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Grung M, Hjermann DØ, Rundberget T, Bæk K, Thomsen C, Knutsen HK, Haug LS. Low levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) detected in drinking water in Norway, but elevated concentrations found near known sources. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 947:174550. [PMID: 39004364 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous contaminants which are also found in drinking water. Concentration levels in drinking water vary widely and range from a very low contribution to total daily exposure for humans to being the major source of uptake of PFAS. PFAS concentrations in Norwegian drinking water has been rarely reported. We investigated concentrations of 31 PFAS in 164 water samples, representing both source water (i.e., before drinking water treatment) and finished drinking water. Samples were taken from 18 different water bodies across Norway. The 17 waterworks involved supply drinking water to 41 % of the Norwegian population. Only four of the waterworks utilised treatment involving activated carbon which was able to significantly reduce PFAS from the source water. Samples of source water from waterworks not employing activated carbon in treatment were therefore considered to represent drinking water with regards to PFAS (142 samples). All samples from one of the water bodies exceeded the environmental quality standard (EQS) for perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) according to the water framework directive (0.65 ng/L). No concentrations exceeded the sum of (20) PFAS (100 ng/L) specified in the EU directive 2020/2184 for drinking water. Several EU countries have issued lower guidelines for the sum of the four PFAS that the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has established as the tolerable weekly intake (TWI) for PFOS, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), and perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS). Denmark and Sweden have guidelines specifying 2 and 4 ng/L for the sum of these PFAS. Only one of the 142 drinking water samples exceeded the Danish TWI and contained a sum of 6.6 ng/L PFAS. A population exposure model, for individuals drinking water from the investigated sources, showed that only 0.5 % of the population was receiving PFAS concentrations above the Danish limit of 2 ng/L.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merete Grung
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Økernveien 94, 0579 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Dag Ø Hjermann
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Økernveien 94, 0579 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Thomas Rundberget
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Økernveien 94, 0579 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Kine Bæk
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Økernveien 94, 0579 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Cathrine Thomsen
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Department of Food Safety, PO Box 222, Skøyen, 0213 Oslo, Norway; Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Centre for Sustainable Diets, PO Box 222, Skøyen, 0213 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Helle Katrine Knutsen
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Department of Food Safety, PO Box 222, Skøyen, 0213 Oslo, Norway; Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Centre for Sustainable Diets, PO Box 222, Skøyen, 0213 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Line Småstuen Haug
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Department of Food Safety, PO Box 222, Skøyen, 0213 Oslo, Norway; Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Centre for Sustainable Diets, PO Box 222, Skøyen, 0213 Oslo, Norway.
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Criswell RL, Simones T, Chatterjee M, Waite J, Diaz S, Smith A. Quantifying levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in water and serum after contamination from agricultural biosolid application. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2024; 190:108850. [PMID: 38941944 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 06/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/30/2024]
Abstract
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) blood testing for patients with risk of elevated exposure, and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) suggests PFAS blood testing based on exposure. Barriers to PFAS blood testing include cost, access to labs, and evolving laboratory methods. We quantify water and serum PFAS levels among a highly-exposed cohort in an area with groundwater contaminated by historical agricultural biosolid application. We compare the gold standard PFAS serum test with a commercial test and results from a one-compartment toxicokinetic model. Participants were adults (n = 30) whose household (n = 19) water had levels of the sum of six PFAS > 500 ng/L. Serum PFAS were measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Demographic and water consumption data were collected via telephone. Serum PFAS results from the commercial test were accessed via medical record. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics and bivariate plots of serum levels. Perfluorohexanoic acid, perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorobutanesulfonic acid, perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS), and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) were detected in 19 wells, and PFHpA, PFOA, PFNA, perfluorodecanoic acid, perfluoroundecanoic acid, PFHxS, and PFOS were detected in at least 19 participants' serum. In well water, PFOA and PFOS levels had geometric means (GMs) of 1749 ng/L (geometric standard deviation [GSD] 2.4) and 887 ng/L (GSD 19.7), respectively. In serum, PFOA and PFOS had GMs of 116.2 µg/L (GSD 13.5) and 58.3 µg/L (GSD 13.8), respectively. Our results are comparable with and had a wider mix of PFAS than other high-exposure cohorts. There was good agreement between the commercial and gold standard tests for PFOA, PFNA, and PFHxS, and mixed agreement between the gold standard test and modeled predictions, suggesting water-based toxicokinetic models of serum PFAS may be inadequate for assessing exposure in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas Simones
- Environmental and Occupational Health Program, Maine Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Augusta, ME USA
| | - Madhumita Chatterjee
- Bureau of Public Health Laboratories, Chemistry Program, New Hampshire Division of Public Health Services, Department of Health and Human Services, Concord, NH USA
| | - Jasmine Waite
- MaineGeneral Medical Center, Augusta, ME, USA; Environmental and Occupational Health Program, Maine Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Augusta, ME USA
| | - Steven Diaz
- MaineGeneral Medical Center, Augusta, ME, USA
| | - Andrew Smith
- Environmental and Occupational Health Program, Maine Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Augusta, ME USA
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Li J, Ma Y, Qiu T, Wang J, Zhang J, Sun X, Jiang L, Li Q, Yao X. Autophagy-dependent lysosomal calcium overload and the ATP5B-regulated lysosomes-mitochondria calcium transmission induce liver insulin resistance under perfluorooctane sulfonate exposure. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2024; 276:116318. [PMID: 38626609 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/18/2024]
Abstract
Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), an officially listed persistent organic pollutant, is a widely distributed perfluoroalkyl substance. Epidemiological studies have shown that PFOS is intimately linked to the occurrence of insulin resistance (IR). However, the detailed mechanism remains obscure. In previous studies, we found that mitochondrial calcium overload was concerned with hepatic IR induced by PFOS. In this study, we found that PFOS exposure noticeably raised lysosomal calcium in L-02 hepatocytes from 0.5 h. In the PFOS-cultured L-02 cells, inhibiting autophagy alleviated lysosomal calcium overload. Inhibition of mitochondrial calcium uptake aggravated the accumulation of lysosomal calcium, while inhibition of lysosomal calcium outflowing reversed PFOS-induced mitochondrial calcium overload and IR. Transient receptor potential mucolipin 1 (TRPML1), the calcium output channel of lysosomes, interacted with voltage-dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC1), the calcium intake channel of mitochondria, in the PFOS-cultured cells. Moreover, we found that ATP synthase F1 subunit beta (ATP5B) interacted with TRPML1 and VDAC1 in the L-02 cells and the liver of mice under PFOS exposure. Inhibiting ATP5B expression or restraining the ATP5B on the plasma membrane reduced the interplay between TRPML1 and VDAC1, reversed the mitochondrial calcium overload and deteriorated the lysosomal calcium accumulation in the PFOS-cultured cells. Our research unveils the molecular regulation of the calcium crosstalk between lysosomes and mitochondria, and explains PFOS-induced IR in the context of activated autophagy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jixun Li
- Occupation and Environment Health Department, Dalian Medical University, 9 West Lvshun South Road, Dalian, China
| | - Yu Ma
- Occupation and Environment Health Department, Dalian Medical University, 9 West Lvshun South Road, Dalian, China
| | - Tianming Qiu
- Occupation and Environment Health Department, Dalian Medical University, 9 West Lvshun South Road, Dalian, China
| | - Jianyu Wang
- Occupation and Environment Health Department, Dalian Medical University, 9 West Lvshun South Road, Dalian, China
| | - Jingyuan Zhang
- Occupation and Environment Health Department, Dalian Medical University, 9 West Lvshun South Road, Dalian, China
| | - Xiance Sun
- Occupation and Environment Health Department, Dalian Medical University, 9 West Lvshun South Road, Dalian, China
| | - Liping Jiang
- Occupation and Environment Health Department, Dalian Medical University, 9 West Lvshun South Road, Dalian, China
| | - Qiujuan Li
- Occupation and Environment Health Department, Dalian Medical University, 9 West Lvshun South Road, Dalian, China
| | - Xiaofeng Yao
- Occupation and Environment Health Department, Dalian Medical University, 9 West Lvshun South Road, Dalian, China.
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Stromberg PM, Bali Swain R. Citizen monitoring in environmental disclosure: An economics perspective. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 356:120567. [PMID: 38537459 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120567] [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: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
Criticism is mounting that market-led and state-led initiatives for environmental impact disclosure are too limited in scope and that they rest on too strong assumptions about the quality and impartiality of monitoring and enforcement, with resulting insufficient effect on environmental sustainability. It has been proposed that citizen monitoring may contribute to counteract this void. However, to our knowledge, policy analysis in general and economics in particular has not paid much attention to this role of citizen monitoring. This paper aims to bridge that gap from an economics lens, by exploring the dynamics of disclosing local environmental impact and the potential role of citizen monitoring in environmental policy. To this end, the paper addresses monopolistic versus pluralistic environmental disclosure, letting citizen monitoring represent the latter. The study uses the mining industry as an illustrative case, because of that sector's particular transparency challenges in international value chains, typically with strong negative local environmental impact. It is shown how pluralistic information provision such as citizen monitoring can contribute to incentivizing more reliable information provision, especially in countries with weak state institutions, which is particularly important in the case of high-risk environmental impact. The findings should be of use for shaping environmental policy, providing valuable insights for both policymakers and scholars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Per M Stromberg
- IVL, Swedish Environmental Research Institute, Policy and Economics Unit, Sweden; Department of Economics, Södertörn University, Sweden
| | - Ranjula Bali Swain
- Center for Sustainability Research, SIR, Stockholm School of Economics, Sweden; Department of Economics, Södertörn University, Sweden.
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Wu L, Qiu J, Li A, Ji Y, Yan G, Meng F. Detection and dietary risk of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in shellfish products from the coasts of Bohai Sea and South China Sea. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 352:141424. [PMID: 38346518 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
Artificial per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are widely distributed in the environment and are potentially harmful to human health. This study assessed the matrix effect of different shellfish on LC-MS analysis and the recoveries of PFASs in purified extracts purified by adding ENVI-Carb graphitized carbon black. Total 76 samples were collected from coastal cities of the Bohai Sea and South China Sea in China. Results showed that the signal response of perfluorocarboxylic acid increased with the length of fluorocarbon chains. ENVI-Carb can mitigate the shellfish matrix effects for analysis of PFASs. Ten PFASs components were detected in shellfish samples at concentrations ranging from 1.3 to 8.5 ng/g wet weight. The PFOA and PFHxS were the dominant components, and PFOA, PFTrDA and PFNA were detected at high rates of 58-93%. The highest levels of ∑PFASs were accumulated in clams, while the lowest levels were found in mussels. The dietary risk assessment indicated that PFASs potentially threaten human health via consumption of clam products in the Bohai Sea region. This study will improve the understanding of the contamination status and the dietary risk of PFASs in shellfish products along the coasts of Bohai Sea and South China Sea in China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linfeng Wu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100, China
| | - Jiangbing Qiu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100, China; Key Laboratory of Marine Environment and Ecology, Ocean University of China, Ministry of Education, Qingdao, 266100, China
| | - Aifeng Li
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100, China; Key Laboratory of Marine Environment and Ecology, Ocean University of China, Ministry of Education, Qingdao, 266100, China.
| | - Ying Ji
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100, China
| | - Guowang Yan
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100, China
| | - Fanping Meng
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100, China; Key Laboratory of Marine Environment and Ecology, Ocean University of China, Ministry of Education, Qingdao, 266100, China
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Møller JJ, Lyngberg AC, Hammer PEC, Flachs EM, Mortensen OS, Jensen TK, Jürgens G, Andersson A, Soja AMB, Lindhardt M. Substantial decrease of PFAS with anion exchange resin treatment - A clinical cross-over trial. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2024; 185:108497. [PMID: 38367552 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108497] [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: 11/12/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are heat and stain resisting chemicals. They are persistent, bioaccumulating and spread ubiquitously. Many hotspots where humans are exposed to high levels of PFAS have been reported. A few small observational studies in humans suggest that treatment with an Anion Exchange Resin (AER) decreases serum PFAS. This first clinical controlled crossover study aimed to assess whether AER decreases perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) in highly exposed adults. METHODS An open label 1:1 randomized treatment sequence crossover study with allocation to oral AER (cholestyramine 4 g three times daily) or observation for 12 weeks was conducted among citizens from a PFAS hotspot. Main inclusion criteria was serum PFOS > 21 ng/mL. Primary endpoint was change in serum PFOS levels between treatment and observational period. RESULTS In total, 45 participants were included with a mean age of 50 years (SD 13). Serum PFOS baseline median was 191 ng/mL (IQR: 129-229) and decreased with a mean of 115 ng/mL (95 % CI: 89-140) on treatment, and 4.3 ng/mL in observation period corresponding to a decrease of 60 % (95 % CI: 53-67; p < 0.0001). PFHxS, PFOA, PFNA and PFDA decreased during treatment between 15 and 44 %. No serious adverse events were reported. CONCLUSIONS Oral treatment with AER significantly lowered serum PFOS concentrations suggesting a possible treatment for enhancing elimination of PFOS in highly exposed adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janne Julie Møller
- Department of Occupational and Social Medicine, University Hospital of Holbaek, Denmark
| | | | | | | | - Ole Steen Mortensen
- Department of Occupational and Social Medicine, University Hospital of Holbaek, Denmark; Department of Public Health, Section of Social Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Tina Kold Jensen
- Department of Public Health, Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, The Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Gesche Jürgens
- Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Zealand University Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Axel Andersson
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Anne Merete Boas Soja
- Department of Internal Medicine 1, University Hospital - Holbaek, Holbaek, Denmark; Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Morten Lindhardt
- Department of Internal Medicine 1, University Hospital - Holbaek, Holbaek, Denmark; Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Golosovskaia E, Örn S, Ahrens L, Chelcea I, Andersson PL. Studying mixture effects on uptake and tissue distribution of PFAS in zebrafish (Danio rerio) using physiologically based kinetic (PBK) modelling. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:168738. [PMID: 38030006 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitously distributed in the aquatic environment. They include persistent, mobile, bioaccumulative, and toxic chemicals and it is therefore critical to increase our understanding on their adsorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion (ADME). The current study focused on uptake of seven emerging PFAS in zebrafish (Danio rerio) and their potential maternal transfer. In addition, we aimed at increasing our understanding on mixture effects on ADME by developing a physiologically based kinetic (PBK) model capable of handling co-exposure scenarios of any number of chemicals. All studied chemicals were taken up in the fish to varying degrees, whereas only perfluorononanoate (PFNA) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) were quantified in all analysed tissues. Perfluorooctane sulfonamide (FOSA) was measured at concerningly high concentrations in the brain (Cmax over 15 μg/g) but also in the liver and ovaries. All studied PFAS were maternally transferred to the eggs, with FOSA and 6:2 perfluorooctane sulfonate (6,2 FTSA) showing significant (p < 0.02) signs of elimination from the embryos during the first 6 days of development, while perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS), PFNA, and perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) were not eliminated in embryos during this time-frame. The mixture PBK model resulted in >85 % of predictions within a 10-fold error and 60 % of predictions within a 3-fold error. At studied levels of PFAS exposure, competitive binding was not a critical factor for PFAS kinetics. Gill surface pH influenced uptake for some carboxylates but not the sulfonates. The developed PBK model provides an important tool in understanding kinetics under complex mixture scenarios and this use of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) is critical in future risk assessment of chemicals and early warning systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stefan Örn
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lutz Ahrens
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ioana Chelcea
- Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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Sun X, Yang X, Zhang Y, Liu Y, Xiao F, Guo H, Liu X. Correlation analysis between per-fluoroalkyl and poly-fluoroalkyl substances exposure and depressive symptoms in adults: NHANES 2005-2018. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 906:167639. [PMID: 37813256 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Excessive exposure to per and poly-fluoroalkyl compounds (PFAS) can lead to various negative health effects. However, there's a lack of research studying the link between PFAS exposure and depression in adults, and the existing findings are inconsistent. OBJECTIVES Utilizing data collected from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database spanning 2005 to 2018, this study aimed to examine the potential connection between PFAS exposure and depressive symptoms in adults. METHODS The correlation between individual PFAS exposure and depressive symptoms was examined through the establishment of weighted logistic regression models (crude model, model 1, model 2) and restricted cubic spline models. To verify the stability of the model, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of the logistic regression model were generated, and a ten-fold cross-validation model was employed. Additionally, the relationship between adult depressive symptoms and mixed PFAS exposure was tested through the utilization of quantile g-computation (qgcomp). RESULTS The findings revealed that heightened exposure levels to PFOA, PFHxS, and PFUnDA, were connected with a diminished risk of depressive symptoms in adults (ORPFOA: 0.67, 95 % confidence interval (CI): 0.47, 0.95; ORPFHxS: 0.66, 95 %CI: 0.49, 0.89; ORPFUnDA: 0.65, 95 %CI: 0.45, 0.96). PFOS, PFHxS, and PFDA demonstrated a dose-response relationship with the risk of depressive symptoms. The ROC curve indicated model stability, with recognition accuracy exceeding 90 % in the cross-validation model. The outcomes of qgcomp demonstrated that an increase in serum PFAS concentration was linked to a decreased risk of depressive symptoms in adults (OR: 0.85, 95 %CI: 0.75, 0.96). DISCUSSION Due to the cross-sectional design of this study, it's important to acknowledge the potential for reverse causality between PFAS exposure and depressive symptoms. As a result, the outcomes should not be oversimplified to interpret PFAS exposure as a protective factor against adult depressive symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyi Sun
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Environment and Human Health, Zhongshan East Road 361, Shijiazhuang 050017, Hebei, PR China
| | - Xupu Yang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Environment and Human Health, Zhongshan East Road 361, Shijiazhuang 050017, Hebei, PR China
| | - Yizhe Zhang
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Hebei Medical University, Zhongshan East Road 361, Shijiazhuang 050017, Hebei, PR China
| | - Yi Liu
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Environment and Human Health, Zhongshan East Road 361, Shijiazhuang 050017, Hebei, PR China
| | - Fang Xiao
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Environment and Human Health, Zhongshan East Road 361, Shijiazhuang 050017, Hebei, PR China
| | - Huicai Guo
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Environment and Human Health, Zhongshan East Road 361, Shijiazhuang 050017, Hebei, PR China
| | - Xuehui Liu
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Environment and Human Health, Zhongshan East Road 361, Shijiazhuang 050017, Hebei, PR China.
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Ebel M, Rylander L, Fletcher T, Jakobsson K, Nielsen C. Gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, and gestational diabetes mellitus after high exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances from drinking water in Ronneby, Sweden. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 239:117316. [PMID: 37805182 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117316] [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: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leakage of fire-fighting foam from an airfield caused contamination of the drinking water supplied to a third of the population in Ronneby, resulting in very high serum levels of predominantly perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS). The results of studies investigating the association between exposure to perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) and pregnancy complications are inconsistent, and studies at high exposures of PFOS and PFHxS are lacking. OBJECTIVES To investigate the association between exposure to high levels of PFAS and gestational hypertension and preeclampsia, and gestational diabetes mellitus. METHODS We retrieved data on 27 292 childbirths between 1995 and 2013 from the National Medical Birth Register for women that had a residential address in Blekinge county for at least one year before delivery. Residential history was used as a proxy for exposure by categorizing women into high-, intermediate-, or background exposed based on their residential address during the five-year period before childbirth. Data on confounders were retrieved from administrative registers. The outcomes were defined based on International Classification of Diseases codes. We used logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (OR) for gestational hypertension and preeclampsia, and gestational diabetes mellitus. We also investigated effect modification by fetal sex. RESULTS We found no evidence of increased risk of gestational hypertension and preeclampsia (OR 0.80; CI 0.63-1.03), nor gestational diabetes (OR 1.03; CI 0.67-1.58) after high PFAS exposure. There was no effect modification by fetal sex. DISCUSSION This was the first study to investigate the association between high exposure to PFOS and PFHxS and pregnancy complications. The results from this study add important knowledge to public health management as new hotspots with high levels of PFAS are continuously discovered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matilda Ebel
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
| | - Lars Rylander
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Tony Fletcher
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Kristina Jakobsson
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden; School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Christel Nielsen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden; Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
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Tunioli F, Marforio TD, Favaretto L, Mantovani S, Pintus A, Bianchi A, Kovtun A, Agnes M, Palermo V, Calvaresi M, Navacchia ML, Melucci M. Chemical Tailoring of β-Cyclodextrin-Graphene Oxide for Enhanced Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Adsorption from Drinking Water. Chemistry 2023; 29:e202301854. [PMID: 37548167 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202301854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
We report on the synthesis of β-cyclodextrin (βCD) modified graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets, having different sized alkyl linkers (GO-Cn -βCD) and their exploitation as sorbent of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from drinking water. βCD were functionalized with a pending amino group, and the resulting precursors grafted to GO nanosheets by epoxide ring opening reaction. Loading of βCD units in the range 12 %-36 % was estimated by combined XPS and elemental analysis. Adsorption tests on perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA), a particularly persistent PFAS selected as case study, revealed a strong influence of the alkyl linker length on the adsorption efficiency, with the hexyl linker derivative GO-C6 -βCD outperforming both pristine GO and granular activated carbon (GAC), the standard sorbent benchmark. Molecular dynamic simulations ascribed this evidence to the favorable orientation of the βCD unit on the surface of GO which enables a strong contaminant molecules retention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Tunioli
- Institute for Organic Synthesis and Photoreactivity (ISOF), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Via Gobetti 101, 40129, Bologna, BO, Italy
| | - Tainah D Marforio
- Department of Chemistry "G. Ciamician" Alma Mater Studiorum -, University of Bologna, Via Selmi 2, 40126, Bologna, BO, Italy
| | - Laura Favaretto
- Institute for Organic Synthesis and Photoreactivity (ISOF), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Via Gobetti 101, 40129, Bologna, BO, Italy
| | - Sebastiano Mantovani
- Institute for Organic Synthesis and Photoreactivity (ISOF), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Via Gobetti 101, 40129, Bologna, BO, Italy
| | - Angela Pintus
- Institute for Organic Synthesis and Photoreactivity (ISOF), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Via Gobetti 101, 40129, Bologna, BO, Italy
| | - Antonio Bianchi
- Institute for Organic Synthesis and Photoreactivity (ISOF), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Via Gobetti 101, 40129, Bologna, BO, Italy
| | - Alessandro Kovtun
- Institute for Organic Synthesis and Photoreactivity (ISOF), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Via Gobetti 101, 40129, Bologna, BO, Italy
| | - Marco Agnes
- Institute for Organic Synthesis and Photoreactivity (ISOF), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Via Gobetti 101, 40129, Bologna, BO, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Palermo
- Institute for Organic Synthesis and Photoreactivity (ISOF), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Via Gobetti 101, 40129, Bologna, BO, Italy
- Department of Industrial and Materials Science, Chalmers University of Technology, 41258, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Matteo Calvaresi
- Department of Chemistry "G. Ciamician" Alma Mater Studiorum -, University of Bologna, Via Selmi 2, 40126, Bologna, BO, Italy
| | - Maria Luisa Navacchia
- Institute for Organic Synthesis and Photoreactivity (ISOF), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Via Gobetti 101, 40129, Bologna, BO, Italy
| | - Manuela Melucci
- Institute for Organic Synthesis and Photoreactivity (ISOF), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Via Gobetti 101, 40129, Bologna, BO, Italy
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Law HD, Randall DA, Armstrong BK, D’este C, Lazarevic N, Hosking R, Smurthwaite KS, Trevenar SM, Lucas RM, Clements ACA, Kirk MD, Korda RJ. Relative Risks of Adverse Perinatal Outcomes in Three Australian Communities Exposed to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances: Data Linkage Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:6886. [PMID: 37835156 PMCID: PMC10572760 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20196886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Firefighting foams containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have caused environmental contamination in several Australian residential areas, including Katherine in the Northern Territory (NT), Oakey in Queensland (Qld), and Williamtown in New South Wales (NSW). We examined whether the risks of adverse perinatal outcomes were higher in mothers living in these exposure areas than in selected comparison areas without known contamination. METHODS We linked residential addresses in exposure areas to addresses collected in the jurisdictional Perinatal Data Collections of the NT (1986-2017), Qld (2007-2018), and NSW (1994-2018) to select all pregnancies from mothers who gave birth while living in these areas. We also identified one comparison group for each exposure area by selecting pregnancies where the maternal address was in selected comparison areas. We examined 12 binary perinatal outcomes and three growth measurements. For each exposure area, we estimated relative risks (RRs) of adverse outcomes and differences in means of growth measures, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and other potential confounders. RESULTS We included 16,970 pregnancies from the NT, 4654 from Qld, and 7475 from NSW. We observed elevated risks of stillbirth in Oakey (RR = 2.59, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.25 to 5.39) and of postpartum haemorrhage (RR = 1.94, 95% CI 1.13 to 3.33) and pregnancy-induced hypertension (RR = 1.88, 95% CI 1.30 to 2.73) in Williamtown. The risks of other perinatal outcomes were not materially different from those in the relevant comparison areas or were uncertain due to small numbers of events. CONCLUSIONS There was limited evidence for increased risks of adverse perinatal outcomes in mothers living in areas with PFAS contamination from firefighting foams. We found higher risks of some outcomes in individual areas, but these were not consistent across all areas under study and could have been due to chance, bias, or confounding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsei Di Law
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Deborah A. Randall
- Women and Babies Research, Northern Clinical School, The University of Sydney, St Leonards, NSW 2050, Australia
| | - Bruce K. Armstrong
- School of Population and Global Health, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Catherine D’este
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Nina Lazarevic
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Rose Hosking
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Kayla S. Smurthwaite
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Susan M. Trevenar
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Robyn M. Lucas
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | | | - Martyn D. Kirk
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Rosemary J. Korda
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
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12
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Dunder L, Salihovic S, Elmståhl S, Lind PM, Lind L. Associations between per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and diabetes in two population-based cohort studies from Sweden. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2023; 33:748-756. [PMID: 36964247 PMCID: PMC10541316 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-023-00529-x] [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: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been suggested to contribute to the development of metabolic diseases such as obesity, diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, evidence from epidemiological studies remain divergent. The aim of the present study was to evaluate associations between PFAS exposure and prevalent diabetes in a cross-sectional analysis and fasting glucose in a longitudinal analysis. METHODS In 2373 subjects aged 45-75 years from the EpiHealth study, three PFAS; perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) were analyzed in plasma together with information on prevalent diabetes. Participants in the PIVUS study (n = 1016 at baseline, all aged 70 years) were followed over 10 years regarding changes in plasma levels of six PFAS; PFHxS, PFOA, PFOS, perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), and perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA), and changes in plasma levels of fasting glucose. RESULTS In the EpiHealth study, no overall associations could be observed between the levels of PFOA, PFOS or PFHxS and prevalent diabetes. However, there was a significant sex-interaction for PFOA (p = 0.02), and an inverse association could be seen between PFOA (on a SD-scale) and prevalent diabetes in women only (OR: 0.71, 95% CI: 0.52, 0.96, p-value: 0.02). This association showed a non-monotonic dose-response curve. In the PIVUS study, inverse relationships could be observed between the changes in levels (ln-transformed) of PFOA and PFUnDA vs the change in fasting glucose levels (ln-transformed) over 10 years (p = 0.04 and p = 0.02, respectively). As in EpiHealth, these inverse associations were significant only in women (PFOA: β: -0.03, p = 0.02, PFUnDA: β: -0.03, p = 0.03). IMPACT Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has been linked to unfavorable human health, including metabolic disorders such as obesity, diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. However, results from in vivo, in vitro and epidemiological studies are incoherent. The aim of the present study was therefore to investigate associations between PFAS and diabetes in a cross-sectional study and glucose levels in a longitudinal study. Results show inverse associations in women only. Results also display non-monotonic dose response curves (i.e., that only low levels of PFOA are related to higher probability of prevalent diabetes). This suggests that sex differences and complex molecular mechanisms may underlie the observed findings. A better understanding of the factors and molecular mechanisms contributing to such differences is recognized as an important direction for future research. CONCLUSIONS PFOA was found to be inversely related to both prevalent diabetes and changes in plasma glucose levels among women only. Thus, our findings suggest there are sex differences in the inverse relationship of PFOA and type 2 diabetes and glucose levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Dunder
- 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
| | - P Monica Lind
- Department of Medical Sciences, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lars Lind
- Department of Medical Sciences, Cardiovascular Epidemiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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13
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Andersson AG, Lundgren A, Xu Y, Nielsen C, Lindh CH, Pineda D, Cederlund J, Pataridou E, Søgaard Tøttenborg S, Ugelvig Petersen K, Fletcher T, Lagging M, Bemark M, Jakobsson K, Li Y. High Exposure to Perfluoroalkyl Substances and Antibody Responses to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccine-an Observational Study in Adults from Ronneby, Sweden. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2023; 131:87007. [PMID: 37578904 PMCID: PMC10424820 DOI: 10.1289/ehp11847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widely used, environmentally ubiquitous, and stable chemicals that have been associated with lower vaccine-induced antibody responses in children; however, data on adults are limited. The drinking water from one of the two waterworks in Ronneby, Sweden, was heavily contaminated for decades with PFAS from firefighting foams, primarily perfluorohexane sulfonic acid and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS). Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 offered a unique opportunity to investigate antibody responses to primary vaccination in adults who had been exposed to PFAS. OBJECTIVES Our objective was to evaluate associations between PFAS, across a wide range of exposure levels, and antibody responses in adults 5 wk and 6 months after a two-dose vaccination regime against SARS-CoV-2. METHODS Adults age 20-60 y from Ronneby (n = 309 , median PFOS serum level 47 ng / mL , fifth to 95th percentile 4 - 213 ng / mL ) and a group with background exposure (n = 47 , median PFOS serum level 4 ng / mL ) received two doses of the Spikevax (Moderna) mRNA vaccine. The levels of seven PFAS were measured in serum before vaccination. Serum immunoglobulin G antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 spike antigen (S-Abs) were measured before vaccination and at 5 wk (n = 350 ) and 6 months (n = 329 ) after the second vaccine dose. Linear regression analyses were fitted against current, historical, and prenatal exposure to PFAS, adjusting for sex, age, and smoking, excluding individuals with previous SARS-CoV-2-infection. RESULTS PFAS exposure, regardless of how it was estimated, was not negatively associated with antibody levels 5 wk [current PFOS: - 0.5 % S-Abs/PFOS interquartile range (IQR); 95% confidence interval (CI): - 8 , 7] or 6 months (current PFOS: 3% S-Abs/PFOS IQR; 95% CI: - 6 , 12) after COVID-19 vaccination. DISCUSSION Following a strict study protocol, rigorous study design, and few dropouts, we found no indication that PFAS exposure negatively affected antibody responses to COVID-19 mRNA vaccination for up to 6 months after vaccination. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP11847.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel G Andersson
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Anna Lundgren
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Yiyi Xu
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Christel Nielsen
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Christian H Lindh
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Daniela Pineda
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | | | | | - Sandra Søgaard Tøttenborg
- Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital -Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kajsa Ugelvig Petersen
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital -Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Tony Fletcher
- Department of Public Health, Environments & Society, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Martin Lagging
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Mats Bemark
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 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
| | - Ying Li
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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Wu S, Yuan T, Fu W, Dong H, Zhang Y, Zhang M, Jiang C, Xu Q, Zhang L, Qiang Z. Perfluorinated compound correlation between human serum and drinking water: Is drinking water a significant contributor? THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 873:162471. [PMID: 36842602 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162471] [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: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Perfluorinated compounds (PFASs) are a new artificial chemical. Due to its substantial toxicity and complex degradation in the natural environment, monitoring PFASs has become a hot issue for many researchers. Currently, the relationship between the concentration of PFASs in serum and the concentration of PFASs in drinking water is unclear. This paper aims to study the concentration levels of PFASs in drinking water and residents' serum in a city in northern China and the relationship between them. The results show that the concentration of PFASs in drinking water is low, and the average concentrations of perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) were 2.57 ± 0.69 ng/L and 0.30 ng/L, respectively, which were lower than the limits specified in China's newly introduced Standards for drinking water quality (GB 5749-2022). In the serum of residents, PFOA and PFOS were the two PFASs with the highest concentration. Spearman correlation analysis showed that perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) and PFOS concentrations were positively correlated with age, and PFHxS, PFOA, PFNA, and PFOS varied with sex. At the same time, the correlation analysis also showed no correlation between PFAS in drinking water and serum, indicating that drinking water was not the main factor causing the physical burden of PFAS in residents. The HI method was used to assess the health risks of PFASs to human beings. The risk entropy of all PFASs for human hepatotoxicity and reproductive toxicity is below 1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengnian Wu
- School of Chemical & Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining & Technology-Beijing, Beijing 100083, China; Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Tingting Yuan
- Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Peking University Ninth School of Clinical Medicine, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Wei Fu
- Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Huiyu Dong
- Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Ying Zhang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Man Zhang
- Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Peking University Ninth School of Clinical Medicine, Beijing 100191, China; Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100038, China.
| | - Caifang Jiang
- Guangxi Nanning Water Co., Ltd., Nanning 530029, China
| | - Qian Xu
- Guangxi Nanning Water Co., Ltd., Nanning 530029, China
| | - Liping Zhang
- School of Chemical & Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining & Technology-Beijing, Beijing 100083, China.
| | - Zhimin Qiang
- Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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15
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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. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 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] [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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16
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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] [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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Runkel AA, Stajnko A, Snoj Tratnik J, Mazej D, Horvat M, Přibylová P, Kosjek T. Exposure of children and adolescents from Northeastern Slovenia to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 321:138096. [PMID: 36773682 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are of high concern for the environment, wildlife, and human health due to their persistence and potential to cause adverse health effects. Despite political measures to restrict the production and distribution of PFAS and to limit the exposure of populations, PFAS can be measured at commonly high detection frequencies in human samples. Thus, this pilot study aimed to determine the serum concentrations of PFPA, PFHpA, PFOA, PFNA, PFDA, PFUnDA, PFHxS, PFHpS, PFOS, PFHxA, PFDoDA, and PFBS in 113 girls and 112 boys (age 7-10 and 12-15) from Northeastern Slovenia - a rural area characterized by agricultural activities - and to identify potential sources of exposure using questionnaire data. PFAS were analysed by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry after phospholipid removal. 9 out of 12 analytes were detected at detection frequencies above 30%, with the highest geometric means (GM) being observed for PFOS (GM 1.9 ng/mL) > PFOA (GM 1.0 ng/mL) > PFHxS (GM 0.3 ng/mL) = PFNA (GM 0.3 ng/mL). We identified the participants' socio-economic status, age, sex, sampling region, public water supply, and the consumption of fish and seafood, cereals, and locally produced fruits, vegetables, and mushrooms as the predominant determinants of exposure. Furthermore, we compared our results with the serum and plasma concentrations reported for similar age groups in other studies and concluded that PFAS exposure in this highly agricultural area in Slovenia is notably low. This is the first study systematic HBM study of PFAS exposure in Slovenia, although it was conducted on a limited number of participants representative of rural and agricultural areas, it represents a good basis for upgrading the approach to a nationwide HBM study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agneta A Runkel
- Jožef Stefan Institute, Department of Environmental Sciences, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Anja Stajnko
- Jožef Stefan Institute, Department of Environmental Sciences, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Janja Snoj Tratnik
- Jožef Stefan Institute, Department of Environmental Sciences, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Darja Mazej
- Jožef Stefan Institute, Department of Environmental Sciences, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Milena Horvat
- Jožef Stefan Institute, Department of Environmental Sciences, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Petra Přibylová
- RECETOX (Research Center for Toxic Compounds in the Environment), Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tina Kosjek
- Jožef Stefan Institute, Department of Environmental Sciences, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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18
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Blomberg AJ, Haug LS, Lindh C, Sabaredzovic A, Pineda D, Jakobsson K, Nielsen C. Changes in perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) concentrations in human milk over the course of lactation: A study in Ronneby mother-child cohort. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 219:115096. [PMID: 36529327 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.115096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Little is known about how PFAS concentrations in human milk change over the course of lactation, although this is an important determinant of cumulative infant exposure from breastfeeding. OBJECTIVE To estimate changes in PFAS concentrations in human milk over the course of lactation in a population with a wide range of exposure from background-to high-exposed. METHODS We measured PFAS concentrations in colostrum and mature milk samples from women in the Ronneby Mother-Child Cohort. For each PFAS, we estimated the change in concentration from colostrum collected 3-4 days postpartum to mature milk collected 4-12 weeks postpartum using linear mixed-effects models. We evaluated whether this estimated change varied by quartiles of colostrum concentrations. In a subset of mothers with at least three mature milk samples, we estimated the change in concentration per month over the first eight months of lactation. RESULTS Our study included 77 mother-child pairs, of whom 74 had colostrum and initial mature milk samples and 11 had three or more repeated samples. The concentration change from colostrum to mature milk varied by PFAS. While PFOS increased by 21% (95% CI: 8.9, 35), PFOA decreased by 17% (95% CI: -28, -3.5) and PFHxS decreased by 12% (95% CI: -24, 3.3). In addition, PFAS concentrations tended to increase in women with lower colostrum levels, but decreased or remained the same in women with high colostrum concentrations. When we estimated changes over the course of lactation, we found that PFOA concentrations decreased the most (-12% per month; 95% CI: -22, -1.5), whereas PFHxS and PFOS showed small nonsignificant decreases. CONCLUSIONS Models for cumulative infancy exposure from breastfeeding need to account for differences in concentration trajectories by PFAS and possibly by maternal exposure level. Additional research is needed to evaluate the relative exposure from breastfeeding vs prenatal exposure, especially in highly exposed communities where breastfeeding guidance is urgently needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annelise J Blomberg
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden; Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States.
| | - Line S Haug
- Department of Food Safety, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Christian Lindh
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Daniela Pineda
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Kristina Jakobsson
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Christel Nielsen
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden; Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
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Johanson G, Gyllenhammar I, Ekstrand C, Pyko A, Xu Y, Li Y, Norström K, Lilja K, Lindh C, Benskin JP, Georgelis A, Forsell K, Jakobsson K, Glynn A, Vogs C. Quantitative relationships of perfluoroalkyl acids in drinking water associated with serum concentrations above background in adults living near contamination hotspots in Sweden. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 219:115024. [PMID: 36535390 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.115024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Contaminated drinking water (DW) is a major source of exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at locations around PFAS production/use facilities and military airports. This study aimed to investigate quantitative relationships between concentrations in DW and serum of nine perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in Swedish adult populations living near contamination hotspots. Short-chained (PFPeA, PFHxA, PFHpA, and PFBS) and long-chained PFAAs (PFOA, PFNA, PFDA, PFHxS and PFOS) were measured in DW and serum. We matched DW and serum concentrations for a total of 398 subjects living or working in areas receiving contaminated DW and in one non-contaminated area. Thereafter, linear regression analysis with and without adjustments for co-variates was conducted. This enabled to derive (i) serum concentrations at background exposure (CB) from sources other than local DW exposure (i.e. food, dust and textiles) at 0 ng/L DW concentration, (ii) population-mean PFAA serum:water ratios (SWR) and (iii) PFAA concentrations in DW causing observable elevated serum PFAA concentrations above background variability. Median concentrations of the sum of nine PFAAs ranged between 2.8 and 1790 ng/L in DW and between 7.6 and 96.9 ng/mL in serum. DW concentration was the strongest predictor, resulting in similar unadjusted and adjusted regression coefficients. Mean CB ranged from <0.1 (PFPeA, PFHpA, PFBS) to 5.1 ng/mL (PFOS). Serum concentrations increased significantly with increasing DW concentrations for all PFAAs except for PFPeA with SWRs ranging from <10 (PFHxA, PFHpA and PFBS) to 111 (PFHxS). Observed elevated serum concentrations above background variability were reached at DW concentrations between 24 (PFOA) and 357 ng/L (PFHxA). The unadjusted linear regression predictions agreed well with serum concentrations previously reported in various populations exposed to low and high DW levels of PFOA, PFHxS and PFOS. The quantitative relationships derived herein should be helpful to translate PFAA concentrations in DW to concentrations in serum at the population level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gunnar Johanson
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Box 7028, 750 07, Uppsala, Sweden; Unit of Integrative Toxicology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, P.O. Box 210, SE 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Irina Gyllenhammar
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Box 7028, 750 07, Uppsala, Sweden; Swedish Food Agency, Box 622, 751 26, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Carl Ekstrand
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Box 7028, 750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Andrei Pyko
- Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, Region Stockholm, Sweden; Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Yiyi Xu
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, P.O Box 414, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ying Li
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, P.O Box 414, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Karin Norström
- Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, Circular Economy Department, 106 48, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Karl Lilja
- Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, Circular Economy Department, 106 48, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Christian Lindh
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Antonios Georgelis
- Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, Region Stockholm, Sweden; Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Karl Forsell
- Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Norrland University Hospital, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Kristina Jakobsson
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, P.O Box 414, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden; Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Box 414, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Anders Glynn
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Box 7028, 750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Carolina Vogs
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Box 7028, 750 07, Uppsala, Sweden.
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20
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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] [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,*Correspondence: Ying Gao,
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21
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Xu Y, Hansson E, Andersson EM, Jakobsson K, Li H. High exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances in drinking water is associated with increased risk of osteoporotic fractures - A cohort study from Ronneby, Sweden. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 217:114796. [PMID: 36375499 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been reported to be related to decreased bone mineral density, but the relationship with osteoporosis and fractures is less studied. This study aimed to investigate the risks of osteoporotic fractures in a Swedish population with long-term exposure to PFAS through drinking water. METHODS The Ronneby Register Cohort, including 61,504 individuals who had ever lived in Ronneby during 1985-2013, was used. Exposure to PFAS was assessed according to the yearly residential address with or without highly contaminated water supply and was categorized as 'never-high' and 'ever-high' exposure. The 'ever-high' exposure was further divided into 'early-high' and 'late-high' depending on if the exposure was before or after 2005. Inpatient and outpatient hospital diagnoses of fractures were retrieved from the National Patient Register. Major osteoporotic fractures (MOF, i.e., hip, vertebrae, proximal humerus and distal forearm fractures), and hip fractures were considered as the primary outcomes. Cox proportional hazard models with time-varying exposure were used to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs). Stratified analyses were performed in each sex and age group (<50 yrs and ≥ 50 yrs). RESULTS Elevated risks of MOF (HR 1.11, 95% CI 1.03-1.19) and hip fractures (1.12, 1.00-1.24) were observed when comparing 'ever-high' to 'never-high' exposure. The HRs were even higher for 'late-high' exposure (MOF: 1.29, 1.16-1.44; hip fractures: 1.22, 1.01-1.47). Further adjustment for highest achieved education slightly attenuated the estimates. Individuals above 50 years old showed even higher HR estimates. Similar patterns were found for all fractures. CONCLUSION Our results provide further evidence supporting the adverse effects of PFAS on osteoporosis. A better understanding of dose-response relationships as a basis for risk assessment is warranted.
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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.
| | - Emelie Hansson
- Psychiatric Clinic, Kungälv Hospital, Västra Götalandsregionen, 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
| | - 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
| | - Huiqi Li
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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22
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Wallis DJ, Barton KE, Knappe DRU, Kotlarz N, McDonough CA, Higgins CP, Hoppin JA, Adgate JL. Source apportionment of serum PFASs in two highly exposed communities. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 855:158842. [PMID: 36122706 PMCID: PMC10564447 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are synthetic chemicals that are ubiquitous in environmental and biological systems, including human serum. PFASs are used in many products and industrial processes and are tied to numerous health effects. Due to multiple sources and exposure pathways, methods are needed to identify PFAS sources in communities to develop targeted interventions. We assessed effectiveness of three source apportionment methods (UNMIX, positive matrix factorization [PMF], and principal component analysis - multiple linear regression [PCA-MLR]) for identifying contributors to human serum PFAS concentrations in two highly exposed populations in Colorado and North Carolina where drinking water was contaminated via upstream sources, including a Space Force base and a fluorochemical manufacturing plant. UNMIX and PMF models extracted three to four potential PFAS exposure sources in the Colorado and North Carolina cohorts while PCA-MLR classified two in each cohort. No sources were characterized in NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Study). Results suggest that these three methods can successfully identify sources in highly exposed populations. Future PFAS exposure research should focus on analyzing serum for an expanded PFAS panel, identifying cohorts with other distinct point source exposures, and combining biological and environmental data to better understand source apportionment results in the context of PFAS toxicokinetic behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dylan J Wallis
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.
| | - Kelsey E Barton
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Detlef R U Knappe
- Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7908, USA; Center for Human Health and the Environment (CHHE), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Nadine Kotlarz
- Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7908, USA; Center for Human Health and the Environment (CHHE), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Carrie A McDonough
- Department of Civil Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Christopher P Higgins
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, USA
| | - Jane A Hoppin
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA; Center for Human Health and the Environment (CHHE), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - John L Adgate
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
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23
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Criswell RL, Wang Y, Christensen B, Botelho JC, Calafat AM, Peterson LA, Huset CA, Karagas MR, Romano ME. Concentrations of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Paired Maternal Plasma and Human Milk in the New Hampshire Birth Cohort. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:463-472. [PMID: 36574487 PMCID: PMC9837617 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c05555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are environmentally persistent endocrine-disrupting chemicals associated with long-term health outcomes. PFAS are transferred from maternal blood to human milk, an important exposure source for infants, and understanding of this transfer is evolving. We characterized concentrations of 10 PFAS in human milk (n = 426) and compared milk-to-plasma concentrations of 9 PFAS among a subset of women with paired samples (n = 294) from the New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study using liquid chromatography-isotope dilution tandem mass spectrometry. We examined the relationship between perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in plasma versus milk and fit linear regression models to assess relationships between milk PFOA and PFOS and participant characteristics. The median plasma PFOA concentration was 0.94 ng/mL (interquartile range, IQR, 0.59-1.34) and that of PFOS was 2.60 ng/mL (IQR 1.80-3.90); the median milk PFOA concentration was 0.017 ng/mL (IQR 0.012-0.027) and that of PFOS was 0.024 ng/mL (IQR 0.016-0.036). PFOA and PFOS plasma and milk concentrations showed correlations of ρ = 0.83 and 0.77, respectively (p < 0.001). Parity, previous lactation, week of milk collection, and body mass index were inversely associated with milk PFAS. We estimate that even among our general population cohort, some infants (∼6.5%) are exposed to amounts of PFAS via milk that may have long-term health impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yuting Wang
- Department of Epidemiology, The Geisel
School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire 03755,
United States
| | - Brock Christensen
- Department of Epidemiology, The Geisel
School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire 03755,
United States
| | - Julianne C. Botelho
- Division of Laboratory Sciences, Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333,
United States
| | - Antonia M. Calafat
- Division of Laboratory Sciences, Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333,
United States
| | - Lisa A. Peterson
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences,
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455,
United States
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of
Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United
States
| | - Carin A. Huset
- Minnesota Department of Health,
St. Paul, Minnesota 55101, United States
| | - Margaret R. Karagas
- Department of Epidemiology, The Geisel
School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire 03755,
United States
| | - Megan E. Romano
- Department of Epidemiology, The Geisel
School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire 03755,
United States
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24
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Blomberg AJ, Norén E, Haug LS, Lindh C, Sabaredzovic A, Pineda D, Jakobsson K, Nielsen C. Estimated Transfer of Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) from Maternal Serum to Breast Milk in Women Highly Exposed from Contaminated Drinking Water: A Study in the Ronneby Mother-Child Cohort. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2023; 131:17005. [PMID: 36688826 PMCID: PMC9869870 DOI: 10.1289/ehp11292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Infancy perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure from breastfeeding is partially determined by the transfer efficiencies (TEs) of PFAS from maternal serum into breast milk. However, to our knowledge there are no studies of such TEs in highly exposed populations. OBJECTIVES We estimated the TEs of PFAS from maternal serum into colostrum and breast milk in a cohort of women with a wide range of PFAS exposures. METHODS The Ronneby Mother-Child Cohort was established in 2015 after PFAS contamination was discovered in the public drinking water of Ronneby, Sweden. We measured seven PFAS in matched samples of maternal serum at delivery and colostrum and breast milk. We calculated the TE (in percentage) as the ratio of PFAS in colostrum or breast milk to serum multiplied by 100 and evaluated whether TEs varied by PFAS, lactation stage, or exposure level using a series of linear mixed-effects models with a random intercept for each woman. RESULTS This study included 126 mothers. PFAS associated with firefighting foams [i.e., perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS)] were substantially elevated in the serum, colostrum, and breast milk samples of highly exposed women in the cohort and showed strong correlation. PFHxS and PFOS also contributed the largest fraction of total PFAS on average in colostrum and breast milk. Median TEs varied from 0.9% to 4.3% and were higher for perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids, including perfluorooctanoic acid, than perfluoroalkane sulfonic acids, including PFHxS and PFOS. TEs varied by exposure level, but there was not a consistent pattern in this variation. DISCUSSION PFAS concentrations in the colostrum and breast milk of highly exposed women were higher than the concentrations in low-exposed women, and TEs were of a similar magnitude across exposure categories. This implies that breastfeeding may be an important route of PFAS exposure for breastfeeding infants with highly exposed mothers, although the relative contribution of breastfeeding vs. prenatal transplacental transfer remains to be clarified. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP11292.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annelise J. Blomberg
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Erika Norén
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Line S. Haug
- Department of Food Safety, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Christian Lindh
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Daniela Pineda
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Kristina Jakobsson
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Christel Nielsen
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
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25
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Developmental language disorders in preschool children after high exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances from contaminated drinking water in Ronneby, Sweden. ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY (PHILADELPHIA, PA.) 2022; 7:e233. [PMID: 36777530 PMCID: PMC9916036 DOI: 10.1097/ee9.0000000000000233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
There are indications that early-life exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) can impact neurodevelopment, but results are inconclusive. The objective was to investigate if high early-life exposure to primarily perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) increases the risk of developmental language disorder in children up to seven years of age. Methods A register-based cohort of all children born 1998-2013 in Blekinge county, Sweden, was studied. Maternal residential history, that is, with or without highly PFAS-contaminated drinking water, during the 5-year period before childbirth was used as a proxy for early-life exposure. Exposure was categorized as high (n = 646), intermediate (n = 1,650), or background (n = 9,599). We used Cox proportional hazards regression to estimate hazard ratios (HR) for (1) referral to a speech- and language pathologist after routine screening at Child Health Services, and (2) subsequent language disorder diagnosis after clinical assessment. Models were adjusted for parity, maternal age, education level, and smoking, and explored effect modification by sex. Results In children from the high-exposed area, the adjusted HR for referral was 1.23 (95% CI = 1.03, 1.47) and 1.13 (95% CI = 0.97, 1.56) for subsequent diagnosis. There was no increased risk in the intermediate exposure category. Conclusion Children, particularly girls, with high exposure had an increased risk of both referral and confirmed developmental language disorder. Further research is needed on PFAS in the context of general neurodevelopment, for which language development is a proxy.
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26
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Nübler S, Esteban López M, Castaño A, Mol HGJ, Haji-Abbas-Zarrabi K, Schäfer M, Müller J, Hajslova J, Dvorakova D, Antignac JP, Koch HM, Haug LS, Vorkamp K, Göen T. Interlaboratory Comparison Investigations (ICIs) and External Quality Assurance Schemes (EQUASs) for human biomonitoring of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in serum as part of the quality assurance programme under HBM4EU. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 847:157481. [PMID: 35868372 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are of very high concern due to their persistence and accumulative behaviour as well as their manifold adverse health effects. Human biomonitoring (HBM) based on the determination of PFASs in serum samples is an adequate and established strategy for exposure and risk assessment of the population. The suspected health risks associated with exposure levels in the general population call for reliable HBM data verified by Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC) measures. PFASs were among the chemicals selected as priority substances in HBM4EU, a pan-European project to harmonize and advance HBM within 30 European countries. For this purpose, the analytical comparability and accuracy of PFASs-analysing laboratories was assessed in a QA/QC programme comprising Interlaboratory Comparison Investigations (ICIs) and External Quality Assurance Schemes (EQUASs). This paper presents the evaluation process and discusses the results of four ICI/EQUAS rounds for the determination of eight perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids and four perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids (PFBS, PFHxS, PFHpS, PFOS) in serum. All 21 participating laboratories achieved satisfactory results for at least six of these biomarkers, although low limits of quantification (of about 0.1 μg/L) were required to quantify serum PFAS levels at general population exposure levels. The mean relative standard deviation of the participants' results (study RSDR) significantly improved from 22 % to 13 % over all PFAS biomarkers in the course of the four rounds. This QA/QC programme succeeded in establishing a network of laboratories with high analytical comparability and accuracy for the analysis of PFASs across 12 European countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Nübler
- Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Institute and Outpatient Clinic of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Henkestraße 9-11, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Marta Esteban López
- National Center for Environmental Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Ctra. Majadahonda a Pozuelo km2,2, 28220 Madrid, Spain
| | - Argelia Castaño
- National Center for Environmental Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Ctra. Majadahonda a Pozuelo km2,2, 28220 Madrid, Spain
| | - Hans G J Mol
- Wageningen Food Safety Research, part of Wageningen University and Research, Akkermaalsbos 2, 6708 WB Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Karin Haji-Abbas-Zarrabi
- Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Institute and Outpatient Clinic of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Henkestraße 9-11, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Moritz Schäfer
- Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Institute and Outpatient Clinic of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Henkestraße 9-11, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Johannes Müller
- Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Institute and Outpatient Clinic of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Henkestraße 9-11, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jana Hajslova
- University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Department of Food Analysis and Nutrition, Technicka 5, 16028 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Darina Dvorakova
- University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Department of Food Analysis and Nutrition, Technicka 5, 16028 Prague, Czech Republic
| | | | - Holger M Koch
- Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance, Institute of the Ruhr-University Bochum (IPA), Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, 44789, Bochum, Germany
| | - Line Småstuen Haug
- Department of Food Safety, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Katrin Vorkamp
- Aarhus University, Department of Environmental Science, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Thomas Göen
- Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Institute and Outpatient Clinic of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Henkestraße 9-11, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
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Menegatto M, Lezzi S, Musolino M, Zamperini A. The Psychological Impact of Per- and Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Pollution in the Veneto Region, Italy: A Qualitative Study with Parents. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:14761. [PMID: 36429487 PMCID: PMC9690247 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192214761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Little is known about the psychosocial impact on people who live in polluted areas, and its consequences for the parental role have been neglected. This study addresses this gap, proposing qualitative research referring to the case of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) water pollution in the Veneto Region of Italy. The purpose of this study was to investigate the chronic exposure contamination (CEC) experience of parents. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 32 parents living in the so-called 'Red Area' considered to have had maximum exposure. Grounded theory was used to analyse the data. The three themes to emerge were three phases of a dynamic process: shock around the discovery (phase 1), lifestyle change (phase 2), and living with PFAS (phase 3). The two transitions (loss of innocence and environmental adaptation) linked the phases. Our findings show that PFAS CEC experience is a process whereby parents need to move from the shock of discovery to adapting to the new situation in order to incorporate a change into their daily life, especially in regard to children. Two emerging aspects that characterised the process as a constant were uncertainty and health concerns, while role strains could be a stress source in the context of CEC. We suggest introducing the notion of chronic role strain (CRS).
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Jain RB, Ducatman A. Associations between the concentrations of α-klotho and selected perfluoroalkyl substances in the presence of eGFR based kidney function and albuminuria: Data for US adults aged 40-79 years. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 838:155994. [PMID: 35595139 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Exposures to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) cause oxidative stress, a risk factor for tissue damage leading to kidney and cardiovascular diseases. The antiaging protein klotho is known to act as an anti-oxidative agent, and how klotho homeostasis interacts with PFAS has not been reported. This study among 3981 US adults aged 40-79 years old evaluated relationships of internal PFAS contamination to α-klotho across stages of estimated glomerular filtration rate or eGFR-based kidney function and albuminuria defined as urinary albumin creatinine ratio of >30 mg/g creatinine. In the absence of albuminuria and when eGFR based kidney function was in stage GF-1 (eGFR ≥ 90 mL/min/1.73 m2), statistically significant inverse associations between α-klotho and PFNA (β = -0.04930, p < 0.01), PFDA (β = -0.03307, p = 0.02), and PFUnDA (β = -0.03451, p = 0.01), PFHxS (β = -0.03011, p = 0.04) and PFOS (β = -0.03126, p = 0.03) were noted. No associations between α-klotho and PFAS were observed when kidney function was in stages GF-2 (60 ≤ eGFR < 90 mL/min/1.73 m2) or GF-3A (45 ≤ eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2) in the presence or absence of albuminuria. Unexpectedly, however, in the absence of albuminuria, with kidney function in stage GF-3B/4 (15 ≤ eGFR < 45 mL/min/1.73 m2), associations were positive between α-klotho and PFOA (β = 0.20989, p < 0.01), PFNA (β = 0.18373, p < 0.1), PFDA (β = 0.20413, p < 0.01), PFUnDA (β = 0.17660, p < 0.01), and PFOS (β = 0.14267, p < 0.01). The inverse relationship of PFAS to the antioxidant protein α-klotho in those with healthy kidney function has not been previously reported and should be evaluated in other populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ram B Jain
- Independent Researcher, Loganville, GA, USA.
| | - Alan Ducatman
- West Virginia School of Public Health, Morgantown, WV, USA
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Babayev M, Capozzi SL, Miller P, McLaughlin KR, Medina SS, Byrne S, Zheng G, Salamova A. PFAS in drinking water and serum of the people of a southeast Alaska community: A pilot study. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 305:119246. [PMID: 35367506 PMCID: PMC9090981 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have become a target of rigorous scientific research due to their ubiquitous nature and adverse health effects. However, there are still gaps in knowledge about their environmental fate and health implications. More attention is needed for remote locations with source exposures. This study focuses on assessing PFAS exposure in Gustavus, a small Alaska community, located near a significant PFAS source from airport operations and fire training sites. Residential water (n = 25) and serum (n = 40) samples were collected from Gustavus residents and analyzed for 39 PFAS compounds. In addition, two water samples were collected from the previously identified PFAS source near the community. Fourteen distinct PFAS were detected in Gustavus water samples, including 6 perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs), 7 perfluorosulfonic acids (PFSAs), and 1 fluorotelomer sulfonate (FTS). ΣPFAS concentrations in residential drinking water ranged from not detected to 120 ng/L. High ΣPFAS levels were detected in two source samples collected from the Gustavus Department of Transportation (14,600 ng/L) and the Gustavus Airport (228 ng/L), confirming these two locations as a nearby major source of PFAS contamination. Seventeen PFAS were detected in serum and ΣPFAS concentrations ranged from 0.0170 to 13.1 ng/mL (median 0.0823 ng/mL). Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) were the most abundant PFAS in both water and serum samples and comprised up to 70% of ΣPFAS concentrations in these samples. Spearman's correlation analysis revealed PFAS concentrations in water and sera were significantly and positively correlated (r = 0.495; p = 0.0192). Our results confirm a presence of a significant PFAS source near Gustavus, Alaska and suggest that contaminated drinking water from private wells contributes to the overall PFAS body burden in Gustavus residents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maksat Babayev
- School of Public Health, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, United States
| | - Staci L Capozzi
- O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Bloomington, Indiana 47405 United States
| | - Pamela Miller
- Alaska Community Action on Toxics, Anchorage, AK 99518, United States
| | | | | | - Samuel Byrne
- Department of Biology, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT 05753, United States
| | - Guomao Zheng
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Amina Salamova
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, United States.
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Li XQ, Hua ZL, Zhang JY, Gu L. Ecotoxicological responses and removal of submerged macrophyte Hydrilla verticillate to multiple perfluoroalkyl acid (PFAA) pollutants in aquatic environments. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 825:153919. [PMID: 35189236 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2021] [Revised: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The ubiquitous existence of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in aquatic environments might pose toxic potential to ecosystems. To assess the ecotoxicological responses and removal of submerged macrophyte to multiple PFAA pollutants in aquatic environments, a typical submerged macrophyte, Hydrilla verticillate, was exposed to solutions with 12 typical PFAAs in the present study. The results showed that PFAAs at concentrations higher than 10 μg/L had significantly passive effects on biomass, relative growth rates, chlorophyll contents, and chlorophyll autofluorescence. PFAAs could induce the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxidation in H. verticillate. Significant upregulation of CAT was observed in treatments with more than 10 μg/L PFAAs (p < 0.05). The results also showed that 13.53-20.01% and 19.73-37.72% of PFAAs could be removed in treatments without plants and with H. verticillate, respectively. The removal rates of PFAAs were significantly correlated with perfluoroalkyl chain length in treatments with H. verticillate. The removal of PFAAs was suggested to be related to the uptake of plant tissues and biosorption of microbiota. Furthermore, the dominant microbiota and biomarkers were identified in water and biofilm. Betaproteobacteriales was the most dominant microbiota at the order level. The presence of PFAAs could significantly increase the relative abundance of Micrococcales, Verrucomicrobiales, Rhizobiales, Sphingomonadales, Roseomonas, Cyanobium_PCC_6307, and Synechococcales. Our results provide scientific basis for evaluating the ecotoxicological responses and removal of submerged macrophytes in response to multiple PFAA pollutants at environmentally relevant levels, thereby providing insights into PFAA management and removal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Qing Li
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, PR China; Yangtze Institute for Conservation and Development, Jiangsu 210098, PR China.
| | - Zu-Lin Hua
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, PR China; Yangtze Institute for Conservation and Development, Jiangsu 210098, PR China.
| | - Jian-Yun Zhang
- Yangtze Institute for Conservation and Development, Jiangsu 210098, PR China.
| | - Li Gu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, PR China; Yangtze Institute for Conservation and Development, Jiangsu 210098, PR China.
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Nyström J, Benskin JP, Plassmann M, Sandblom O, Glynn A, Lampa E, Gyllenhammar I, Moraeus L, Lignell S. Demographic, life-style and physiological determinants of serum per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) concentrations in a national cross-sectional survey of Swedish adolescents. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 208:112674. [PMID: 34998808 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.112674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/02/2022] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
PER: and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) may affect adolescent health, yet factors related to PFAS concentrations in serum are poorly understood. We studied demographic, life-style and physiological determinants of serum PFAS concentrations in Swedish adolescents from a nation-wide survey, Riksmaten Adolescents 2016-17 (RMA, age 10-21 years, n = 1098). Serum samples were analyzed for 42 PFAS, using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The cumulative probability model was used to estimate associations between serum PFAS and determinants, using ordinal logistic regression. Legacy linear (lin-) perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononaoic acid (PFNA), perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA), lin-perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) and lin-/branched (br-) perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) were quantifiable in ≥70% of the samples. The emerging PFAS 9-chlorohexanedecafluoro-3-oxanone-1-sulfonic acid (9Cl-PF3ONS) was quantified in 5.4% of the samples, suggesting initiation of long-range transport far from production sites. Median concentrations of all legacy PFAS were <2 ng/g serum, with a few participants having very high (>100 ng/g serum) lin-PFHxS and lin-/br-PFOS concentrations due to previous high exposure from PFAS-contaminated drinking water. Legacy PFAS exposure was strongly associated with birth country of the participants and their mothers. 2-fold higher estimated adjusted mean (EAM) concentrations were seen among high income country participants with mothers from high income countries than among low/lower-middle income country participants with mothers from the same category. Menstruating females had lower br-PFOS EAM concentrations than those who were not. Iron status (plasma ferritin) among females may be a marker of intensity of menstrual bleeding, but it was not significantly associated with legacy PFAS concentrations among females. Further studies are needed to determine how physiological changes occurring around menstruation affect the toxicokinetics of PFAS in females. In conclusion, PFAS are pollutants of the industrialized world and some of the identified determinants may be overlooked confounders/effect modifiers that should be included in future PFAS/health studies among adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Nyström
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Jonathan P Benskin
- Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry (ACES), Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Merle Plassmann
- Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry (ACES), Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Oskar Sandblom
- Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry (ACES), Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anders Glynn
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Erik Lampa
- Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Irina Gyllenhammar
- Department of Risk and Benefit Assessment, Swedish Food Agency, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lotta Moraeus
- Department of Risk and Benefit Assessment, Swedish Food Agency, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sanna Lignell
- Department of Risk and Benefit Assessment, Swedish Food Agency, Uppsala, Sweden
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Ducatman A, LaPier J, Fuoco R, DeWitt JC. Official health communications are failing PFAS-contaminated communities. Environ Health 2022; 21:51. [PMID: 35538533 PMCID: PMC9092686 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-022-00857-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Environmental health agencies are critical sources of information for communities affected by chemical contamination. Impacted residents and their healthcare providers often turn to federal and state agency webpages, fact sheets, and other documents to weigh exposure risks and interventions. MAIN BODY This commentary briefly reviews scientific evidence concerning per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) for health outcomes that concern members of affected communities and that have compelling or substantial yet differing degree of scientific evidence. It then features official documents in their own language to illustrate communication gaps, as well as divergence from scientific evidence and from best health communication practice. We found official health communications mostly do not distinguish between the needs of heavily contaminated communities characterized by high body burdens and the larger population with ubiquitous but substantially smaller exposures. Most health communications do not distinguish levels of evidence for health outcomes and overemphasize uncertainty, dismissing legitimate reasons for concern in affected communities. Critically, few emphasize helpful approaches to interventions. We also provide examples that can be templates for improvement. CONCLUSIONS Immediate action should be undertaken to review and improve official health communications intended to inform the public and health providers about the risks of PFAS exposure and guide community and medical decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Ducatman
- School of Public Health, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA.
| | - Jonas LaPier
- Green Science Policy Institute, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | - Jamie C DeWitt
- Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA
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Qin W, Ren X, Zhao L, Guo L. Exposure to perfluorooctane sulfonate reduced cell viability and insulin release capacity of β cells. J Environ Sci (China) 2022; 115:162-172. [PMID: 34969446 DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2021.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are found to have multiple adverse outcomes on human health. Recently, epidemiological and toxicological studies showed that exposure to PFAS had adverse impacts on pancreas and showed association with insulin abnormalities. To explore how PFAS may contribute to diabetes, we studied impacts of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) on cell viability and insulin release capacity of pancreatic β cells by using in vivo and in vitro methods. We found that 28-day administration with PFOS (10 mg/(kg body weight•day)) caused reductions of pancreas weight and islet size in male mice. PFOS administration also led to lower serum insulin level both in fasting state and after glucose infusion among male mice. For cell-based in vitro bioassay, we used mouse β-TC-6 cancer cells and found 48-hr exposure to PFOS decreased the cell viability at 50 μmol/L. By measuring insulin content in supernatant, 48-hr pretreatment of PFOS (100 μmol/L) decreased the insulin release capacity of β-TC-6 cells after glucose stimulation. Although these concentrations were higher than the environmental concentration of PFOS, it might be reasonable for high concentration of PFOS to exert observable toxic effects in mice considering mice had a faster removal efficiency of PFOS than human. PFOS exposure (50 μmol/L) to β-TC-6 cells induced intracellular accumulation of reactive oxidative specie (ROS). Excessive ROS induced the reactive toxicity of cells, which eventually invoke apoptosis and necrosis. Results in this study provide evidence for the possible causal link of exposure to PFOS and diabetes risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiping Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Eco-toxicology, Research Center for Eco-environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Xiaomin Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Eco-toxicology, Research Center for Eco-environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Lixia Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Eco-toxicology, Research Center for Eco-environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Lianghong Guo
- Institute of Environmental and Health Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China.
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Li Y, Andersson A, Xu Y, Pineda D, Nilsson CA, Lindh CH, Jakobsson K, Fletcher T. Determinants of serum half-lives for linear and branched perfluoroalkyl substances after long-term high exposure-A study in Ronneby, Sweden. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2022; 163:107198. [PMID: 35447437 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent substances with surfactant and repellent properties. Municipal drinking water contaminated with PFAS had been distributed for decades to one third of households in Ronneby, Sweden. The source was firefighting foam used in a nearby airfield since the mid-1980s. Clean water was provided from December 16, 2013. AIMS The purpose was to estimate serum half-lives and their determinants in the study population for different PFAS. METHODS Up to ten blood samples were collected between 2014 and 2018 from 114 participants (age 4-84 years at entry, 53% female). 19 PFAS were analysed. Linear mixed models were used to estimate the half-lives. RESULTS Eight PFAS were increased in Ronneby: perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluoropentane sulfonate (PFPeS), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), perfluoroheptane sulfonate (PFHpS), linear perfluorooctane sulfonate (L-PFOS) and three branched perfluorooctane sulfonates (1 m-PFOS, 3/4/5m-PFOS and 2/6m-PFOS). The mean estimated half-lives (in years) were 0.94 (95 %CI 0.86-1.02) for PFPeS, 2.47 (2.27-2.7) for PFOA, 2.67 (2.51-2.85) for 2/6m-PFOS, 2.73 (2.55-2.92) for L-PFOS, 3.43 (3.19-3.71) for 3/4/5m-PFOS, 4.52 (4.14-4.99) for PFHxS, 4.55 (4.14-5.06) for PFHpS, and 5.01 (4.56-5.55) for 1 m-PFOS. The most important determinants of a shorter half-life were young age, and better kidney function measured by estimated glomerular filtration rate and ratio of paired urine and serum PFAS levels, followed by female sex during their fertile period aged 15-50. Markers of gut inflammation and reduced permeability i.e. zonulin and calprotectin were also possibly associated with shorter half-life. The results also suggested a time-dependent PFAS elimination process, with more rapid elimination in the first year after the end of exposure. CONCLUSION The half-life estimates are in line with past estimates for some PFAS such as PFOA, and the novel results for different PFOS isomers. These results provide observational support for elimination routes - renal, fecal and maternal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Li
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Axel Andersson
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Yiyi Xu
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Daniela Pineda
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Carina A Nilsson
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Christian H Lindh
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Kristina Jakobsson
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Tony Fletcher
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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Li H, Hammarstrand S, Midberg B, Xu Y, Li Y, Olsson DS, Fletcher T, Jakobsson K, Andersson EM. Cancer incidence in a Swedish cohort with high exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances in drinking water. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 204:112217. [PMID: 34662573 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The use of firefighting foams at a military airport resulted in high levels of perfluorinated substances (PFAS) in the drinking water distributed to one-third of households in the Swedish municipality of Ronneby between the mid-1980s and the end of 2013. METHOD The Ronneby Register Cohort, a large cohort comprising all individuals (N = 60,507) who ever lived in the Ronneby municipality during the period of drinking water contamination, was linked to the Swedish Cancer Register 1985-2016. Individual exposure was classified based on comprehensive data on yearly residential address and water distribution. External analysis explored standardized cancer incidence ratios (SIR) for residents never, or ever, residing in the contaminated water district, compared with those residing in other towns in the same county as reference population. Cox models provided hazard ratios (HR) for different exposure groups within the cohort. RESULTS 5,702 individuals with cancer were identified. SIR for overall cancer was 1.04 for men (95%CI 0.96-1.12) and 0.89 for women (95%CI 0.82-0.96) who ever lived in the contaminated drinking water area. Kidney cancer, which was reported with increased risk in C8 study, showed somewhat elevated HR in this study (HR 1.27; 95%CI 0.85-1.89). The HR was modestly elevated for bladder cancer (HR 1.32; 95%CI 1.01-1.72), and reduced for prostate cancer (HR 0.83; 95%CI 0.71-0.98). In subjects who ever lived in the contaminated water area during 2005-2013, when exposure was estimated to be highest, higher risks for kidney cancer (HR 1.84; 95%CI 1.00-3.37) but lower for prostate cancer (HR 0.76; 95%CI 0.59-0.98) were observed. CONCLUSION Analysis of this large cohort exposed to high levels of PFAS, dominated by PFHxS and PFOS, revealed no evidence for an overall increased risk of cancer. A moderately increased risk of kidney cancer was observed, in accordance with previous findings after PFAS exposure dominated by PFOA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiqi Li
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Sofia Hammarstrand
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 413 46, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Bo Midberg
- Department of Cancer Epidemiology, Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Box 188, 221 00, Lund, Sweden
| | - Yiyi Xu
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ying Li
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Daniel S Olsson
- Department of Endocrinology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 413 46, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Tony Fletcher
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Kristina Jakobsson
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 413 46, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Eva M Andersson
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 413 46, Gothenburg, Sweden
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Engström K, Axmon A, Nielsen C, Rignell-Hydbom A. High in Utero Exposure to Perfluoroalkyl Substances from Drinking Water and Birth Weight: A Cohort Study among Infants in Ronneby, Sweden. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19042385. [PMID: 35206572 PMCID: PMC8871928 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19042385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
In 2013, the drinking water for one-third of the households in Ronneby, Sweden, was found to be contaminated by perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS, >10,000 ng/L) from Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF). In utero PFAS exposure can influence birth weight, but little is known about the effects at very high levels. This study aimed to examine the association between in utero PFAS exposure and birth weight. Infants with mothers from Ronneby exposed to contaminated water at home (high exposure) and infants with mothers from Ronneby not exposed to contaminated water at home (low exposure) were compared to infants with mothers from Blekinge county excluding Ronneby (referents). All infants born in Blekinge county 1995–2013 were included (n = 30,360). Differences in birth weight were only seen among infants born after 2005. For boys, Ronneby high exposure had a lower mean birth weight than referents (−54 g, 95% CI −97; −11). For girls, Ronneby high exposure had a higher mean birth weight than referents (47 g, 95% CI 4; 90). There were no differences in birth weight between referents and Ronneby low exposure. In conclusion, high exposure to PFAS may influence birth weight in a sex-specific way, although the effect estimates were relatively small.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Engström
- EPI@LUND (Epidemiology, Population Studies, and Infrastructures at Lund University), Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden; (A.A.); (A.R.-H.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Anna Axmon
- EPI@LUND (Epidemiology, Population Studies, and Infrastructures at Lund University), Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden; (A.A.); (A.R.-H.)
| | - Christel Nielsen
- Epidemiology, Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, 223 63 Lund, Sweden;
| | - Anna Rignell-Hydbom
- EPI@LUND (Epidemiology, Population Studies, and Infrastructures at Lund University), Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden; (A.A.); (A.R.-H.)
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Xu Y, Lindh CH, Fletcher T, Jakobsson K, Engström K. Perfluoroalkyl substances influence DNA methylation in school-age children highly exposed through drinking water contaminated from firefighting foam: a cohort study in Ronneby, Sweden. ENVIRONMENTAL EPIGENETICS 2022; 8:dvac004. [PMID: 35308102 PMCID: PMC8931254 DOI: 10.1093/eep/dvac004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are widespread synthetic substances with various adverse health effects. A potential mechanism of toxicity for PFASs is via epigenetic changes, such as DNA methylation. Previous studies have evaluated associations between PFAS exposure and DNA methylation among newborns and adults. However, no study has evaluated how PFASs influence DNA methylation among children of school age. In this exploratory study with school-age children exposed to PFASs through drinking water highly contaminated from firefighting foams, we aimed to investigate whether exposure to PFASs was associated with alteration in DNA methylation and epigenetic age acceleration. Sixty-three children aged 7-11 years from the Ronneby Biomarker Cohort (Sweden) were included. The children were either controls with only background exposure (n = 32; perfluorooctane sulfonic acid: median 2.8 and range 1-5 ng/ml) or those exposed to very high levels of PFASs (n = 31; perfluorooctane sulfonic acid: median 295 and range 190-464 ng/ml). These two groups were matched on sex, age, and body mass index. Genome-wide methylation of whole-blood DNA was analyzed using the Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip kit. Epigenetic age acceleration was derived from the DNA methylation data. Twelve differentially methylated positions and seven differentially methylated regions were found when comparing the high-exposure group to the control group. There were no differences in epigenetic age acceleration between these two groups (P = 0.66). We found that PFAS exposure was associated with DNA methylation at specific genomic positions and regions in children at school age, which may indicate a possible mechanism for linking PFAS exposure to health effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiyi Xu
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 18A, Gothenburg 413 90, Sweden
| | - Christian H Lindh
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, Scheelevägen 2, Lund 223 63, Sweden
| | - Tony Fletcher
- Department of Social and Environmental Health Research, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel St, London WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Kristina Jakobsson
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 18A, Gothenburg 413 90, Sweden
- Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Medicinaregatan 16 A, Gothenburg 413 90, Sweden
| | - Karin Engström
- **Correspondence address. Department of Laboratory Medicine, EPI@LUND, Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, Biskopsgatan 9, Lund 223 62, Sweden. Tel: +46 46 222 16 38; E-mail:
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PFAS Molecules: A Major Concern for the Human Health and the Environment. TOXICS 2022; 10:toxics10020044. [PMID: 35202231 PMCID: PMC8878656 DOI: 10.3390/toxics10020044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of over 4700 heterogeneous compounds with amphipathic properties and exceptional stability to chemical and thermal degradation. The unique properties of PFAS compounds has been exploited for almost 60 years and has largely contributed to their wide applicability over a vast range of industrial, professional and non-professional uses. However, increasing evidence indicate that these compounds represent also a serious concern for both wildlife and human health as a result of their ubiquitous distribution, their extreme persistence and their bioaccumulative potential. In light of the adverse effects that have been already documented in biota and human populations or that might occur in absence of prompt interventions, the competent authorities in matter of health and environment protection, the industries as well as scientists are cooperating to identify the most appropriate regulatory measures, substitution plans and remediation technologies to mitigate PFAS impacts. In this review, starting from PFAS chemistry, uses and environmental fate, we summarize the current knowledge on PFAS occurrence in different environmental media and their effects on living organisms, with a particular emphasis on humans. Also, we describe present and provisional legislative measures in the European Union framework strategy to regulate PFAS manufacture, import and use as well as some of the most promising treatment technologies designed to remediate PFAS contamination in different environmental compartments.
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Aro R, Eriksson U, Kärrman A, Jakobsson K, Yeung LWY. Extractable organofluorine analysis: A way to screen for elevated per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance contamination in humans? ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2022; 159:107035. [PMID: 34896670 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.107035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The ubiquitous occurrence of a few per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in humans and the environment has been previously reported. However, the number of PFAS humans and the environment are potentially exposed to is much higher, making it difficult to investigate every sample in detail. More importantly, recent studies have shown an increasing fraction of potentially unknown PFAS in human samples. A screening tool for identifying samples of concern that may contain high PFAS levels, to be studied more thoroughly, is needed. This study presents a simplified workflow to detect elevated PFAS levels using extractable organofluorine (EOF) analysis. A fluorine mass balance analysis on samples with high EOF, targeting 63 PFAS, can then confirm the PFAS contamination. Whole blood samples from a cohort of individuals with historical drinking water contamination from firefighting foams (n = 20) in Ronneby (Sweden) and a control group (n = 9) with background exposure were used as a case study. The average EOF concentration in the Ronneby group was 234 ng/mLF (<107-592 ng/mLF) vs 24.8 ng/mLF (17.6-37.8 ng/mL F) in the control group. The large difference (statistically significant, p < 0.05) in the EOF levels between the exposed and control groups would have made it possible to identify samples with high PFAS exposure only using EOF data. This was confirmed by target analysis, which found an average ∑PFAS concentration of 346 ng/mL in the exposed group and 7.9 ng/mL in the control group. The limit of quantification for EOF analysis (up to 107 ng/mLF using 0.5 mL whole blood) did not allow for the detection of PFAS levels in low or sub parts per billion (ng/mL) concentrations, but the results indicate that EOF analysis is a suitable screening method sensitive enough to detect elevated/significant/exposure above background levels by known or unknown PFAS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rudolf Aro
- Man-Technology-Environment (MTM) Research Centre, School of Science and Technology, Örebro University, Örebro, SE 701 82, Sweden
| | - Ulrika Eriksson
- Man-Technology-Environment (MTM) Research Centre, School of Science and Technology, Örebro University, Örebro, SE 701 82, Sweden
| | - Anna Kärrman
- Man-Technology-Environment (MTM) Research Centre, School of Science and Technology, Örebro University, Örebro, SE 701 82, Sweden
| | - Kristina Jakobsson
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, SE 405 30, Sweden
| | - Leo W Y Yeung
- Man-Technology-Environment (MTM) Research Centre, School of Science and Technology, Örebro University, Örebro, SE 701 82, Sweden.
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Hammarstrand S, Jakobsson K, Andersson E, Xu Y, Li Y, Olovsson M, Andersson EM. Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water and risk for polycystic ovarian syndrome, uterine leiomyoma, and endometriosis: A Swedish cohort study. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2021; 157:106819. [PMID: 34391986 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Perfluorinated substances (PFAS) are chemicals with endocrine disruptive properties that may interfere with the female reproductive system. However, few studies have explored the association between benign gynecological diseases and high PFAS exposure. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to investigate the possible associations between PFAS exposure and subsequent diagnosis of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), uterine leiomyoma (fibroids), and endometriosis in a cohort exposed to PFAS through drinking water. MATERIAL AND METHODS In 2013, high levels (with sum of PFAS above 10,000 ng/L), dominated by perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), were found in the drinking water from one of the two waterworks in Ronneby, Sweden. The contamination came from firefighting foams used at a nearby airfield. Females of all ages (n = 29,106) who had ever resided in the municipality between 1985 and 2013 formed a cohort. Individual exposure was assessed based on municipality waterworks distribution data linked to annual residential address data; 27% of the females had ever lived at an address with PFAS-contaminated water. Gynecological health outcomes were retrieved from the Swedish National Patient Register. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate the association between exposure and each diagnosis. RESULTS There were in all 161 cases of PCOS, 1,122 cases of uterine leiomyoma, and 373 cases of endometriosis. In women aged 20-50 years (n = 18,503), those with the highest estimated PFAS exposure had increased hazard ratios (HR) for PCOS (HR = 2.18; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.43, 3.34) and uterine leiomyoma (HR = 1.28; 95% CI 0.95, 1.74). No increased HR for endometriosis was found (HR = 0.74; 95% CI 0.42, 1.29). CONCLUSIONS Exposure to high levels of PFAS in drinking water was associated with increased risk of PCOS and possibly uterine leiomyoma, but not endometriosis. The findings for PCOS are consistent with prior studies reporting positive associations between PCOS and PFAS exposure at background levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Hammarstrand
- Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden; Occupational and Environmental Medicine, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Kristina Jakobsson
- Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden; Occupational and Environmental Medicine, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Eva Andersson
- Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden; Occupational and Environmental Medicine, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Yiyi Xu
- Occupational and Environmental Medicine, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ying Li
- Occupational and Environmental Medicine, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Matts Olovsson
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Eva M Andersson
- Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden; Occupational and Environmental Medicine, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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41
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Susceptibility to COVID-19 after High Exposure to Perfluoroalkyl Substances from Contaminated Drinking Water: An Ecological Study from Ronneby, Sweden. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph182010702. [PMID: 34682448 PMCID: PMC8535293 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182010702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
There is concern that immunotoxic environmental contaminants, particularly perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), may play a role in the clinical course of COVID-19 and epidemiologic studies are needed to answer if high-exposed populations are especially vulnerable in light of the ongoing pandemic. The objective was, therefore, to determine if exposure to highly PFAS-contaminated drinking water was associated with an increased incidence of COVID-19 in Ronneby, Sweden, during the first year of the pandemic. We conducted an ecological study determining the sex- and age-standardized incidence ratio (SIR) in the adult population relative to a neighboring reference town with similar demographic characteristics but with only background levels of exposure. In Sweden, COVID-19 is subject to mandatory reporting, and we retrieved aggregated data on all verified cases until 3 March 2021 from the Public Health Agency of Sweden. The SIR in Ronneby was estimated at 1.19 (95% CI: 1.12; 1.27). The results suggest a potential link between high PFAS exposure and susceptibility to COVID-19 that warrants further research to clarify causality.
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