PFAS levels and exposure determinants in sensitive population groups
Chemosphere, vol. 313, pp. 137530
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent organic pollutants. The first exposure to PFAS occurs in utero, after birth it continues via breast milk, food intake, environment, and consumer products that contain these chemicals. Our aim was to identify determinants of PFAS concentrations in sensitive population subgroups- pregnant women and newborns. METHODS: Nine European birth cohorts provided exposure data on PFAS in pregnant women (INMA-Gipuzkoa, Sabadell, Valencia, ELFE and MoBa; total N = 5897) or newborns (3xG study, FLEHS 2, FLEHS 3 and PRENATAL; total N = 940). PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS and PFNA concentrations were measured in maternal or cord blood, depending on the cohort (FLEHS 2 measured only PFOS and PFOA). PFAS concentrations were analysed according to maternal characteristics (age, BMI, parity, previous breastfeeding, smoking, and food consumption during pregnancy) and parental educational level. The association between potential determinants and PFAS concentrations was evaluated using multiple linear regression models. RESULTS: We observed significant variations in PFAS concentrations among cohorts. Higher PFAS concentrations were associated with higher maternal age, primipara birth, and educational level, both for maternal blood and cord blood. Higher PFAS concentrations in maternal blood were associated with higher consumption of fish and seafood, meat, offal and eggs. In cord blood, higher PFHxS concentrations were associated with daily meat consumption and higher PFNA with offal consumption. Daily milk and dairy consumption were associated with lower concentrations of PFAS in both, pregnant women and newborns. CONCLUSION: High detection rates of the four most abundant PFAS demonstrate ubiquitous exposure of sensitive populations, which is of concern. This study identified several determinants of PFAS exposure in pregnant women and newborns, including dietary factors, and these findings can be used for proposing measures to reduce PFAS exposure, particularly from dietary sources.
Authors 26
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Affiliation as printed
Slovak Medical University in Bratislava, Faculty of Public Health, Department of Environmental Medicine, Bratislava, Slovakia
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Universitat Jaume I · Universitat de València · Fundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunitat Valenciana
Affiliation as printed
Epidemiology and Environmental Health Joint Research Unit, FISABIO-Universitat Jaume I-Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
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Universitat Pompeu Fabra · Instituto de Salud Carlos III · Barcelona Institute for Global Health · Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública
Affiliation as printed
ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5 28029 Madrid, Spain
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Flemish Institute for Technological Research
Affiliation as printed
VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium
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University of Southern Denmark
Affiliation as printed
Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
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Provincial Institute for Hygiene
Affiliation as printed
Provincial Institute of Hygiene (PIH), Antwerp, Belgium
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Affiliation as printed
Santé publique France, Saint-Maurice, France
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National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Affiliation as printed
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), North Carolina, USA
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Flemish Institute for Technological Research
Affiliation as printed
VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium
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Flemish Institute for Technological Research
Affiliation as printed
VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium
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Instituto de Salud Carlos III · Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute · Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública
Affiliation as printed
Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5 28029 Madrid, Spain; Biodonostia, Epidemiology and Public Health Area, Environmental Epidemiology and Child Development Group, 20014 San Sebastian, Spain
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Universitat de València · Instituto de Salud Carlos III · Fundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunitat Valenciana · Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública
Affiliation as printed
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), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5 28029 Madrid, Spain; Faculty of Nursing and Chiropody, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
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Barcelona Institute for Global Health
Affiliation as printed
ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
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Affiliation as printed
Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Antwerp, Belgium
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Affiliation as printed
Slovak Medical University in Bratislava, Faculty of Public Health, Department of Environmental Medicine, Bratislava, Slovakia
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Affiliation as printed
Slovak Medical University in Bratislava, Faculty of Public Health, Department of Environmental Medicine, Bratislava, Slovakia
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Affiliation as printed
Slovak Medical University in Bratislava, Faculty of Public Health, Department of Environmental Medicine, Bratislava, Slovakia
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Flemish Institute for Technological Research
Affiliation as printed
VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium
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Basque Government · Instituto de Salud Carlos III · Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute · Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública
Affiliation as printed
Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5 28029 Madrid, Spain; Biodonostia, Epidemiology and Public Health Area, Environmental Epidemiology and Child Development Group, 20014 San Sebastian, Spain; Public Health Division of Gipuzkoa, Basque Government, 20013 San Sebastian, Spain
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Affiliation as printed
Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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Flemish Institute for Technological Research
Affiliation as printed
VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium
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Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Affiliation as printed
Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH), Oslo, Norway
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Affiliation as printed
Umweltbundesamt, Vienna, Austria
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Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Affiliation as printed
Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH), Oslo, Norway
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Universitat Pompeu Fabra · Instituto de Salud Carlos III · Barcelona Institute for Global Health · Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública
Affiliation as printed
ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5 28029 Madrid, Spain
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Institut national d'études démographiques
Affiliation as printed
Institut national d'études démographiques (INED), Aubervilliers, France
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