Polyfluoroalkyl chemicals in pooled blood serum from infants, children, and adults in Australia.
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.
Toms
Leisa-Maree L
LM
The University of Queensland, National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology, 39 Kessels Road, Coopers Plains, Queensland 4108, Australia. l.toms@uq.edu.au
Calafat
Antonia M
AM
Kato
Kayoko
K
Thompson
Jack
J
Harden
Fiona
F
Hobson
Peter
P
Sjödin
Andreas
A
Mueller
Jochen F
JF
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D001315:Australia; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D006845:Hydrocarbons, Fluorinated / Q000097:blood*; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D055815:Young Adult
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D006845:Hydrocarbons, Fluorinated