Perfluorinated organic compounds in human blood serum and seminal plasma: a study of urban and rural tea worker populations in Sri Lanka.
Concentrations and accumulation of 13 fluorinated organic compounds (FOCs) in human sera and seminal plasma were measured in an Asian developing country, Sri Lanka. Six of the FOCs, PFOS (perfluorooctanesulfonate), PFHS (perfluorohexanesulfonate), PFUnA (perfluoroundecanoic acid), PFDA (perfluorodecanoic acid), PFNA (perfluorononanoic acid) and PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid), were detected in all of the sera samples. Measurable quantities of two main perfluorosulfonates, PFOS and PFHS, were found in all seminal plasma samples. The detection frequency of the predominant perfluoroalkylcarboxylate, PFOA, in seminal plasma was >70%. Accumulation of PFOS in sera was significantly positively correlated with PFOA, PFHS and PFNA. Positive linear regressions were also found between PFNA and PFUnA and PFNA and PFDA suggesting that these compounds may have a similar origin of exposure and accumulation. Significantly positive associations were observed for partitioning of both PFOS and PFNA between sera and seminal plasma. The accumulation of FOCs was not significantly different in sera from Colombo (urban population) and Talawakele (rural conventional tea workers). However, the Haldummulla population (rural organic tea workers) had relatively lower exposure to FOCs compared to the other two groups, urban and rural conventional tea workers. Concentrations of FOCs in Sri Lanka were similar to those reported for industrialized countries suggesting that human exposure to such chemicals is widespread even in developing countries. The novel finding of FOCs in human seminal plasma implies that further studies are needed to determine whether long-term exposure in humans can result in reproductive impairments.
Guruge
Keerthi S
KS
Toxico-Biochemistry Section, National Institute of Animal Health, Kannondai 3-1-5, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856, Japan. guruge@affrc.go.jp
Taniyasu
Sachi
S
Yamashita
Nobuyoshi
N
Wijeratna
Sumedha
S
Mohotti
Keerthi M
KM
Seneviratne
Harsha R
HR
Kannan
Kurunthachalam
K
Yamanaka
Noriko
N
Miyazaki
Shigeru
S
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids / Q000097:blood; D001835:Body Weight; D002210:Caprylates / Q000097:blood; D003652:Decanoic Acids / Q000097:blood; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000097:blood; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008875:Middle Aged; D009790:Occupations; D012661:Semen / Q000378:metabolism*; D013188:Sri Lanka; D013451:Sulfonic Acids / Q000097:blood
D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids; D002210:Caprylates; D003652:Decanoic Acids; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D005227:Fatty Acids; D005466:Fluorocarbons; D013451:Sulfonic Acids; C016173:undecanoic acid; C036567:perfluorodecanoic acid; C471071:perfluorohexanesulfonic acid; C076994:perfluorooctane sulfonic acid