Polyfluoroalkyl Chemicals in Pooled Blood Serum from Infants, Children, and Adults in Australia

Abstract

Polyfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFCs) have been used worldwide for more than 50 years in a wide variety of industrial and consumer products. Limited data exist on human exposure to PFCs in the Southern Hemisphere. Human blood serum collected in southeast Queensland, Australia, in 2006-2007 from 2420 donors was pooled according to age (cord blood, 0-0.5, 0.6-1, 1.1-1.5, 1.6-2, 2.1-2.5, 2.6-3, 3.1-3.5, 3.6-4, 4.1-6, 6.1-9, 9.1-12, 12.1-15, 16-30, 31-45, 46-60, and > 60 years) and gender and was analyzed for eight PFCs. Across all pools, perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was detected at the highest mean concentration (15.2 ng/mL) followed by perfluorooctanoate (PFOA, 6.4 ng/mL), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS, 3.1 ng/mL), perfluorononanoate (PFNA, 0.8 ng/mL), 2-(N-methylperfluorooctance sulfonamide) acetate (Me-PFOSA-AcOH, 0.66 ng/mL), and perfluorodecanoate (PFDeA, 0.29 ng/mL). Perfluorooctane sulfonamide was detected in only 24% of the pools, and 2-(N-ethylperfluorooctane sulfonamide) acetate was detected in only one. PFOS concentrations were significantly higher in pools from adult males than from adult females (p = 0.002); no gender differences were apparent in the pools from children (< 12 years old). The highest mean concentrations of PFOA, PFHxS, PFNA, PFDeA, and Me-PFOSA-AcOH were found in children < 15 years, while PFOS was highest in adults > 60 years. Investigation into the sources and exposure pathways in Australia, in particular for children, is necessary as well as continued biomonitoring to determine the potential effects on human concentrations as a result of changes in the PFC manufacturing practices, including the cessation of production of several PFCs.

Trends of polyfluoroalkyl compounds in marine biota and in humans

“…The first one was done in the years 2002-03 with pooled serum 1 9 8 0 1 9 8 1 1 9 8 2 1 9 8 3 1 9 8 5 1 9 8 6 1 9 8 8 1 9 8 9 1 9 9 0 1 9 9 1 1 9 9 3 1 9 9 4 1 9 9 5 1 9 9 6 1 9 9 7 1 9 9 9 2 0 0 0 [39] ) and estimated total global POSF production volumes, data adapted from Paul et al [1] Temporal trends of PFOS, PFOA and PFHxS in serum (whole blood concentrations multiplied by a factor of 2) of Chinese adults from Shenyang, data adapted from references that are cited following the data (values 1987: male þ female, n ¼ 15 [40] ; values 1990: male þ female, n ¼ 33 [40] ; values 1999: male, 34.5 mean age, n ¼ 36 [40] ; values 2002: male, 28.5 mean age, n ¼ 36 [40] ; values 2004: male, 21-46 mean age, n ¼ 6 [41] ; values 2008: male, 40-45 mean age, n ¼ 5 [42] ). [45] and Toms et al [46] ).…”

“…[46] Samples were taken from men and women of several different age groups from urban regions. A comparison of the two Australian studies showed no temporal trend between the years 2002-03 and 2006-07 (Fig.…”

“…[49] Similar results of high PFHxS levels in childreńs blood were reported from Australia, where the highest mean concentrations of PFHxS and also of PFOA and PFNA were found in children o15 years old. [46] PFC concentrations appeared to increase from birth and to be stable after 10 years of age with the exception of PFOS, which increased steadily until 460 years. [45,46] In China, PFC concentrations (i.e.…”

Contamination profiles of perfluoroalkyl substances in five typical rivers of the Pearl River Delta region, South China

“…Thus PFASs are found almost ubiquitously in various environmental media including air (Shoeib et al, 2006;Li et al, 2011b), water (Hansen et al, 2002;Boulanger et al, 2004), sediment Benskin et al, 2011), and biota (Giesy and Kannan, 2001;Tao et al, 2006), as well as humans (Kannan et al, 2004;Toms et al, 2009). Contamination of surface water by PFASs could impact water quality of drinking water sources, thus threating human health.…”

Indoor Contamination with Hexabromocyclododecanes, Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers, and Perfluoroalkyl Compounds: An Important Exposure Pathway for People?

“…Moreover, PFOA and other PFCAs are used as processing aids in production of fluoropolymers like polytetrafluoroethylene (31). Despite recent restrictions on production, they remain in humans (32), generating concerns about toxicity of some PFCs, with PFOS listed recently under the Stockholm Convention (17) and some exposure guidelines proposed (33,34). This paper addresses the following: strategies and methods for monitoring contamination and exposure; current evidence of contamination of indoor environments; source identification and attribution; causes of variability in contamination of indoor environments with BFRs and PFCs and the implications for source attribution and human exposure assessment and the contribution of indoor exposure to human body burdens.…”