title: Carcinogenic risk of emerging persistent organic pollutant perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS): A proposal of classification.
abstract: Perfluoroalkyls are stable synthetic chemicals, able to repel oils, fats and water. These compounds have been used in the manufacturing of products such as Teflon®, lubricants, paints, fire-fighting foams, coatings for pans, carpets, clothes, and paperboard for packaging, among others. It is believed that populations are exposed constantly to them. Its regulation in the world is under development and several controversies are in the course of litigation. One occupational study shows bladder cancer risk. This paper intends to review scientific information on the most critical perfluoroalkyl compound and proposes a procedure to get a cancer-risk categorization which PFOS can cause to populations.
  
  
  METHODS
  As a guiding axis, we used the IARC process for developing monographs of carcinogenic risks. We used the SIGN guides for evaluating the quality of studies in human populations; and finally, we used the Squire method for evaluating studies in laboratory animals. Inadequate evidence of carcinogenicity was found in human studies mainly due to chance, threshold effect and confounders. In experimental animal studies, inadequate evidence of carcinogenicity was found in view of the number of affected species, different types of neoplasms, dose-response relationship and genotoxicity found in in-vivo and in-vitro studies. In this proposal, we concluded that cancer risk for PFOS, according to the IARC method, is not classifiable as carcinogenic to humans (group 3).
authors.affiliation: Science, Technology and Society, Cinvestav-IPN, Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional 2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, C.P. 07360, Mexico City, Mexico. Electronic address: rarrieta@cinvestav.mx.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Arrieta-Cortes
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación en Salud Poblacional, INSP, Universidad No. 655, Colonia Santa María Ahuacatitlán, Cerrada Los Pinos y Caminera, Cuernavaca, Morelos, 62100, Mexico. Electronic address: paulina.farias@insp.mx.
authors.forename: Paulina
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Farias
authors.affiliation: Science, Technology and Society, Cinvestav-IPN, Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional 2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, C.P. 07360, Mexico City, Mexico; Pharmacology Department, Cinvestav-IPN, Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional 2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, C.P. 07360, Mexico City, Mexico. Electronic address: citocromo@cinvestav.mx.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hoyo-Vadillo
authors.affiliation: Science, Technology and Society, Cinvestav-IPN, Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional 2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, C.P. 07360, Mexico City, Mexico; CEPED (IRD - Université Paris V Descartes), 19 rue Jacob, Paris, 75006, France. Electronic address: Mina.Kleiche@ird.fr.
authors.forename: Mina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kleiche-Dray
mesh_terms: D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids / Q000145:classification / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D015197:Carcinogenicity Tests; D002273:Carcinogens / Q000145:classification / Q000633:toxicity*; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000235:genetics; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000145:classification / Q000633:toxicity*; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000145:classification / Q000633:toxicity*; D006801:Humans; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000235:genetics; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D016272:Occupational Health; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D009626:Terminology as Topic
chemical_list: D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids; D002273:Carcinogens; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D005466:Fluorocarbons; C076994:perfluorooctane sulfonic acid
keywords: Cancer; Carcinogenic risk; Genotoxicity; IARC; PFCs; PFOS; Perfluorooctane sulfonate; Risk assessment