanoic acid exposure and kidney health, evaluate risks more clearly, and provide a theoretical basis for subsequent research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongge Liu
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Shuqi Yan
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Pingwei Wang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Qianqian Chen
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yanping Liu
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Jiajing Cui
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yujun Liang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Shuping Ren
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Ying Gao
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
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