Mortality and cancer incidence in perfluorooctanesulfonyl fluoride production workers

Abstract

BackgroundExposure to per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has been associated with several health outcomes, though few occupationally‐exposed populations have been studied. We evaluated mortality and cancer incidence in a cohort of perfluorooctanesulfonyl fluoride‐based specialty chemical manufacturing workers.MethodsThe cohort included any employee who ever worked at the facility from 1961 to 2010 (N = 4045), with a primary interest in those who had 365 cumulative days of employment (N = 2659). Vital status and mortality records were obtained through 2014 and the cohort was linked to state cancer registries to obtain incident cancer cases from 1995 to 2014. Cumulative exposure was derived from a comprehensive exposure reconstruction that estimated job‐specific perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS)‐equivalents (mg/m3) exposure. Overall and exposure‐specific standardized mortality ratios (SMR) were estimated in reference to the US population. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for cumulative PFOS‐equivalent exposure (log2 transformed) were estimated within the cohort for specific causes of death and incident cancers using a time‐dependent Cox model.ResultsDeath rates were lower than expected except for cerebrovascular disease (SMR = 2.42, 95% CI = 1.25–4.22) and bladder cancer (SMR = 3.91, 95% CI = 1.07–10.02) in the highest exposure quartile. Within the cohort, the incidence of bladder, colorectal, and pancreatic cancer were positively associated with exposure, however except for lung cancer (HR = 1.05, 95% CI = 1.00–1.11) the CIs did not exclude an HR of 1.ConclusionsThis study provides some evidence that occupational exposure to PFOS is associated with bladder and lung cancers and with cerebrovascular disease.

Contemporary Concise Review 2023: Environmental and occupational lung diseases

“…PFAS, synthetic water-and oil-resistant chemicals, are used in numerous commercial products including fabric coatings, cookware and food packaging. [68][69][70][71] PFAS exposure is mainly due to the ingestion of contaminated drinking water 72 and through inhalation, the skin, the placenta and breastfeeding. [73][74][75] The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) designated PFOA as "carcinogenic to humans" (Group 1) and PFOS as "possibly carcinogenic to humans" (Group 2B), in November 2023, 76 but evidence of the carcinogenicity of PFOA is currently limited to kidney and testicular cancer.…”