Bone mass density following developmental exposures to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS): a longitudinal cohort study

Abstract

Background Environmental exposures to industrial chemicals, including perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), may play a role in bone development and future risk of osteoporosis. However, as prospective evidence is limited, the role of developmental PFAS exposures in bone density changes in childhood is unclear. The objective of this study was to estimate associations between serum-PFAS concentrations measured in infancy and early childhood and areal bone mineral density (aBMD) measured at age 9 years in a birth cohort of children from the Faroe Islands. Methods We prospectively measured concentrations of five PFAS in cord serum and serum collected at 18 months, 5 years and 9 years, and conducted whole-body DXA scans at the 9-year clinical visit. Our study included 366 mother-child pairs with DXA scans and at least one PFAS measurement. We estimated covariate-adjusted associations of individual PFAS concentrations with age-, sex- and height-adjusted aBMD z-scores using multivariable regression models and applied formal mediation analysis to estimate the possible impact of by several measures of body composition. We also evaluated whether associations were modified by child sex. Results We found PFAS exposures in childhood to be negatively associated with aBMD z-scores, with the strongest association seen for perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) at age 5 years. A doubling in age-5 PFNA was associated with a 0.15 decrease in aBMD z-score (95% CI: − 0.26, − 0.039). The PFNA-aBMD association was significantly stronger in males than females, although effect modification by sex was not significant for other PFAS exposures. Results from the mediation analysis suggested that any potential associations between aBMD and 18-month PFAS concentrations may be mediated by total body fat and BMI, although most estimated total effects for PFAS exposures at age 18 months were non-significant. PFAS exposures at age 9 were not associated with age-9 aBMD z-scores. Conclusions The PFAS-aBMD associations identified in this and previous studies suggest that bone may be a target tissue for PFAS. Pediatric bone density has been demonstrated to strongly track through young adulthood and possibly beyond; therefore, these prospective results may have important public health implications.

An Atomic and Molecular Insight into How PFOA Reduces α-Helicity, Compromises Substrate Binding, and Creates Binding Pockets in a Model Globular Protein

“…5,11,12 In the serum of fishery workers, PFAS levels ranged between 0.01 and 10,400 ng/mL, while those exposed to contaminated drinking water presented with levels ranging between 0.5 and 35.5 ng/mL, suggesting that occupational exposure can result in PFAS burdens 1−4 orders of magnitude higher than the general population. 13,14 PFAS has been detected in serum from the maternal chord and in newborn blood, demonstrating that these chemicals are capable of passing through the placental barrier. Estimates of the efficiency of placental transfer range between 30% and 79%.…”

“…Elsewhere, 21 PFAS compounds found upon post-mortem analysis revealed that in the kidney and lung, perfluorobutanoic acid was the most frequently found PFAS (and at highest concentrations with median values residing at 263 and 807 ng/g in the kidney and lung, respectively). − ,, In the liver and brain, perfluorohexanoic acid showed the maximum levels (median: 68.3 and 141 ng/g, respectively), while perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was the most prevalent PFAS in bone (median: 20.9 ng/g). ,, In the serum of fishery workers, PFAS levels ranged between 0.01 and 10,400 ng/mL, while those exposed to contaminated drinking water presented with levels ranging between 0.5 and 35.5 ng/mL, suggesting that occupational exposure can result in PFAS burdens 1–4 orders of magnitude higher than the general population. , PFAS has been detected in serum from the maternal chord and in newborn blood, demonstrating that these chemicals are capable of passing through the placental barrier. Estimates of the efficiency of placental transfer range between 30% and 79%. , Breast milk has been shown to account for 83–99% of PFAS total daily intake for infants. , Nevertheless, the initial underestimation of their environmental impact together with their widespread use has caused in the last decades an increased level of environmental contamination from poly- and perfluorinated compounds and, in particular, from PFAS. , Although, several efforts have been made for PFAS detection and removal from water − and soil, − addressing the consequences of their historical use remains a critical challenge.…”

Correction: Bone mass density following developmental exposures to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS): a longitudinal cohort study

“…Following publication of the original article [ 1 ], the affiliation details for Philippe Grandjean were incorrectly given as '2,7' but should have been '1,7'.…”