title: Perfluorinated chemicals in selected residents of the American continent.
abstract: Perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) are used in multiple consumer products. Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), the most widely studied PFCs, may be potential developmental, reproductive, and systemic toxicants. Although PFCs seem to be ubiquitous contaminants found both in humans and animals, geographic differences may exist in human exposure patterns to PFCs. We measured 11 PFCs in 23 pooled serum samples collected in the United States from 1990 through 2002, and in serum samples collected in 2003 from 44 residents from Trujillo, Peru. PFOS and PFOA were detected in all the pooled samples; perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) was detected in 21. Median concentrations were 31.1 micrograms per liter (mug/l, PFOS), 11.6 microg/l (PFOA), and 2 microg/l (PFHxS). The 90th percentile concentrations of PFCs in the 44 Peruvian residents were 0.7 microg/l (PFOS), 0.1 microg/l (PFOA), and <0.3 microg/l (PFHxS). The frequencies of detection were 20% (PFOS), 25% (PFOA), and 9% (PFHxS). The frequent detection of selected PFCs in the pooled samples from the United States and the lack of clear concentration trends based on a year of collection suggest a sustained widespread exposure to these compounds among US residents, at least since the 1990s. By contrast, the much lower frequency of detection and concentration ranges of PFCs in Peru suggest a lower exposure of Peruvians to PFCs compared with North Americans. Genetic variability, diet, lifestyle, or a combination of all these may contribute to the different patterns of human exposure to PFCs in the United States and Peru.
authors.affiliation: Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy., NE, Mailstop F17, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA. Acalafat@cdc.gov
authors.forename: Antonia M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Calafat
authors.forename: Larry L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Needham
authors.forename: Zsuzsanna
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kuklenyik
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Reidy
authors.forename: Jason S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Tully
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aguilar-Villalobos
authors.forename: Luke P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Naeher
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001782:Blood Donors; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005260:Female; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010568:Peru; D011786:Quality Control; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D005466:Fluorocarbons