Mothers living with contamination of perfluoroalkyl substances: an assessment of the perceived health risk and self-reported diseases

Abstract

Widespread contamination of the super cial, drinking, and groundwater by per uoroalkyl substances (PFAS) was discovered in the Veneto Region (northeast of Italy) in 2013. Mothers from the contaminated area were concerned about the effects of PFAS on their own and their children's health. We determined the factors that in uenced the perceived risk of PFAS and the presence of self-reported diseases by conducting a study with 384 mothers of children aged 1-13 years living in the contaminated area (Red Zone, Veneto, Italy). Information on demography, the sources of exposure, and the health condition of the mothers was collected through an online survey.The serum PFAS concentration was recorded for some of the participants. We determined the factors in uencing the perceived risk, risk of health outcomes, and serum PFAS levels through regression analyses. The PFAS perceived risk of the mothers increased with an increase in the trust in scienti c institutions and social media, and when many friends were present, trust in politics and full-time employment had a protective effect. The PFAS perceived risk increased the occurrences of self-reported and autoimmune diseases. Longer residence (>20 years) in the most exposed area (Red Zone A) increased the frequency of some health outcomes. Serum PFAS concentrations decreased with breastfeeding, but increased with tap water consumption, residence in Red Zone A, and residence time. The PFAS perceived risk of the mothers was associated with many factors that in uenced reporting of health issues. The association between PFAS exposure and health outcomes needs further investigation.

Main Factors Influencing the Perceived Health Risk of Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals: A Systematic Literature Review

“…This is true for both EDCs as a general category (Rouillon et al, 2018;Wee et al, 2022) and specific EDCs, such as pesticide residues in food (Bruhn et al, 1991;Flynn et al, 1994;Koch et al, 2017;Mello & Hovick, 2016;Ott, 1990;Rosati & Saba, 2004;Schütz & Wiedemann, 1998;Tucker et al, 2006), BPA (Jansen et al, 2020a;Mello & Hovick, 2016), and PFAS (Girardi et al, 2022). However, when it comes to non-dietary pesticide risk perceptions, they were either found to be moderate (Chitra et al, 2013;Nieuwenhuijsen et al, 2005;Zhang & Fan, 2013) or low (Calliera et al, 2019).…”

“…Specifically, individuals who relied on family or friends for food safety information were less likely to perceive high risks related to pesticide-related hazards (Williams & Hammitt, 2001). However, for PFAS, a wider social network was associated with a higher perceived risk associated with PFAS exposure (Girardi et al, 2022).…”

“…Self-employed and retired individuals were more likely to perceive that the benefits of pesticides outweigh their potential risks compared to civil servants, private sector employees, or unemployed individuals (Simoglou & Roditakis, 2022). On the other hand, full-time employees expressed fewer concerns about the health risks of PFAS exposure compared to housewives or those who were unemployed (Girardi et al, 2022). Finally, individuals who were exposed to PFAS due to their occupation expressed concerns regarding potential long-term health outcomes (Banwell et al, 2020).…”

“…For example, individuals with more positive attitudes toward science were less likely to be concerned about pesticides (Knight & Warland, 2005). However, a study focusing on mothers' PFAS risk perception observed a contrasting trend: those who had a higher level of trust in scientific institutions and social media believed that PFAS posed a greater health risk (Girardi et al, 2022). Yet, mothers with a stronger trust in political institutions perceived fewer risks associated with PFAS (Girardi et al, 2022).…”

“…However, a study focusing on mothers' PFAS risk perception observed a contrasting trend: those who had a higher level of trust in scientific institutions and social media believed that PFAS posed a greater health risk (Girardi et al, 2022). Yet, mothers with a stronger trust in political institutions perceived fewer risks associated with PFAS (Girardi et al, 2022). Political inclinations also seemed to influence EDC risk perception.…”