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Troeschel AN, Teras LR, Hodge JM, Rodriguez J, Wang Y, Daniel J, Diver WR, Winquist A. A case-cohort study of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance concentrations and incident prostate cancer in the cancer prevention Study-II LifeLink cohort study. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 259:119560. [PMID: 38971361 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 07/02/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/08/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are environmentally persistent, potentially carcinogenic chemicals. Previous studies investigating PFAS exposure and prostate cancer yielded mixed findings. We aimed to investigate associations between PFAS exposure and incident prostate cancer in a large cohort of U.S. men, overall and by selected demographic, lifestyle, and medical-related characteristics. METHODS We conducted a case-cohort study among Cancer Prevention Study-II LifeLink Cohort participants who, at baseline (1998-2001), had serum specimens collected and no prior cancer diagnosis. The study included all men diagnosed with prostate cancer (n = 1610) during follow-up (baseline-June 30, 2015) and a random sub-cohort of 500 men. PFAS concentrations [perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)] were measured in stored serum specimens. We used multivariable Cox proportional hazards models to estimate associations between PFAS concentrations and prostate cancer, overall and by selected characteristics (grade, stage, family history, age, education, smoking status, and alcohol consumption). RESULTS Prostate cancer hazards were slightly higher among men with concentrations in the highest (Q4) vs lowest quartile (Q1) for PFHxS [hazard ratio (HR) (95% CI): 1.18 (0.88-1.59)] and PFOS [HR (95% CI): 1.18 (0.89-1.58)], but not for PFNA or PFOA. However, we observed heterogeneous associations by age, family history of prostate cancer (PFHxS), alcohol consumption (PFHxS), and education (PFNA). For example, no meaningful associations were observed among men aged <70 years at serum collection, but among men aged ≥70 years, HRs (95% CIs) comparing Q4 to Q1 were PFHxS 1.54 (1.02-2.31) and PFOS 1.62 (1.08-2.44). No meaningful heterogeneity in associations were observed by tumor grade or stage. CONCLUSIONS Our findings do not clearly support an association between the PFAS considered and prostate cancer. However, positive associations observed in some subgroups, and consistently positive associations observed for PFHxS warrant further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa N Troeschel
- Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States.
| | - Lauren R Teras
- Department of Population Science, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - James M Hodge
- Department of Population Science, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Juan Rodriguez
- Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Population Science, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Johnni Daniel
- Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - W Ryan Diver
- Department of Population Science, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Andrea Winquist
- Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
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Huang C, Murgulet I, Liu L, Zhang M, Garcia K, Martin L, Xu W. The effects of perfluorooctanoic acid on breast cancer metastasis depend on the phenotypes of the cancer cells: An in vivo study with zebrafish xenograft model. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 362:124975. [PMID: 39293659 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.124975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2024] [Revised: 09/03/2024] [Accepted: 09/14/2024] [Indexed: 09/20/2024]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) have been associated with numerous human diseases. Recent in vitro studies have implicated the association of PFAS with an increased risk of breast cancer in humans. This study aimed to assess the toxic effects of PFAS during the development of human breast cancer using a zebrafish xenograft model. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was used as a PFAS chemical of interest for this study. Two common breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231, were used to represent the diversity of breast cancer phenotypes. Human preadipocytes were co-implanted with the breast cancer cells into the zebrafish embryos to optimize the microenvironment for tumor cells in vivo. With this modified model, we evaluated the potential effects of the PFOA on the metastatic potential of the two types of breast cancer cells. The presence of human preadipocytes resulted in an enhancement to the metastasis progress of the two types of cells, including the promotion of cell in vivo migration and proliferation, and the increased expression levels of metastatic biomarkers. The enhancement of MCF-7 proliferation by preadipocytes was observed after 2 days post injection (dpi) while the increase of MDA-MB-231 proliferation was seen after 6 dpi. The breast cancer metastatic biomarkers, cadherin 1 (cdh1), and small breast epithelial mucin (sbem) genes demonstrated significant down- and upregulations respectively, by the co-injection of preadipocytes. In the optimized xenograft model, the PFOA consistently promoted cell proliferation and migration and altered the metastatic biomarker expression in MCF-7, which suggested a metastatic effect of PFOA on MCF-7. However, those effects were not consistently observed in MDA-MB-231. The presence of the preadipocytes in the xenograft model may provide a necessary microenvironment for the progress of tumor cells in zebrafish embryos. The finding suggested that the impacts of PFOA exposure on different phenotypes of breast cancers may differ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi Huang
- Department of Life Sciences, College of Science, Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX, 78412, United States
| | - Ioana Murgulet
- Department of Life Sciences, College of Science, Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX, 78412, United States; Department of BioSciences, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX, 77005, United States
| | - Linda Liu
- Department of Life Sciences, College of Science, Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX, 78412, United States
| | - Mona Zhang
- Department of Life Sciences, College of Science, Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX, 78412, United States
| | - Kaitlin Garcia
- Department of Life Sciences, College of Science, Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX, 78412, United States
| | - Leisha Martin
- Department of Life Sciences, College of Science, Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX, 78412, United States
| | - Wei Xu
- Department of Life Sciences, College of Science, Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX, 78412, United States.
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Consonni D, Fustinoni S. Biochemical and haematological effects of serum PFOA, ADV and cC 6O 4 in workers of a chemical company producing fluoropolymers, Italy, 2013-2022. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2024; 262:114440. [PMID: 39106565 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2024.114440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Revised: 07/11/2024] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/09/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widely used in the manufacture of fluoropolymers. We evaluated biochemical and haematological effects of three PFAS, serum perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), ADV, and cC6O4 in workers of a fluoropolymer company. METHODS Using data (2013-2022), we fitted random intercept regression models adjusted for several covariates and reciprocal adjustment between the three PFAS. RESULTS We analysed data of 814 workers (698 men, 116 women), 607 from the chemical plant, 207 from the research centre, for a total of 4912 blood samples (2065 with all three PFAS measured). Median levels of PFOA and ADV were 21.3 and 120 μg/L. Most (65.5%) cC6O4 measurements were below the limits of quantification (which varied over time from 5 to 0.1 μg/L). For PFOA, we observed positive associations with total cholesterol (+1.1% increase per ln(PFOA) increase) and apolipoprotein B (+1.4%) and negative associations with alkaline phosphatase (-1.5%); suggestive associations were also found with RBC (-0.4%), IgA (-1.5%), IgM (-1.4%). ADV was positively associated with total and LDL cholesterol (+1.0% and +1.6% per ln(ADV) increase), apolipoprotein B (+1.0%), GGT (+2.1%), IgM (+1.4%), and WBC (+1.5%) and negatively associated with direct bilirubin (-2.3%) and alpha-2-globulins (-0.7%); suggestive associations were found for indirect bilirubin (-2.0%), oestradiol (-2.1%), ad CRP (+6.0%). For samples with detectable cC6O4 levels we observed higher values of ALP (+2.3%), proteins (+0.5%), IgG (+0.7%) and platelets (+1.6%) and suggestively increased total bilirubin (+3.9%), RBC (+0.6%), and oestradiol (+5.8%). Some associations (total cholesterol, apolipoprotein B, WBC, total bilirubin, and alkaline phosphatase showed reverse time trends in parallel with the strong decrease of serum PFOA and ADV over the study period. DISCUSSION We found associations of serum PFOA and ADV with lipid metabolism, liver function, and immunoglobulins. The reverse time trends of some endpoints in parallel with decrease of serum PFOA and ADV reinforce causal interpretation of results. cC6O4 showed a different pattern of associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Consonni
- Epidemiology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
| | - Silvia Fustinoni
- Toxicology Lab, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy; Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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Xie X, Lu Y, Lei H, Cheng J, An X, Wang W, Jiang X, Xie J, Xiong Y, Wu T. Bioaccumulation and trophic transfer of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in a subtropical mangrove estuary food web. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 927:172094. [PMID: 38575036 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172094] [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: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Mangrove estuaries are an important land-sea transitional ecosystem that is currently under various pollution pressures, while there is a lack of research on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the organisms of mangrove estuaries. In this study, we investigated the distribution and seasonal variation of PFAS in the tissues of organisms from a mangrove estuary. The PFAS concentrations in fish tissues varied from 0.45 ng/g ww to 17.67 ng/g ww and followed the order of viscera > head > carcass > muscle, with the highest tissue burden found in the fish carcass (39.59 ng). The log BAF values of PFDoDA, PFUnDA, and PFDA in the whole fish exceeded 3.70, indicating significant bioaccumulation. The trophic transfer of PFAS in the mangrove estuary food web showed a dilution effect, which was mainly influenced by the spatial heterogeneity of PFAS distribution in the estuarine environment, and demonstrated that the gradient dilution of PFAS in the estuary habitat environment can disguise the PFAS bio-magnification in estuarine organisms, and the larger the swimming ranges of organisms, the more pronounced the bio-dilution effect. The PFOA-equivalent HRs of category A and B fish were 3.48-5.17 and 2.59-4.01, respectively, indicating that mangrove estuarine residents had a high PFAS exposure risk through the intake of estuarine fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingwei Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science and International Institute for Sustainability Science, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Coastal Ecology and Environmental Studies, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China; National Observation and Research Station for the Taiwan Strait Marine Ecosystem, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Yonglong Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science and International Institute for Sustainability Science, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Coastal Ecology and Environmental Studies, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China; State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; Key Laboratory of Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, Ministry of Education, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China.
| | - Haojie Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science and International Institute for Sustainability Science, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Coastal Ecology and Environmental Studies, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Jianhua Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, Ministry of Education, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China; National Observation and Research Station for the Taiwan Strait Marine Ecosystem, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Xupeng An
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science and International Institute for Sustainability Science, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Coastal Ecology and Environmental Studies, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Wenqing Wang
- Key Laboratory of Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, Ministry of Education, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China; National Observation and Research Station for the Taiwan Strait Marine Ecosystem, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Xudong Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science and International Institute for Sustainability Science, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Coastal Ecology and Environmental Studies, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Jianglin Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science and International Institute for Sustainability Science, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Coastal Ecology and Environmental Studies, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Yunting Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science and International Institute for Sustainability Science, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Coastal Ecology and Environmental Studies, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Ting Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science and International Institute for Sustainability Science, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Coastal Ecology and Environmental Studies, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China
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Ozben T, Fragão-Marques M, Tomasi A. A comprehensive review on PFAS including survey results from the EFLM Member Societies. Clin Chem Lab Med 2024; 62:1070-1079. [PMID: 38280842 DOI: 10.1515/cclm-2023-1418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 01/29/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a large class of synthetic chemicals widely used for their unique properties. Without PFAS, many medical device and in vitro diagnostic technologies would not be able to perform their intended purposes. Potential health risks associated with exposure to PFAS influence their use in IVD applications. This paper aims to assess the current situation concerning PFAS, including regulations and legislations for their use. It is important to know what happens to (PFAS) at the end of their lives in medical laboratories. METHODS A survey was conducted in March 2023 to collect information on the potential emission and end-of-life of PFAS-containing medical technologies in the medical laboratories of the EFLM member societies. A series of questions were presented to the EFLM national societies and the results were documented. RESULTS Eight respondents participated in the survey, representing EFLM member societies in seven different countries including hospital laboratories, university laboratories, and private laboratories. CONCLUSIONS PFAS uses in MD and IVD are influenced by several factors, including evolving regulations, advances in technology, safety and efficacy of these substances. Advancements in analytical techniques may lead to more sensitive and precise methods for detecting and quantifying PFAS in biological samples, which can be essential for IVD applications related to biomarker analysis and disease diagnosis. Collaboration among regulatory agencies, industry, research institutions, hospitals, and laboratories on a global scale can aid in establishing harmonized guidelines and standards for the use of PFAS, ensuring consistency and safety within their applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomris Ozben
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Akdeniz University, Medical Faculty, Antalya, Türkiye
- University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Medical Faculty, Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Ph.D. Program, Modena, Italy
| | - Mariana Fragão-Marques
- Department of Surgery and Physiology, S Unic@RISE, Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Aldo Tomasi
- University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Medical School, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Toxicology Division, Modena, Italy
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Alexander BH, Ryan A, Church TR, Kim H, Olsen GW, Logan PW. Mortality and cancer incidence in perfluorooctanesulfonyl fluoride production workers. Am J Ind Med 2024; 67:321-333. [PMID: 38345456 DOI: 10.1002/ajim.23568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/16/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has been associated with several health outcomes, though few occupationally-exposed populations have been studied. We evaluated mortality and cancer incidence in a cohort of perfluorooctanesulfonyl fluoride-based specialty chemical manufacturing workers. METHODS The cohort included any employee who ever worked at the facility from 1961 to 2010 (N = 4045), with a primary interest in those who had 365 cumulative days of employment (N = 2659). Vital status and mortality records were obtained through 2014 and the cohort was linked to state cancer registries to obtain incident cancer cases from 1995 to 2014. Cumulative exposure was derived from a comprehensive exposure reconstruction that estimated job-specific perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS)-equivalents (mg/m3 ) exposure. Overall and exposure-specific standardized mortality ratios (SMR) were estimated in reference to the US population. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for cumulative PFOS-equivalent exposure (log2 transformed) were estimated within the cohort for specific causes of death and incident cancers using a time-dependent Cox model. RESULTS Death rates were lower than expected except for cerebrovascular disease (SMR = 2.42, 95% CI = 1.25-4.22) and bladder cancer (SMR = 3.91, 95% CI = 1.07-10.02) in the highest exposure quartile. Within the cohort, the incidence of bladder, colorectal, and pancreatic cancer were positively associated with exposure, however except for lung cancer (HR = 1.05, 95% CI = 1.00-1.11) the CIs did not exclude an HR of 1. CONCLUSIONS This study provides some evidence that occupational exposure to PFOS is associated with bladder and lung cancers and with cerebrovascular disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce H Alexander
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Andrew Ryan
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Timothy R Church
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Hyun Kim
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Geary W Olsen
- 3M, Corporate Occupational Medicine, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - Perry W Logan
- 3M, Corporate Industrial Hygiene (retired), St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
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Winquist A, Hodge JM, Diver WR, Rodriguez JL, Troeschel AN, Daniel J, Teras LR. Case-Cohort Study of the Association between PFAS and Selected Cancers among Participants in the American Cancer Society's Cancer Prevention Study II LifeLink Cohort. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2023; 131:127007. [PMID: 38088576 PMCID: PMC10718084 DOI: 10.1289/ehp13174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous epidemiological studies found associations between exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and some cancer types. Many studies considered highly exposed populations, so relevance to less-exposed populations can be uncertain. Additionally, many studies considered only cancer site, not histology. OBJECTIVES We conducted a case-cohort study within the American Cancer Society's prospective Cancer Prevention Study II (CPS-II) LifeLink cohort to examine associations between PFAS exposure and risk of selected cancers, considering histologic subtypes. METHODS Serum specimens were collected from cohort participants during the period 1998-2001. This study included a subcohort (500 men, 499 women) randomly selected from participants without prior cancer diagnoses at serum collection, and all participants with incident (after serum collection) first cancers of the breast (females only, n = 786 ), bladder (n = 401 ), kidney (n = 158 ), pancreas (n = 172 ), prostate (males only, n = 1,610 ) or hematologic system (n = 635 ). PFAS concentrations [perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA)] were measured in stored serum. We assessed associations between PFAS concentrations and incident cancers, by site and histologic subtype, using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models stratified by sex and controlling for age and year at blood draw, education, race/ethnicity, smoking, and alcohol use. RESULTS Serum PFOA concentrations were positively associated with renal cell carcinoma of the kidney among women [hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) per PFOA doubling: 1.54 (95% CI: 1.05, 2.26)] but not men. Among men, we observed a positive association between PFHxS concentrations and chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma [CLL/SLL, HR and 95% CI per PFHxS doubling: 1.34 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.75)]. We observed some heterogeneity of associations by histologic subtype within sites. DISCUSSION This study supports the previously observed association between PFOA and renal cell carcinoma among women and suggests an association between PFHxS and CLL/SLL among men. Consideration of histologic subtypes might be important in future studies of PFAS-cancer associations. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP13174.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Winquist
- Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice, National Center for Environmental Health, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - James M. Hodge
- Department of Population Science, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - W. Ryan Diver
- Department of Population Science, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Juan L. Rodriguez
- Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Alyssa N. Troeschel
- Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice, National Center for Environmental Health, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Epidemic Intelligence Service, Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology and Laboratory Services, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Johnni Daniel
- Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice, National Center for Environmental Health, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Lauren R. Teras
- Department of Population Science, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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Rosenfeld PE, Spaeth KR, Remy LL, Byers V, Muerth SA, Hallman RC, Summers-Evans J, Barker S. Perfluoroalkyl substances exposure in firefighters: Sources and implications. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 220:115164. [PMID: 36584840 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.115164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Firefighters are at risk of occupational exposure to long-chain per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), most notably from PFASs present in Class B aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF). Firefighters have been found to have elevated serum levels of long-chain PFASs. Due to the persistence of PFAS chemicals in the human body and their ability to bioaccumulate, firefighters experience the latent and cumulative effects of PFAS-containing AFFF exposure that occurs throughout their careers. This article summarizes the history of AFFF use by firefighters and current AFFF use practices. In addition, this paper describes PFAS levels in firefighter serum, PFAS serum removal pathways, PFAS exposure pathways, and occupational factors affecting PFAS levels in firefighters. International, national, and state agencies have concluded that PFOA, a long-chain PFAS, is potentially carcinogenic and that carcinogens have an additive effect. From the cancer types that may be associated with PFAS exposure, studies on cancer risk among firefighters have shown an elevated risk for thyroid, kidney, bladder, testicular, prostate, and colon cancer. Thus, exposure to PFAS-containing AFFF may contribute to firefighter cancer risk and warrants further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul E Rosenfeld
- Soil Water Air Protection Enterprise (SWAPE), 2656 29th Street, Suite 201, Santa Monica, CA, 90405, USA.
| | - Kenneth R Spaeth
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, NY, USA.
| | - Linda L Remy
- Family Health Outcomes Project, Family and Community Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, 500 Parnassus Ave. Room MU-337, San Francisco, CA, 94143-0900, USA.
| | - Vera Byers
- Immunology Inc. PO Box 4703, Incline Village, NV, 89450, USA.
| | - Stuart A Muerth
- Soil Water Air Protection Enterprise (SWAPE), 2656 29th Street, Suite 201, Santa Monica, CA, 90405, USA.
| | - Ryan C Hallman
- Soil Water Air Protection Enterprise (SWAPE), 2656 29th Street, Suite 201, Santa Monica, CA, 90405, USA.
| | - Jasmine Summers-Evans
- University of California, Los Angeles, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability. LaKretz Hall, 619 Charles E Young Dr E #300, Los Angeles, CA, 90024, USA.
| | - Sofia Barker
- Soil Water Air Protection Enterprise (SWAPE), 2656 29th Street, Suite 201, Santa Monica, CA, 90405, USA.
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Sivagami K, Sharma P, Karim AV, Mohanakrishna G, Karthika S, Divyapriya G, Saravanathamizhan R, Kumar AN. Electrochemical-based approaches for the treatment of forever chemicals: Removal of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from wastewater. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 861:160440. [PMID: 36436638 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Electrochemical based approaches for the treatment of recalcitrant water borne pollutants are known to exhibit superior function in terms of efficiency and rate of treatment. Considering the stability of Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are designated as forever chemicals, which generating from various industrial activities. PFAS are contaminating the environment in small concentrations, yet exhibit severe environmental and health impacts. Electro-oxidation (EO) is a recent development that treats PFAS, in which different reactive species generates at anode due to oxidative reaction and reductive reactions at the cathode. Compared to water and wastewater treatment methods those being implemented, electrochemical approaches demonstrate superior function against PFAS. EO completely mineralizes (almost 100 %) non-biodegradable organic matter and eliminate some of the inorganic species, which proven as a robust and versatile technology. Electrode materials, electrolyte concentration pH and the current density applying for electrochemical processes determine the treatment efficiency. EO along with electrocoagulation (EC) treats PFAS along with other pollutants from variety of industries showed highest degradation of 7.69 mmol/g of PFAS. Integrated approach with other processes was found to exhibit improved efficiency in treating PFAS using several electrodes boron-doped diamond (BDD), zinc, titanium and lead based with efficiency the range of 64 to 97 %.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Sivagami
- Industrial Ecology Research Group, School of Chemical Engineering, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, India.
| | - Pranshu Sharma
- Industrial Ecology Research Group, School of Chemical Engineering, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, India
| | - Ansaf V Karim
- Environmental Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, India
| | - Gunda Mohanakrishna
- School of Advanced Sciences, KLE Technological University, Hubli 580031, India.
| | - S Karthika
- Industrial Ecology Research Group, School of Chemical Engineering, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, India
| | - G Divyapriya
- Swiss Government Excellence Postdoctoral Scholar, Multi-Scale Robotics Lab (MSRL), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Switzerland
| | - R Saravanathamizhan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, A.C. College of Technology, Anna University, India
| | - A Naresh Kumar
- Department of Environmental Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
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10
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Relative rates of cancers and deaths in Australian communities with PFAS environmental contamination associated with firefighting foams: A cohort study using linked data. Cancer Epidemiol 2023; 82:102296. [PMID: 36508965 DOI: 10.1016/j.canep.2022.102296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are environmental contaminants that are potentially harmful to health. We examined if rates of selected cancers and causes of deaths were elevated in three Australian communities with local environmental contamination caused by firefighting foams containing PFAS. The affected Australian communities were Katherine in Northern Territory, Oakey in Queensland and Williamtown in New South Wales. METHODS All residents identified in the Medicare Enrolment File (1983-2019)-a consumer directory for Australia's universal healthcare-who ever lived in an exposure area (Katherine, Oakey and Williamtown), and a sample of those who ever lived in selected comparison areas, were linked to the Australian Cancer Database (1982-2017) and National Death Index (1980-2019). We estimated standardised incidence ratios (SIRs) for 23 cancer outcomes, four causes of death and three control outcomes, adjusting for sex, age and calendar time of diagnosis. FINDINGS We observed higher rates of prostate cancer (SIR=1·76, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1·36-2·24) in Katherine; laryngeal cancer (SIR=2·71, 95 % CI 1·30-4·98), kidney cancer (SIR=1·82, 95 % CI 1·04-2·96) and coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality (SIR=1·81, 95 % CI 1·46-2·33) in Oakey; and lung cancer (SIR=1·83, 95 % CI 1·39-2·38) and CHD mortality (SIR=1·22, 95 % CI 1·01-1·47) in Williamtown. We also saw elevated SIRs for control outcomes. SIRs for all other outcomes and overall cancer were similar across exposure and comparison areas. INTERPRETATION There was limited evidence to support an association between living in a PFAS exposure area and risks of cancers or cause-specific deaths.
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11
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Liu D, Yan S, Wang P, Chen Q, Liu Y, Cui J, Liang Y, Ren S, Gao Y. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) exposure in relation to the kidneys: A review of current available literature. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1103141. [PMID: 36776978 PMCID: PMC9909492 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1103141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Perfluorooctanoic acid is an artificial and non-degradable chemical. It is widely used due to its stable nature. It can enter the human body through food, drinking water, inhalation of household dust and contact with products containing perfluorooctanoic acid. It accumulates in the human body, causing potential harmful effects on human health. Based on the biodegradability and bioaccumulation of perfluorooctanoic acid in the human body, there are increasing concerns about the adverse effects of perfluorooctanoic acid exposure on kidneys. Research shows that kidney is the main accumulation organ of Perfluorooctanoic acid, and Perfluorooctanoic acid can cause nephrotoxicity and produce adverse effects on kidney function, but the exact mechanism is still unknown. In this review, we summarize the relationship between Perfluorooctanoic acid exposure and kidney health, evaluate risks more clearly, and provide a theoretical basis for subsequent research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongge Liu
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Shuqi Yan
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Pingwei Wang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Qianqian Chen
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yanping Liu
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Jiajing Cui
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yujun Liang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Shuping Ren
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Ying Gao
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
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12
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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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13
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Bartell SM, Vieira VM. Critical review on PFOA, kidney cancer, and testicular cancer. JOURNAL OF THE AIR & WASTE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION (1995) 2021; 71:663-679. [PMID: 33780327 DOI: 10.1080/10962247.2021.1909668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The carcinogenicity of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) has been reviewed previously by several different regulatory agencies and researchers, with contradictory conclusions-especially regarding epidemiological findings on kidney cancer and testicular cancer. In addition, previous dose-response assessments have focused primarily on evidence from animal studies. This critical review summarizes peer reviewed epidemiological studies on PFOA and cancers of the kidneys and testes, using modified Hill's criteria to assess the evidence for causation. We converted exposures to a common scale based on serum PFOA concentrations and applied meta-analysis to estimate the average increase in cancer risk reported by the studies with sufficient information to estimate serum PFOA. Using random effects meta-analysis, we found that the average relative increase in cancer risk per 10 ng/mL increase in serum PFOA for these studies is 16% (95% CI: 3%, 30%) for kidney cancer and 3% (95% CI: 2%, 4%) for testicular cancer. These associations are most likely causal, but results are limited by the small number of studies for testicular cancer, the overlapping study populations for several studies, and the lack of measured or modeled serum PFOA concentrations for several studies.Implications: Our review meta-analysis indicates an average increase in cancer risk per 10 ng/mL increase in serum PFOA for kidney and testicular cancers. These associations are most likely causal, but results are limited by the small number of studies for testicular cancer, the overlapping study populations for several studies, and the lack of measured or modeled serum PFOA concentrations for several studies. The weight of evidence could be even stronger with the addition of future studies conducted in large cohorts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott M Bartell
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Statistics, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Verónica M Vieira
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
- Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
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14
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Steenland K, Winquist A. PFAS and cancer, a scoping review of the epidemiologic evidence. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 194:110690. [PMID: 33385391 PMCID: PMC7946751 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.110690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 149] [Impact Index Per Article: 49.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 12/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/25/2020] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The number of studies addressing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and cancer is increasing. Many communities have had water contaminated by PFAS, and cancer is one of the important community concerns related to PFAS exposure. OBJECTIVES We critically reviewed the evidence relating to PFAS and cancer from an epidemiologic standpoint to highlight directions for future research that would be the most likely to meaningfully increase knowledge. METHODS We conducted a search in PubMed for studies of cancer and PFAS (through 9/20/2020). We identified epidemiologic studies that provided a quantitative estimate for some measure of the association between PFAS and cancer. Here, we review that literature, including several aspects of epidemiologic study design that impact the usefulness of study results. RESULTS We identified 16 cohort (or case-cohort) studies, 10 case-control studies (4 nested within cohorts and 6 non-nested), 1 cross sectional study and 1 ecologic study. The cancer sites with the most evidence of an association with PFAS are testicular and kidney cancer. There are also some suggestions in a few studies of an association with prostate cancer, but the data are inconsistent. DISCUSSION Each study's design has strengths and limitations. Weaknesses in study design and methods can, in some cases, lead to questionable associations, but in other cases can make it more difficult to detect true associations, if they are present. Overall, the evidence for an association between cancer and PFAS remains sparse. A variety of studies with different strengths and weaknesses can be helpful to clarify associations between PFAS and cancer. Long term follow-up of large-sized cohorts with large exposure contrasts are most likely to be informative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle Steenland
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Andrea Winquist
- National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, MS S 106-6, Atlanta, GA, 30341, USA.
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15
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Legacy and Emerging Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances: Analytical Techniques, Environmental Fate, and Health Effects. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22030995. [PMID: 33498193 PMCID: PMC7863963 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22030995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to their unique chemical properties, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been used extensively as industrial surfactants and processing aids. While several types of PFAS have been voluntarily phased out by their manufacturers, these chemicals continue to be of ecological and public health concern due to their persistence in the environment and their presence in living organisms. Moreover, while the compounds referred to as “legacy” PFAS remain in the environment, alternative compounds have emerged as replacements for their legacy predecessors and are now detected in numerous matrices. In this review, we discuss the historical uses of PFAS, recent advances in analytical techniques for analysis of these compounds, and the fate of PFAS in the environment. In addition, we evaluate current biomonitoring studies of human exposure to legacy and emerging PFAS and examine the associations of PFAS exposure with human health impacts, including cancer- and non-cancer-related outcomes. Special focus is given to short-chain perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) and ether-substituted, polyfluoroalkyl alternatives including hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA; tradename GenX), 4,8-dioxa-3H-perfluorononanoic acid (DONA), and 6:2 chlorinated polyfluoroethersulfonic acid (6:2 Cl-PFESA; tradename F-53B).
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16
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Steenland K, Fletcher T, Stein CR, Bartell SM, Darrow L, Lopez-Espinosa MJ, Barry Ryan P, Savitz DA. Review: Evolution of evidence on PFOA and health following the assessments of the C8 Science Panel. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2020; 145:106125. [PMID: 32950793 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.106125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The C8 Science Panel was composed of three epidemiologists charged with studying the possible health effects of PFOA in a highly exposed population in the mid-Ohio Valley. The Panel determined in 2012 there was a 'probable link' (i.e., more probable than not based on the weight of the available scientific evidence) between PFOA and high cholesterol, thyroid disease, kidney and testicular cancer, pregnancy-induced hypertension, and ulcerative colitis. OBJECTIVE Here, former C8 Science Panel members and collaborators comment on the PFOA literature regarding thyroid disorders, cancer, immune and auto-immune disorders, liver disease, hypercholesterolemia, reproductive outcomes, neurotoxicity, and kidney disease. We also discuss developments regarding fate and transport, and pharmacokinetic models, and discuss causality assessment in cross-sectional associations among low-exposed populations. DISCUSSION For cancer, the epidemiologic evidence remains supportive but not definitive for kidney and testicular cancers. There is consistent evidence of a positive association between PFOA and cholesterol, but no evidence of an association with heart disease. There is evidence for an association with ulcerative colitis, but not for other auto-immune diseases. There is good evidence that PFOA is associated with immune response, but uneven evidence for an association with infectious disease. The evidence for an association between PFOA and thyroid and kidney disease is suggestive but uneven. There is evidence of an association with liver enzymes, but not with liver disease. There is little evidence of an association with neurotoxicity. Suggested reductions in birthweight may be due to reverse causality and/or confounding. Fate and transport models and pharmacokinetic models remain central to estimating past exposure for new cohorts, but are difficult to develop without good historical data on emissions of PFOA into the environment. CONCLUSION Overall, the epidemiologic evidence remains limited. For a few outcomes there has been some replication of our earlier findings. More longitudinal research is needed in large populations with large exposure contrasts. Additional cross-sectional studies of low exposed populations may be less informative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle Steenland
- 1518 Clifton Rd, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory U., Atlanta, GA 30324, United States.
| | - Tony Fletcher
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Cheryl R Stein
- Hassenfeld Children's Hospital at NYU Langone, NY, NY, United States
| | - Scott M Bartell
- Program in Public Health, University of California Irvine, Irvine, Cal, United States
| | | | - Maria-Jose Lopez-Espinosa
- Epidemiology and Environmental Health Joint Research Unit, FISABIO, Universitat Jaume I-Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - P Barry Ryan
- 1518 Clifton Rd, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory U., Atlanta, GA 30324, United States
| | - David A Savitz
- Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
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17
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Blake BE, Fenton SE. Early life exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and latent health outcomes: A review including the placenta as a target tissue and possible driver of peri- and postnatal effects. Toxicology 2020; 443:152565. [PMID: 32861749 PMCID: PMC7530144 DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2020.152565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 209] [Impact Index Per Article: 52.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous drinking water contaminants of concern due to mounting evidence implicating adverse health outcomes associated with exposure, including reduced kidney function, metabolic syndrome, thyroid disruption, and adverse pregnancy outcomes. PFAS have been produced in the U.S. since the 1940s and now encompass a growing chemical family comprised of diverse chemical moieties, yet the toxicological effects have been studied for relatively few compounds. Critically, exposures to some PFAS in utero are associated with adverse outcomes for both mother and offspring, such as hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), including preeclampsia, and low birth weight. Given the relationship between HDP, placental dysfunction, adverse health outcomes, and increased risk for chronic diseases in adulthood, the role of both developmental and lifelong exposure to PFAS likely contributes to disease risk in complex ways. Here, evidence for the role of some PFAS in disrupted thyroid function, kidney disease, and metabolic syndrome is synthesized with an emphasis on the placenta as a critical yet understudied target of PFAS and programming agent of adult disease. Future research efforts must continue to fill the knowledge gap between placental susceptibility to environmental exposures like PFAS, subsequent perinatal health risks for both mother and child, and latent health effects in adult offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bevin E Blake
- Curriculum in Toxicology and Environmental Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Division of the National Toxicology Program (DNTP), NTP Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institute of Health (NIH), Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.
| | - Suzanne E Fenton
- Division of the National Toxicology Program (DNTP), NTP Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institute of Health (NIH), Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
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18
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Girardi P, Merler E. A mortality study on male subjects exposed to polyfluoroalkyl acids with high internal dose of perfluorooctanoic acid. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2019; 179:108743. [PMID: 31542491 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2019.108743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Revised: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The aim of the present study was to examine the association between exposure to polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and mortality (1970-2018) in a cohort of 462 male employees who had worked at least six months before 2009 for a factory (14,658 person-years; 107 deaths, average follow-up time 31.7 years), which had been producing perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctanesulfonyl fluoride (PFOS) and other chemicals since 1968. METHODS Employees were classified as follows: 1) by probability of exposure to PFASs; 2) by tertiles of PFOA serum concentrations. In a fraction (n = 120) of workers measurements of internal PFOA serum concentration were used to predict a cumulative serum PFOA concentration of each cohort member. Mortality rates were compared to that of the regional population using the standardized mortality ratio (SMR), and to that of the workers of a nearby metalworking factory in terms of risk ratio (RR), across categories of probability of PFASs exposure and tertiles of cumulative serum PFOA concentrations. RESULTS Internal PFOA serum concentration among 120 workers in the 2000-2013 period was very high (Geometric Mean: 4048 ng/mL; range 19-91,900 ng/mL). The mortality of the chemical cohort was increased for liver cancer (SMR: 2.32; CI: 1.11-4.87), malignant neoplasm of lymphatic and haematopoietic tissue (SMR: 2.26; CI: 1.08-4.73). In the comparison with the cohort of workers from the metalworking factory, the RRs for mortality of the cohort were increased for overall mortality (RR: 1.42; CI: 1.12-1.79), diabetes (RR: 5.95; CI: 1.08-32.8), liver cancer (RR: 6.69; CI: 1.71-26.2) and liver cirrhosis (RR: 3.87; CI: 1.18-12.7). Mortality for these causes increased in association with probability of PFASs exposure and with tertiles of cumulative PFOA serum concentrations. CONCLUSION The present is a small observational study with limited control over confounding factors. The cohort showed increased mortality for all causes and subjects in the highest cumulative internal dose of PFOA had a statistically significant increase for mortality of liver cancer, liver cirrhosis, diabetes, malignant neoplasms of lymphatic and haematopoietic tissue in both comparisons. Toxicological studies on PFOA and PFOS provide support for causality for the observed association with the risk for liver cirrhosis and liver cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Girardi
- Azienda Zero - Epidemiological Department, Veneto Region, Via Jacopo D'Avanzo, Padua, 35132, Italy; Directorate of Prevention, Food Safety and Veterinary Public Health, Veneto Region, Venice, Italy.
| | - Enzo Merler
- Azienda Zero - Epidemiological Department, Veneto Region, Via Jacopo D'Avanzo, Padua, 35132, Italy; Directorate of Prevention, Food Safety and Veterinary Public Health, Veneto Region, Venice, Italy.
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Hurley S, Goldberg D, Wang M, Park JS, Petreas M, Bernstein L, Anton-Culver H, Nelson DO, Reynolds P. Breast cancer risk and serum levels of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances: a case-control study nested in the California Teachers Study. Environ Health 2018; 17:83. [PMID: 30482205 PMCID: PMC6260688 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-018-0426-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Accepted: 11/13/2018] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Per- and poly- fluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a large family of synthetic chemicals, some of which are mammary toxicants and endocrine disruptors. Their potential as breast carcinogens is unclear. Our objective was to evaluate the risk of breast cancer associated with serum PFAS concentrations in a nested case-control study within the California Teachers Study. METHODS Participants were 902 women with invasive breast cancer (cases) and 858 with no such diagnosis (controls) who provided 10 mL of blood and were interviewed during 2011-2015, an average of 35 months after case diagnosis. PFASs were measured using automated online SPE-HPLC-MS/MS methods. Statistical analyses were restricted to six PFASs with detection frequencies ≥ 95%: PFOA (Perfluorooctanoic acid), PFNA (Perfluorononanoic acid), PFUnDA (Perfluoroundecanoic acid), PFHxS (Perfluorohexane sulfonic acid), PFOS (Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid), and MeFOSAA (2-(N-Methyl-perfluorooctane sulfonamido) acetic acid. Unconditional logistic regression was used to calculate adjusted odds ratios (ORs), estimating the breast cancer risk associated with each PFAS. RESULTS For all cases of invasive breast cancer, none of the adjusted ORs were statistically significant but marginally significant ORs < 1.0 were observed for PFUnDA and PFHxS (p-trend = 0.08). Adjusted ORs < 1.0 for PFUnDA and PFHxS were statistically significant (p ≤ 0.05) among the 107 cases with hormone-negative tumors but not the 743 with hormone-positive tumors. CONCLUSION Overall, these findings do not provide evidence that serum PFAS levels measured after diagnosis are related to breast cancer risk. The few inverse associations found may be due to chance or may be artifacts of study design. Future studies should incorporate information about genetic susceptibility, endogenous estrogen levels, and measurements of PFASs prior to diagnosis and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Hurley
- Cancer Prevention Institute of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, 2001 Center Street, Suite 700, Berkeley, 94704, California, USA.
| | - Debbie Goldberg
- Cancer Prevention Institute of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, 2001 Center Street, Suite 700, Berkeley, 94704, California, USA
| | - Miaomiao Wang
- Environmental Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Toxic Substances Control, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - June-Soo Park
- Environmental Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Toxic Substances Control, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Myrto Petreas
- Environmental Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Toxic Substances Control, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Leslie Bernstein
- Department of Population Sciences, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Hoda Anton-Culver
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - David O Nelson
- Cancer Prevention Institute of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Peggy Reynolds
- Cancer Prevention Institute of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, 2001 Center Street, Suite 700, Berkeley, 94704, California, USA
- Department of Health Research and Policy, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
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Stanifer JW, Stapleton HM, Souma T, Wittmer A, Zhao X, Boulware LE. Perfluorinated Chemicals as Emerging Environmental Threats to Kidney Health: A Scoping Review. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 2018; 13:1479-1492. [PMID: 30213782 PMCID: PMC6218824 DOI: 10.2215/cjn.04670418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a large group of manufactured nonbiodegradable compounds. Despite increasing awareness as global pollutants, the impact of PFAS exposure on human health is not well understood, and there are growing concerns for adverse effects on kidney function. Therefore, we conducted a scoping review to summarize and identify gaps in the understanding between PFAS exposure and kidney health. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS We systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE, EBSCO Global Health, World Health Organization Global Index, and Web of Science for studies published from 1990 to 2018. We included studies on the epidemiology, pharmacokinetics, or toxicology of PFAS exposure and kidney-related health, including clinical, histologic, molecular, and metabolic outcomes related to kidney disease, or outcomes related to the pharmacokinetic role of the kidneys. RESULTS We identified 74 studies, including 21 epidemiologic, 13 pharmacokinetic, and 40 toxicological studies. Three population-based epidemiologic studies demonstrated associations between PFAS exposure and lower kidney function. Along with toxicology studies (n=10) showing tubular histologic and cellular changes from PFAS exposure, pharmacokinetic studies (n=5) demonstrated the kidneys were major routes of elimination, with active proximal tubule transport. In several studies (n=17), PFAS exposure altered several pathways linked to kidney disease, including oxidative stress pathways, peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor pathways, NF-E2-related factor 2 pathways, partial epithelial mesenchymal transition, and enhanced endothelial permeability through actin filament modeling. CONCLUSIONS A growing body of evidence portends PFASs are emerging environmental threats to kidney health; yet several important gaps in our understanding still exist.
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Affiliation(s)
- John W. Stanifer
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina; and
- Duke Global Health Institute
| | | | - Tomokazu Souma
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina; and
| | | | | | - L. Ebony Boulware
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
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Convertino M, Church TR, Olsen GW, Liu Y, Doyle E, Elcombe CR, Barnett AL, Samuel LM, MacPherson IR, Evans TRJ. Stochastic Pharmacokinetic-Pharmacodynamic Modeling for Assessing the Systemic Health Risk of Perfluorooctanoate (PFOA). Toxicol Sci 2018; 163:293-306. [PMID: 29462473 PMCID: PMC5920327 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfy035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
A phase 1 dose-escalation trial assessed the chemotherapeutic potential of ammonium perfluorooctanoate (APFO). Forty-nine primarily solid-tumor cancer patients who failed standard therapy received weekly APFO doses (50-1200 mg) for 6 weeks. Clinical chemistries and plasma PFOA (anionic APFO) were measured predose and weekly thereafter. Several clinical measures including total cholesterol, high-density lipoproteins (HDLs), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), and free thyroxine (fT4), relative to PFOA concentrations were examined by: Standard statistical analyses using generalized estimating equations (GEE) and a probabilistic analysis using probability distribution functions (pdf) at various PFOA concentrations; and a 2-compartment pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) model to directly estimate mean changes. Based on the GEE, the average rates of change in total cholesterol and fT4 associated with increasing PFOA were approximately -1.2×10-3 mmol/l/μM and 2.8×10-3 pmol/l/μM, respectively. The PK/PD model predicted more closely the trends observed in the data as well as the pdfs of biomarkers. A decline in total cholesterol was observed, with a clear transition in shape and range of the pdfs, manifested by the maximum value of the Kullback-Leibler (KL) divergence, that occurred at plasma PFOA between 420 and 565 μM (175 000-230 000 ng/ml). High-density lipoprotein was unchanged. An increase in fT4 was observed at a higher PFOA transition point, albeit TSH was unchanged. Our findings are consistent with some animal models and may motivate re-examination of the epidemiologic studies to PFOA at levels several orders of magnitude lower than this study. These observational studies have reported contrary associations, but currently understood biology does not support the existence of such conflicting effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Convertino
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences and Public Health Informatics Program, HumNat Lab, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
- Institute on the Environment, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota 55455
- Institute for Engineering in Medicine
- Biomedical Informatics and Computational Biology Program
| | - Timothy R Church
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
| | - Geary W Olsen
- Medical Department, 3M Company, St. Paul, Minnesota 55144
| | - Yang Liu
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences and Public Health Informatics Program, HumNat Lab, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
| | | | | | | | | | - Iain R MacPherson
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, CR-UK Beatson Institute, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8Q, UK
| | - Thomas R J Evans
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, CR-UK Beatson Institute, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8Q, UK
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Mastrantonio M, Bai E, Uccelli R, Cordiano V, Screpanti A, Crosignani P. Drinking water contamination from perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS): an ecological mortality study in the Veneto Region, Italy. Eur J Public Health 2018; 28:180-185. [PMID: 28541558 DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/ckx066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a heterogeneous group of highly stable man-made chemicals, have been widely used since 1960s and can be detected almost ubiquitously in all environmental matrices. In Italy, on January 2014, drinking water contamination in an area of the Veneto Region was detected mainly due to the drain of fluorinated chemicals by a manufacturing company operating since 1964. Methods The present ecological mortality study was aimed at comparing mortality for some causes of death selected on the basis of previous reported associations, during the period 1980-2013, in municipalities with PFAS contaminated and uncontaminated drinking water on the basis of the levels indicated by the Italian National Health Institute (ISS). Sex-specific number, standardized mortality rates and rate ratios (RR) for PFAS contaminated and uncontaminated areas were computed for each cause of death through the ENEA epidemiological database. Results In both sexes, statistically significant RRs were detected for all causes mortality, diabetes, cerebrovascular diseases, myocardial infarction and Alzheimer's disease. In females, RRs significantly higher than 1.0 were also observed for kidney and breast cancer, and Parkinson's disease. Increased risk, although not statistically significant, was observed for bladder cancer in both sexes, and for testicular cancer, pancreatic cancer and leukemia in males only. Conclusions Higher mortality levels for some causes of death, possibly associated with PFAS exposure, were detected in contaminated municipalities in comparison with uncontaminated ones with similar socioeconomic status and smoking habits. These results warrant further individual level analytic studies to delineate casual associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Mastrantonio
- Territorial and Production System Sustainability Department, Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Rome, Italy
| | - Edoardo Bai
- International Society of Doctors for the Environment (ISDE), Rome, Italy
| | - Raffaella Uccelli
- Territorial and Production System Sustainability Department, Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Rome, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Cordiano
- International Society of Doctors for the Environment (ISDE), Rome, Italy
| | - Augusto Screpanti
- Territorial and Production System Sustainability Department, Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Crosignani
- International Society of Doctors for the Environment (ISDE), Rome, Italy
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Bena A, Farina E, Demaria M, Cadum E. Mortality study of employees at a chemical manufacturing plant using administrative databases. Am J Ind Med 2016; 59:866-76. [PMID: 27265429 DOI: 10.1002/ajim.22617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study investigated mortality in a cohort of 1,988 male workers at a chemical manufacturing plant (1981-2011) and evaluated the quality of the results obtained using administrative databases. METHODS Information about the workers was obtained from the archives of the Italian National Institute for Social Insurance. Vital status and causes of death were ascertained through record linkage with electronic archives and follow-up mailing. Regional reference rates were used to calculate standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) and 90% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS The analysis showed increased SMR for selected cancers of a priori interest: respiratory system (SMR: 126.8; 90%CI: 105-152), pleura (330.5; 90%CI 164-596), and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (196.1; 90%CI 102-342). CONCLUSIONS The results indicate an effect of hazardous exposures among workers in this chemical manufacturing plant. Using administrative databases to construct historical cohorts is an efficient method in time and resources, for estimating the risk of mortality and generating hypotheses. Am. J. Ind. Med. 59:866-876, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Bena
- Department of Epidemiology; ASL TO3; Grugliasco Torino Italy
| | - Elena Farina
- Department of Epidemiology; ASL TO3; Grugliasco Torino Italy
| | - Moreno Demaria
- Environmental Epidemiologic Unit; Regional Agency for Environmental Protection; Piedmont Region Italy
| | - Ennio Cadum
- Environmental Epidemiologic Unit; Regional Agency for Environmental Protection; Piedmont Region Italy
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24
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Abstract
Purpose: To inform questions raised by inconsistent findings regarding an association between perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) and prostate cancer by assessing the relationship of PFAAs in human serum to prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Materials and Methods: Using 2005 to 2006 survey data from a large survey population, we compared serum PFAA concentrations in adult males with PSA concentrations adjusted for risk factors including age, body mass index, smoking status, and socioeconomic status. Results: Perfluoroalkyl acids are not consistently associated with PSA concentration in general, or with PSA more than 4.0. Discussion: These findings do not provide evidence that PFAA exposure is associated with PSA.
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Raleigh KK, Alexander BH, Olsen GW, Ramachandran G, Morey SZ, Church TR, Logan PW, Scott LLF, Allen EM. Mortality and cancer incidence in ammonium perfluorooctanoate production workers. Occup Environ Med 2014; 71:500-6. [PMID: 24832944 PMCID: PMC4078701 DOI: 10.1136/oemed-2014-102109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2014] [Revised: 04/03/2014] [Accepted: 04/27/2014] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate mortality and cancer incidence in a cohort of ammonium perfluorooctanoate (APFO) exposed workers. METHODS We linked a combined cohort (n=9027) of employees from APFO and non-APFO production facilities in Minnesota to the National Death Index and to cancer registries of Minnesota and Wisconsin. Industrial hygiene data and expert evaluation were used to create a task-based job exposure matrix to estimate APFO exposure. Standardised mortality ratios were estimated using Minnesota population rates. HRs and 95% CIs for time-dependent cumulative APFO exposure were estimated with an extended Cox model. A priori outcomes of interest included cancers of the liver, pancreas, testes, kidney, prostate and breast, and mortality from cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and chronic renal diseases. RESULTS Mortality rates in the APFO-exposed cohort were at or below the expected, compared with Minnesota. The HR for dying from the cancer and non-cancer outcomes of interest did not show an association with APFO exposure. Similarly, there was little evidence that the incident cancers were associated with APFO exposure. Compared to the non-exposed population, modestly elevated, but quite imprecise HRs were observed in the higher-exposure quartiles for bladder cancer (HR=1.66, 95% CI 0.86 to 3.18) and pancreatic cancer (HR=1.36, 95% CI 0.59 to 3.11). No association was observed between APFO exposure and kidney, prostate or breast cancers. CONCLUSIONS This analysis did not support an association between occupational APFO exposure and the evaluated health endpoints, however, the study had limited power to evaluate some conditions of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine K Raleigh
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Bruce H Alexander
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | | | - Gurumurthy Ramachandran
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | | | - Timothy R Church
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | | | - Laura L F Scott
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Allen
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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26
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Chang ET, Adami HO, Boffetta P, Cole P, Starr TB, Mandel JS. A critical review of perfluorooctanoate and perfluorooctanesulfonate exposure and cancer risk in humans. Crit Rev Toxicol 2014; 44 Suppl 1:1-81. [PMID: 24793953 DOI: 10.3109/10408444.2014.905767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) are ubiquitous synthetic chemicals with no known effect on human cancer development. This article systematically and critically reviews the epidemiologic evidence regarding the association between PFOA and PFOS exposure and cancer risk in humans. Eighteen epidemiologic studies - eight of PFOA, four of PFOS, and six of both PFOA and PFOS - have estimated associations of exposure to these chemicals with cancer incidence or mortality, with studies equally divided between occupational and nonoccupational settings. Although some statistically significant positive associations have been reported, for example, with cancers of the prostate, kidney, testis, and thyroid, the majority of relative risk estimates for both PFOA and PFOS have been between 0.5 and 2.0 (with 95% confidence intervals including 1.0), inconsistently detected across studies, counterbalanced by negative associations, not indicative of a monotonic exposure-response relationship, and not coherent with toxicological evidence in animals, in which the primary target organs are the liver, testis (Leydig cells), and pancreas (acinar cells). Many positive associations with PFOA exposure were detected in community settings without occupational exposure and were not supported by results in exposed workers. Given that occupational exposure to PFOA and PFOS is one to two orders of magnitude higher than environmental exposure, the discrepant positive findings are likely due to chance, confounding, and/or bias. Taken together, the epidemiologic evidence does not support the hypothesis of a causal association between PFOA or PFOS exposure and cancer in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen T Chang
- Health Sciences Practice, Exponent, Inc. , Menlo Park, CA , USA
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